Is He An Influencer? We Say a Friend Visited and Shared His Experience.
There is something pretty dang special about seeing a destination from another’s view, especially when that destination is home. At Great Falls Montana Tourism, we get a little too close to our subject matter, Great Falls. So every now and again we work with folks, like Jared Dillingham, to give us some perspective. Each time we start a project like this, I get nervous. I wonder if they will find joy in the same things I do. I hope they get excited about the neat places they’ll go. I get curious about what they’ll experience that surprises them.
I’m just giddy because Jared LOVED his time in Great Falls. Now, to be fair, he’s from here, kind of, so it already held a special place in his heart. On this trip, however, he got to see some new stuff. We already knew Jared enjoys Glacier National Park, so we sent him out to explore some other areas that are Glacier-like which provide the quintessential “Montana experience,” without the crowds of Glacier. He loved the peace and quiet along Hardy Creek, on the trails in the Highwoods, and at Sluice Boxes State Park. Still, nothing compares to Glacier, and with the elimination of the vehicle reservation ticket at St. Mary and Two Medicine, it is a great treasure to experience while here. However, if you want to expand your horizons, Jared provided his take on some great day hike opportunities in and around Great Falls, Montana.
Now, as we know, Great Falls is more than just an outdoor recreation mecca, we are a cultural hotspot! With 12 museums, 28 works of art along the 53 miles of River’s Edge Trail, 43 murals, historic Lewis and Clark sites, and live music pretty much everywhere, Jared compiled a list of more than 50 things he liked to do. We think there could have easily been more, but his time here was limited.
Jared found some of our favorite locations to fuel his adventures and relax afterward. He shared his list of restaurants which covered a wide variety food. Jared had some personal favorites that he was excited to revisit and was just as interested in trying out the new options. Even I learned something by reading his blog. I’ve known that Borrie’s is an institution around these parts, but had never known how many raviolis they roll each week. He uncovered some unique options for you, but there are more for you to discover on your own.
All in all, I think the smile on Jared’s face tells us he enjoyed being in Great Falls, checking out his favorite old spots, as well as newer spaces, and delighted in meeting several of the local business owners. We all (as I speak for all of Great Falls, Montana) certainly loved having him and welcome him back anytime. Consider this your invitation to retrace all of Jared’s steps or find your own path through our amazing community.
