It introduces spring, but weather can be inconsistent.

Greenhouses, however, can boost production of warm weather plants.

In Hamilton, there' a particularly exotic greenhouse.

ABC Acres property manager Dalton Brown invited NBC Montana into the ABC Acres Tropical Botanical Garden.

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If you're new to Missoula or just passing through, you might wonder what it stands for.

If you live in Missoula you probably already know.

But do you know how it got there?

NBC Montana is talking about the L on Mount Jumbo.

This huge white letter, a kind of twin to the M on Mount Sentinel, has been visible to the community since 1961.

The landowner granted Loyola High School permission to build the L.

It was made up of rock.

As part of the deal the school was required to maintain it.

The Catholic School's student body president, Dennis Nelson wanted to boost school spirit.

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The parade starts at 10 a.m.

Its Grand marshal is an Army veteran who has spent years helping make the parade one of Montana's most popular Memorial Day events.

Doug Mason is also a military historian who made it a mission to honor the lives and stories of veterans buried in the Corvallis Cemetery.

NBC Montana met Doug at the cemetery, a serene place of mature trees with beautifully manicured grass.

Doug has spent years walking and researching the veterans who are buried here.

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The Poindexter Collection of Modern Art contain masterpieces from the late 1940's, 50's and 60's.

George Poindexter and his wife Elinor donated the collection to the Montana Historical Society.

NBC Montana traveled to Helena to see these collected works, which are some of the country's most renowned treasures in modern art.

The late George Poindexter was a descendant of one of Montana's oldest and most prominent ranch families.

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Volunteers can be the back bone of getting things done and sustaining its amenities.

Drive Highway 93 South past Victor, and you'll see trees and shrubs that enhance the town and medians along the highway.

It's where NBC Montana spent time with the chairman of the Victor Park District.

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Years of unregulated hunting had decimated elk numbers.

But there was a healthy population of elk in Yellowstone National Park.

In 1912, a herd of elk from Yellowstone were transported to Hamilton.

Now mounts believed to be from the original Yellowstone elk are being celebrated at the new fire hall.

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Arbor Day brought out scores of conservationists to plant and nurture trees.

Efforts to protect our planet brought the world together for Earth Day celebrations.

Cleaning up and recycling are never ending jobs.

To get a feel for a typical day at a recycling center NBC Montana spent time at Modern Recycling in Victor.

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The Missoula Children's Theater has been entertaining audiences for more than 50 years.

It's the final production of the 25-26 community series this season.

'Mamma Mia' runs from April 30 through May 17.

But MCT is busy all year around.

It's known as the world's largest children's touring theater.

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They were built across Montana's rustic western landscape, but many borrowed on classic European style architecture.

Butte-Silver Bow City- County Courthouse is among Montana's grandest.

NBC Montana met Butte- Silver Bow Government Buildings Manager, John Sullivan, at the courthouse to learn more about this handsome building on West Granite Street.

John tells us the building was dedicated in 1912.

It cost a whopping $750,000, a huge price tag for the time.

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Marmon raises Netherland dwarf rabbits as 4-H projects. The breed is known for its small frame and fluffy fur. Among Marmon’s rabbits are two does that are mother and daughter, along with a buck named Arthur.

“This is Arthur and he’s like a symbol of Easter to me, and he’s very fluffy and very sweet and kind,” Marmon said.

Marmon said the season represents renewal. “That’s kind of what Easter is to me is a wonderful fresh start of the year,” Marmon said.

The rabbits also love to be held, and Marmon brought help to show them off. “This is my older sister Kyra. She’s 16-years-old and this is my friend Eden. My best friend Eden,” Marmon said.

Eden held a rabbit named Lilia. “She’s two years old and she’s a very well-built rabbit as well,” Marmon said.

Lilia’s daughter is named Bo, Marmon said. “And her name’s Bo.”

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In our Montana Moment, NBC Montana met the man who works to make sure those facilities are in good working order.

Eric Seagrave is Aquatic Facilities Manager for Missoula Parks and Recreation.

As swimmers exercised in the lap pool, and families and instructors nurtured children to have fun in the water, Eric showed us around Currents.

He keeps his eyes and ears open and never turns his back to the water.

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It introduces spring, but weather can be inconsistent.

Greenhouses, however, can boost production of warm weather plants.

In Hamilton, there' a particularly exotic greenhouse.

ABC Acres property manager Dalton Brown invited NBC Montana into the ABC Acres Tropical Botanical Garden.

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But if you don't drive a commercial vehicle, you might wonder what happens at one of Montana's weigh stations.

They've been part of Montana's highways for well over 70-years.

Their purpose is to protect our road system, and most importantly, to keep all drivers safe.

NBC Montana recently spent a good part of the day at Montana's newest weigh station, just east of Rocker near Butte.

It's also one of the Montana Department of Transportations' busiest stations.

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At school, they receive a multitude of lessons, from academics, to sports, and social interaction.

In this week's Montana Moment we visit some of our most important public servants.

Meet the women who feed Superior School District's children.

It's 7 a.m. and Food Service Director Chandra Plakke has been at work for more than an hour.

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Sacrifices made to win WWII weren't just overseas.

Contributions to manufacture iron and other essentials for the war effort were produced on the home front.

At the height of WWII, The Smith Mine near Bear Creek, was on a fast track to produce as much coal for the steel foundries as possible.

But on February 27, 1943, an explosion at the underground mine would mark the event as the worst coal mining disaster in Montana history.

It would devastate the small mining town and nearby Red Lodge.

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We take pride in successfully completing a project or product.

We sign our name to a job well done.

NBC Montana begins this story at the Bonner Mill Industrial Park, where more than a dozen diversified businesses employ several hundred people.

The area has been industrial for well over a century.

From 1886 to 2008, it was home to one of the region's largest, most productive, and essential lumber mills.

Most of the community lived a common routine.

“It revolved around the whistle at the mill," said journalist and Bonner native Kim Briggeman.

Kim works with the Bonner Milltown History Center.

The group is dedicated to preserving Bonner's unique history and its ties to the timber industry.

NBC Montana spent a Tuesday morning at the Bonner museum next to the post office.

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A Hamilton woman who was born long after the war has made it a mission to pass on her thanks.

NBC Montana met up with Laurence Markarian at the Veteran's Monument in Hamilton.

She explored the names of military service members etched on the stone panels, and discovered the names of men who served in France in both WWI and WWII.

She appreciates their sacrifice for fighting for France in both World Wars.

Laurence is an American citizen with dual citizenship.

She was born and raised in France.

In WWII, Germany divided France into two zones.

Adolph Hitler invaded northern France, including Paris.

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Arguments or differences of opinion fade when everyone comes together to cheer and support their school's athletes.

In Butte, Montana Tech sports fans shout from a mountain, and they don't even raise their voices.

This is a story of V for Victory.

Lots of towns have letters on hills or mountains to honor their schools.

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If they wanted to see a show, rural Montanans usually had to travel to larger towns and cities.

But sometimes, isolated communities built their own venues so entertainment could come to them.

That's how one of Montana's elegant show palaces was born.

The Ellen Theater's executive director, John Ludin, said the theater in downtown Bozeman has a colorful back story with ties to the western book and movie Lonesome Dove.

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For close to 60 years, students at Bonner School have had an up-close view of a typical workday of historical significance.

NBC Montana went to Bonner School to learn more about the mural that's adorned the school since the late 1950's.

It was painted by the late Walter Hook, who is one of Montana's most famous and beloved artists.

Walter Hook's mural takes up an entire wall of the school's library.

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It's a 1,500 acre research project to determine which management techniques provide the best habitat for endangered species.

In an effort to learn more about the science behind it all, the project would guide forest management practices and boost a modernized forest products industry.

NBC Montana met Vincent Logging Company owner, Chas Vincent as he was thinning overstocked trees on the south end of the Cabinet Mountains

It's forest land in the Bull Lake area on Hecla Mining property near Troy.

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The Montana Stockgrowers Association awarded G&G Livestock and 'Cathey Cattle Company' its annual Montana Environmental Stewardship Award.

The family also won the region's Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemen's Association.

The family is one of six regional winners.

In February, at Cattle Con 2026, one of those regional winners will take the national title.

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You discover that despite obstacles, everything turns out fine because it's meant to be.

If that happens, your sense of contentment and happiness may spread throughout your community.

That's kind of the way it was for a Bozeman couple, who in the 1960's, were busy raising a family.

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They uncover stories.

They fill in missing pieces to events forgotten or left unrecorded.

They shed light on lives long past, and bridge generations.

In our Montana Moment season debut, NBC Montana traveled to southwest Montana where we met rancher Debbie Staudenmeyer Tamcke and her family.

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During WWII, America was a much different place.

For most children who lived in those days, and even after the war, the presents most kids received were much simpler.

NBC Montana spent time at Sapphire Lutheran Homes to learn more about popular Christmas gifts from years ago.

Frieda Barnett, Vera DeTienne, Barbara White, Daphne Parsons, and Mary Lou Glasser are all friends.

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For close to 140 years, the Corvallis Community Church on 2nd Street served the spiritual needs of its congregation.

It was a touchstone for its members, and the community as a whole.

This fall, the congregation moved into a new building down the road on East Side Highway.

NBC Montana spent time with the congregants and their pastor, and learned more of church history.

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If you're new to Missoula or just passing through, you might wonder what it stands for.

If you live in Missoula you probably already know.

But do you know how it got there?

NBC Montana is talking about the L on Mount Jumbo.

This huge white letter, a kind of twin to the M on Mount Sentinel, has been visible to the community since 1961.

The landowner granted Loyola High School permission to build the L.

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It's a 15-hundred acre research project to determine which management techniques provide the best habitat for endangered species.

In an effort to learn more about the science behind it all, the project would guide forest management practices and boost a modernized forest products industry.

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The timber industry was a mainstay of western Montana's economy for decades.

But that economic force entered a sharp decline that continues today.

Divisions between the industry and critics were especially rampant in the 1980's and 90's.

But one of Montana's most prominent logging activists is on a journey of collaboration.

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On Saturday, November 22nd, thousands of college football fans will swarm Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula for Montana's Brawl of the Wild.

The Montana State University Bobcats and the University of Montana Grizzlies will meet in the state's most intense rivalry.

Who will bring home the coveted Great Divide Trophy?

This will be the 25th year that traveling trophy will make its appearance on the field.

They are scenes of joy when the winning team hefts the coveted prize in the air for fans to see.

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For years, Hamilton's Rocky Mountain Laboratories, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, has been researching Chronic Wasting Disease.

For the time being , the scientists who are doing this work have been furloughed.

We shot this story before those furloughs.

The scientists' CWD research focuses on whether it could be transmitted to humans.

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The Montana Stockgrowers Association awarded G&G Livestock and 'Cathey Cattle Company' its annual Montana Environmental Stewardship Award.

The family also won the region's Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemen's Association.

The family is one of six regional winners.

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Are there times when you just know when something's right?

You discover that despite obstacles, everything turns out fine because it's meant to be.

If that happens, your sense of contentment and happiness may spread throughout your community.

That's kind of the way it was for a Bozeman couple, who in the 1960's, were busy raising a family.

From the very first time he saw the handsome old house in Bozeman, Ray Campeau knew it was here that he wanted to live.

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In last week's Montana Moment, NBC Montana brought you the story of a secondhand store and pawnshop in Libby.

In its tenure of 40 years, this family-owned business may be a reflection of Libby history and its working people.

The late Dave Strand opened 'New To You' as a secondhand store, and eventual pawnshop after a career in logging battered his body, especially his knees.

He'd worked in the industry for years.

“He had a lot of logging equipment," said his wife Peggy Strand, " and that went into the secondhand store.”

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Hard work and smarts are always assets to success.

Doing what you do well, usually brings rewards.

But nothing’s ever guaranteed.

Sometimes, life throws a curve, and you need to change direction.

This is the story of a secondhand store and pawnshop, the generational family that runs it, and the family’s late patriarch who started it all.

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Its back story is about hard work, a love of what you do, and a dedication to local community.

Big Dipper Ice Cream is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Not far from downtown, the University of Montana campus and Hellgate High School, it's been a draw for ice cream lovers for generations.

Customers come from all over to taste new flavors.

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It’s the first academic center of its kind in the country and was designed by Crow Tribe Member Daniel Glenn.

It provides services to Native students and offers classes and cultural activities to meet the needs of Indigenous students.

It’s named for its primary benefactor and lead donor, UM alumnus and businessman Terry Payne and his wife Patt.

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Doig and his wife Carol gifted the Montana Department of Livestock a donation to make the history of those brands more accessible to the public.

If you’d like to learn more about your family brand you can acquire a lot of information online.

Brand records have been compiled by the Montana Department of Livestock and supplied to the Montana Historical Society.

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It ties generations of families to their land and ancestors.

The practice dates to the ancient Egyptians.

But most of us know it as an iconic symbol of the American west.

NBC Montana spent a day late last spring with branding crews at the Cross Ranch in the Horse Prairie Valley near Bannack.

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They uncover stories.

They fill in missing pieces to events forgotten or left unrecorded.

They shed light on lives long past, and bridge generations.

In our Montana Moment season debut, NBC Montana traveled to southwest Montana where we met rancher Debbie Staudenmeyer Tamcke and her family.

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The only witnesses to his youth would have been the Indigenous People.

He was already 200-years-old when the Magna Carta was signed, and more than 800 when the Civil War started.

But today, this Western Larch tree, affectionately known as Gus, continues to thrive.

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The building has long since been retired as a place of business, and is now one of southwest Montana's most historic sites.

After gold was discovered in Alder Gulch in 1863, fortune seekers and other travelers rested here before moving on to their destinations.

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As the granite cooled, water carried quartz and other minerals through the rocks and deposited them in veins.

With time, the minerals were exposed to air and ground water, leaving a repository of gems.

Few places in the country showcase that more than Crystal Park.

You will find Crystal Park off the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway between Wise River and Polaris.

To the east, the Pioneer Mountains climb as high as 10,000 feet.

To the west lies Crystal Park.

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Artistry comes in many forms.

It's fluid and always changing.

Just ask artist and St. Ignatius farmer Kathy Yelsa.

Kathy's art can be found in two worlds-one on her farm, the other in Hollywood, where she used to live and work.

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The neon sign on West Main Street has been inviting patrons for beer, mixed drinks, and hamburgers to the Missoula Club longer than most of us have been alive.

Anyone who has spent time in downtown Missoula is certainly familiar with the Missoula Club sign.

“The neon sign has been there probably since the 20’s," said Missoula Club bartender Shane Kelly."It’s a classic. People always stop to take a picture.”

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College timber sports athletes competed on April 25 and 26.

Pro-athletes joined them on Saturday, April 26.

It's where you will see how the old-time lumberjacks got the job done.

Behind the logger sports show is Montana Historic Equipment Area chairman, Scott Kuehn.

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For thousands and thousands of years, it's been a trade that has stood the test of time.

From the Great Pyramids to the Taj Mahal, craftsmen have used this simple material to erect some of the greatest buildings and monuments in history.

Stone is prized for both its sturdiness and beauty.

Karl Marcus is a stonemason.

NBC Montana went with Karl to a riverbed near Virginia City, where he collects river rock from Alder Gulch dredge tailings.

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Back in 1985, the Missoula Mendelssohn Club was performing at a choral festival in France.

The event spurred choral conductor and music professor, the late Don Carey, to start an invitational festival in Missoula.

In 1987, with the help of Missoula's music community he did just that.

Now, 38-years later, the Montana International Choral Festival is one of Montana's most treasured summertime happenings.

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They like good food, a comfortable place to rest, a chance to have some fun-to kick up their hooves or paws, to bask in the love of their humans.

The animals at Fallons Farm near Arlee love the attention that Wendy and Mike Ramos pour on them.

The couple welcomed NBC Montana to their horse pasture one cool March day, where the animals surrounded them, jockeying for attention, to nibble treats, and to be petted and curried.

Wendy introduced us to the horse the non-profit is named after.

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As predators and prey, reptiles play an essential role in the balance.

Montana Reptile Rescue's director and chief executive officer,Jeremy Allestadprotects and rehabilitates both native and non-native reptile species.

Jeremy started the non-profit in Great Falls eight years ago.

But his passion for reptiles began long before that.

When he was six-years-old, Jeremy rescued a garter snake from the neighbor's yard.

He brought it to a safe place in the wild and set it free.

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The beloved landmark is a source of pride for its durability and unique design.

It merged human skill and ingenuity with its natural environment.

Montana Highway Department engineers completed the bridge as part of the old Yellowstone Trail in 1918.

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One of those honored was a WWII veteran, who turns 101 in June.

The number of WWII veterans is dwindling every day.

But WWII United States Army veteran Les Rutledge is in terrific shape.

Les served with the 222nd Infantry, 42nd Rainbow Division in Europe.

He told NBC Montana about some of the final days of the war.

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But it's famous for its small amenities too.

In this week's Montana Moment we take you to Giant Springs State Park in Great Falls.

There, you will find what The Guinness Book of World Records has called the shortest river in the world.

The Roe River measures an average 201 feet in length.

It flows parallel to the mighty Missouri River.

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It's time for Montana sheep producers to have their animals sheared of their winter wool.

Shearing keeps the sheep cool in hot weather, and allows new born lambs to nurse more easily.

Shearing is a physically demanding job that requires experience and dexterity.

Leroy Sikorski is known among his clients as an expert shearer, and for his gentle treatment of the animals in his care.

NBC Montana met Leroy as he sheared sheep rancher Kim Marr's flock near Lolo.

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But they are essential to the health of our planet.

We find them under the soil, hidden in plant life, and in the air.

They are graceful splashes of color that delight us with their presence,

They are the animals you will find at the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium.

The non-profit educational facility was launched by the married couple Glenn and Jen Marangelo.

NBC Montana spent time with the Marangelo's at the popular center.

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Today, the iconic establishment is going strong.

Its original neon sign is being lit once again to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

The M&M Bar and Grill sign rose from the ashes as one of Butte's most enduring symbols.

NBC Montana met M&M owner Selina Pankovich at her business a few days before St. Patrick's Day.

She purchased the famous bar and cafe in 2017, remodeling and updating it to a supportive community.

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Buck 'N Dave's Eggs was formed by a couple rodeo cowboys who decided, in their own words, to wrangle chickens instead of cattle.

With egg prices and Bird Flu topping news stories we wanted to do an update on the company.

We visited Buck Lunak and Dave Whitmoyer, Buck and Dave, as they collected baskets full of large brown eggs that their hens had just laid.

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Plow operators work to keep roads clear, so people can get to work, and school kids are safe on their bus routes.

It takes constant vigilance to keep the trucks running.

NBC Montana wanted to learn more.

On a recent morning, we arrived at the maintenance shop at the Missoula County Public Works Department.

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Bonnie Jones was dedicated to a healthy diet.

Her husband, Randy Jones, was a marvel at engineering.

What happened was a grassroots invention that spurred a family business with international ties.

NBC Montana met the Jones' at their 1889 Wild West Company near Stevensville.

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Housing, fuel, groceries, and other essentials necessary for a good quality of life are depleting the billfolds of scores of people.

Some find relief in curbing food insecurity through local food banks.

The Darby Bread Box has provided area residents with basic groceries free of charge for years.

It relies on donations.

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Big and small tasks can leave positive outcomes for years to come.

When former Victor Volunteer Rural Fire Chief, EMT, bank loan officer, farmer, rancher, and conservationist, Scott Hackett died just after Christmas, his funeral service at the new Victor Fire Hall he helped build was packed.

"There was a lot more people than what we expected," said current Victor Fire Chief Roy Perry. " It was standing room only."

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But they also ensure that its teachers, staff, and especially its children, are safe and secure.

Sarah Krause is a day custodian at K. William Harvey Elementary School in Ronan.

NBC Montana recently spent the day with Sarah as she went about her work.

We were there when she began her rounds in the morning.

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War refugees around the world are suffering.

In our local community's, families face hard times for many reasons.

It can be overwhelming.

But members of Grace Lutheran Quilter's Group in Hamilton say it doesn't have to be.

For more than 50 years, these women have been making quilts to help ease the suffering.

Most of the quilts made at the church are shipped to a Christian organization called the Orphan Grain Train in Nebraska.

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The Missoula Art Museum features contemporary art, and is well known to artists, schools, and the community as a whole.

This year, MAM, as it is popularly known, celebrates 50 years of artistic service to the community.

NBC Montana attended opening night of the 'Solid Gold Auction Exhibition' at the museum.

The art work here will be sold at a live auction for a museum fundraiser in February.

Dillon artist Cathy Weber showed us her five ceramic birds.

She has worked in several mediums, from wood to calligraphy.

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But most Eastern Orthodox celebrate Christ's birth on January 7th.

For parishioners at the Serbian Orthodox Church in Butte it was a joyous week.

Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Christian Church was built on The Flats in Butte in 1965.

It replaced the church that was built by Serbian miners in uptown Butte.

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Our elected officials have been meeting in this grand building for more than 120 years.

The Capitol was built as the home of state government.

But it's also a unique symbol that honors Montana's history, citizens and landscape.

They call the building that stands on a knoll at 1301 East 6th Avenue 'The People's House.'

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We're taking a look back at some of the memorable moments of the year.

Each week, Kevin Maki shares a glimpse of what makes our state so special.

Here are some of our favorite Montana Moments from 2024.

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The Gospels record the first visitors to the stable as humble shepherds.

Last week, visitors to Historic St. Mary's Mission and Museum in Stevensville, came to see a Nativity scene that is more than 150-years old.

Father Anthony Ravalli probably painted his shepherds on tin cutouts in 1866 or soon after.

It's the first time, at least in many years, that the public had a chance to see them.

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Most of them are in rural areas with limited water.

But for the most part, they are vestiges of a time that is passing.

Big Sky Windmills is a family-owned company in Victor that's reviving the skill of windmill building .

Jess Nelson and Conner Reed build and install windmills.

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If they do remember, they were children, or were very young at the time.

It happened in the 1950's.

Canton and its surrounding farms and ranches were submerged under Canyon Ferry Lake when Canyon Ferry Dam was completed.

The dam and reservoir play an important role in Montana.

They benefit thousands of Montanans, providing electricity, irrigation, flood control, and recreation.

But many probably don't know about Canton.

Jay Meyer was only three-years-old when the waters started covering a good part of his family's farm.

The Bureau of Reclamation owns the old Meyer place today.

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The concrete structure replaced a timber crib dam that was built in the late 1890's.

The new dam created Canyon Ferry Lake.

You might be surprised to learn that under part of that lake is a once thriving farm and ranch community.

"Canton was covered by the waters of the lake," said Broadwater County Museum curator, Linda Huth.

NBC Montana met Linda at the museum where she showed us files, old letters and newspaper clippings that tell the story of the underwater town.

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The raptors that fly over Big Sky Country are some of the most glorious.

When many of those birds of prey are orphaned, or grounded with injuries, a non-profit in Kalispell helps them recover.

Beth Watne is executive director of Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center.

She founded the center in 2013.

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Russell has been gone for almost 100 years, but his life's work is still treasured around the world.

The C.M. Russell Museum Complex in Great Falls is internationally known for its extensive Russell collections.

The complex includes 16 exhibition galleries in the neighborhood Russell worked and lived.

On campus, are the artist's log cabin studio, and the house where he lived with his wife Nancy.

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Dale is a retired Air Force Brigadier General, and the fourth highest combat decorated graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.

He was also part of an elite team of rescue pilots.

In his ten-and-a-half months serving in Vietnam he recovered 12 men who had been shot down.

He is best known for playing a pivotal role in in one of the most daring rescues of the war.

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It trained bomber crews in WWII, and has played key roles in the military for more than 80-years.

The Malmstrom Museum and Air Park hosts visitors from all over the world.

Here, they learn about Malmstrom's history, and get a firsthand look at vintage planes and vehicles.

When you enter the park you can't miss the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile that is on display.

The display is made up of decommissioned parts.

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From the Great Pyramids to the Taj Mahal, craftsmen have used this simple material to erect some of the greatest buildings and monuments in history.

Stone is prized for both its sturdiness and beauty.

Karl Marcus is a stonemason.

NBC Montana went with Karl to a riverbed near Virginia City, where he collects river rock from Alder Gulch dredge tailings.

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Coming from all points of the compass, most of them were men.

But in this male-dominated rough and tumble town, two pioneer women rose to prominence as successful and respected pillars of their community.

The obstacles they overcame is one of amazing resilience. 

Virginia City, Montana's Territorial Capitol, and wild boomtown of the mid to late 1800's is filled with stories of distinctive citizens.

Almost all are about men.

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When President Thomas Jefferson launched Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery in 1804, Montana was wild and untouched.

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls explores the history of that monumental trip, taking visitors on a historic and visual experience back in time.

The Interpretive Center stands high above the banks of the Missouri River.

Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark would have passed through here.

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Getting together with old and new friends keeps the blues away.

It all makes the day brighter.

This is a story NBC Montana calls 'Coffee with George.'

To begin, we meet Jeff Martin at 5 a.m. at the Talking Bird Saloon in St. Regis.

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But it's just as popular with tourists, and the Bozeman area community as a whole.

Now, the restaurant at 809 West College, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. 

The restaurant looks the same as it did in 1974.

It's still packing customers into a tiny space for big sandwiches. 

Who says change is good?

Pickle Barrel's secret to longevity may be that it hasn't changed. 

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Whether it's on an interstate, black-top highway, or country road, driving offers freedom, and the allure of what's waiting 'round the bend. 

Since 1953, the Chevrolet Corvette has been a symbol of that American tradition. 

The Hellgate Corvette Club in Missoula has been at the forefront of bringing Corvettes to Missoula, so their owners can show off the attributes of this famous sports car.

If you drove Montana roads this summer you may have seen a lot of Corvettes. 

In August, club members and its founding president, Murray Elliott welcomed Corvette owners to Missoula.

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As predators and prey, reptiles play an essential role in the balance.

Montana Reptile Rescue's director and chief executive officer Jeremy Allestad protects and rehabilitates both native and non-native reptile species.

Jeremy started the non-profit in Great Falls eight years ago.

But his passion for reptiles began long before that.

When he was six-years-old, Jeremy rescued a garter snake from the neighbor's yard.

He brought it to a safe place in the wild and set it free.

“Then I started having all the neighbors ask me to come get snakes out of their yard," he said, "anything from little bull snakes all the way up to rattlesnakes.”

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To inspire innovation, Mike Hamblin built his own ideal world.

From the exterior, Hamblin's garage looks typical. But when he opens the door you step into a whole other environment.

It's a hot, sunny day in Walkerville. But inside Hamblin's studio/garage, it might be the tropics.  

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The building has long since been retired as a place of business, and is now one of southwest Montana's most historic sites.

After gold was discovered in Alder Gulch in 1863, fortune seekers and other travelers rested here before moving on to their destinations.

It was touted as a notorious stop off, but like many tales of the wild west its reputation was greatly exaggerated.

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Scattered about are 50 to 60 sculptures, all with their own unique stories.

The Gallatin Art Crossing Sculpture Park may be one of Bozeman's most intriguing amenities.

NBC Montana met Quiana and Chris Conlon on the pathway at the Bozeman Public Library.

"As you walk along the pathway there are sculptures on both sides," said Quiana. "You get to see what our community embraces."

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His name was The Auditor. He was a dog.

To learn more about him, NBC Montana visited those mine yards.

We hopped in a pickup with Montana Resources Vice President of Human Resources Mike McGivern and retired Vice President of Operations Steve Walsh.

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But many of those antique fruits were lost or forgotten.

For decades, nurseryman Roger Joy has been working to bring them back.

Roger has grafted antique fruit varieties onto thousands of trees at his wholesale Canyonview Nursery in Corvallis.

He learned the art as a young man working at a nursery in Oregon.

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NBC Montana visited Lifeline Farm near Victor to see the latest additions to Ernie Harvey's cattle herd.

It was a warm spring day.

Some calves were sleeping in the sun.

One youngster jumped and bucked, relishing the energy of youth on a nice day.

The ancestors of Ernie Harvey's calves came from Switzerland.

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Not exactly the place you would expect to find saltwater shrimp.

But Jim Vaughan has brought a bit of ocean to this Lake County ranch community.

Jim owns and operates Mission Valley Shrimp on his small farm.

NBC Montana met Jim at his business in the shadow of the Mission Mountains.

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In the late 1990's, Libby, Montana sculptor Ron Adamson was commissioned to create the statue for Winslow, Arizona.

It was in honor of the classic Eagles' song, Take it Easy. 

It's a uniquely American story.

But the statue, named 'Easy' has connections to two continents dating back 90 years.

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The restaurant has no back door. 

But it has two front doors, one on West Alder Street, and the other on West Railroad Street.

It's been owned and operated by the same family since 1961.

The number 61 is an important milestone for this Missoula business.

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In recent years, the town has seen economic decline. But one man is working to help change that. 

Chance Tant is a diesel mechanic in Garrison. His Diesel Daddy Mobile Truck Repair provides on-Location service.

He said he opened his business "to go after the semi repair on the side of the highways." But much of his time is spent traveling to farms and ranches in the area.

Sometimes, farmers and ranchers bring their broken equipment to Tant's shop. But he also takes his repair service to them.

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If you have an old-fashioned mechanical clock you had to adjust the hour by hand. 

Digital clocks may be more convenient. 

But at Grandfather's Clocks in Stevensville, there's just something about the ticking of a vintage clock.

NBC Montana visited the clock shop as dozens of ticking clocks, some chiming, some with cuckoos sounding their famous trills, struck the top of the hour.

It's a melodious sound.

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Duckworth outdoor wear is now marketed all over the world.

The family ranchers are meeting contemporary clothing needs by keeping their pioneer history alive.

The company brands its products "from sheep to shelf."

In this week's Montana Moment, NBC Montana profiles the family behind the company and its hard working, well traveled sheep.

We began the story early last summer when the Helle's brought 900 head of ewes from the Helle ranch in Dillon to the city of Missoula.

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Helena's Kirk Johnson builds birdhouses from pieces of Montana history.

NBC Montana met Kirk at his shop, where he keeps a steady supply of building supplies.

He keeps a large collection of old tree remnants and assorted odds and ends to make his creations.

To show us, he pulled out the trunk of an old Russian Olive tree that he found near East Helena.  

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In it's 150-or so years, the neighborhood really hasn't changed that much, at least when you compare it to other neighborhoods.

If you're an artist that is something to celebrate.

“The Rodney Street Neighborhood," said artist Amanda Reese, " is this funky little neighborhood nestled in historic Helena.”

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NBC Montana traveled to Vaughn to meet a master carpenter who values such wood as prized building material.

Brad Opheim builds caskets and urns from blue pine.

"I love my job," he said. "I remind myself of that everyday. It's a special honor to build the casket for a (family's) loved one."

“Blue pine used to be a throwaway lumber," he said. "It was almost worthless. I just thought it was beautiful.”

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It's a place where life forms come together in what some have called the Circle of Life.

John Hemighaus built the conservatory to create a Zone 8 growing environment.

It's a zone of warmer climates and longer growing seasons than Montana's.

John grew up in a Pennsylvania family that has operated large greenhouses for generations.

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This summer, NBC Montana returned to the Kirkpatrick Ranch where the family and its crew were putting up hay for next winter.

Here, old fashioned work ways never went out of fashion.

On the Kirkpatrick Ranch, haying doesn't look much different than it did 100-years ago.

There are no computerized tractors, no swathers, no balers.

“We stack all of our hay loose," said Dennis Kirkpatrick, " just like we have forever.”

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NBC Montana spent time in this ghost town, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and an important touchstone of Montana history. 

Coolidge was the unfulfilled dream of a former Montana Lieutenant Governor. 

It's found high in the mountains and stands testament to a way of life long gone. 

Nestled in the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest, you will find crumbling buildings and a town that's slowly sinking back into the earth.

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As the granite cooled, water carried quartz and other minerals through the rocks and deposited them in veins.

With time, the minerals were exposed to air and ground water, leaving a repository of gems.

Few places in the country showcase that more than Crystal Park.

You will find Crystal Park off the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway between Wise River and Polaris.

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They're hard to miss.

The signs advertise what is certainly one of Montana's most extensive collections of silver dollars.

Located about 16-miles from the Idaho border, Lincoln's 50,000 Silver $, has long been a stop off for travelers, tourists and truckers.

There's a motel, RV park, convenience store, casino, fuel stop, restaurant and gift shop.

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