It was during a cross-country family road trip in 2008 when Ednor Therriault took the first of many detours that led him to where he is today: Exploring some of Montana’s less-traveled destinations.
While on that road trip, he began writing columns about oddities along the way, which meant he might ask his wife, Shannon, if they could take a detour to the world’s largest catsup bottle in Collinsville, Illinois.
“From that day, she learned to be pretty indulgent to go see these weird things, and she’s kind-of caught the bug, too,” Therriault said.
Therriault’s roadside posts also caught the eye of the publisher of a series of state travel guides that was looking for a Montana-based author, which is how he landed his first book deal.
That book “Montana Curiosities” began Therriault’s journey to find the state’s interesting people and places — not exactly torture for someone with a lifelong sense of curiosity. “It’s hard to turn off that thing that has your head on a swivel when you’re on the road.”
The Missoula-based author recently completed the manuscript for his ninth book, and his writing has seen him crisscross Montana in search of off-the-beaten-path places. “I’ve never been disappointed with anywhere I’ve gone.”
Here are some of his favorite diversions, starting in Wyoming and heading north.
Cody: Stunning’ Road, Crushing Slice of History
A couple summers ago, Therriault and his wife were planning to drive from Red Lodge to Yellowstone along U.S. 212 when they learned there was snow at the top of Beartooth Pass.
So, they did what now comes naturally and decided to take a detour along the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, also known as Wyoming Highway 296. The 46-mile byway connects Wyoming Highway 120 and U.S. 212.
“It was just as stunning, and I thought: ‘People have to know about this,’” Therriault said.
Another place the author believes people should know about can be found north of Cody: Heart Mountain, a national historic site that was an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II.
“It’s so crushing,” Therriault said. “It doesn’t sound like a lot of laughs, but we’re not going to grow or understand our past if we don’t take in the hard stuff, too.”
Red Lodge: The ‘Wildest’ Mix of Lodging
Of all his travels in Montana, Red Lodge stands out for its “wildest” mix of lodging options.
In addition to cabins, motels and hotels, overnight visitors can lay their heads in “the fanciest place” in this area of the state, which is also “famously haunted,” The Pollard Hotel.
Employees and guests have reported seeing apparitions throughout the hotel, which was built in 1893 and features some rooms that are historically accurate, down to the Victorian-era furnishings. Therriault featured the hotel in his book, “Haunted Montana.”
At the other end of the spectrum are a variety of cabins for rent, including one where Therriault saw a sign reading: “Hippies Use the Back Door.”
Red Lodge offers a stopping off point for people who are passing in or out of Yellowstone’s east side, which helps explain the wide variety of options for a town with less than 2,500 residents, Therriault said. “It’s the biggest range of lodging I’ve seen.”
Ingomare: The ‘Wild Card’ Hors D’Ouevre
In his travels, Therriault also seeks out curious dishes and a meal that stands out was at The Jersey Lilly, a restaurant in the small town of Ingomare.
Located in eastern Montana along Highway 12, the town’s population is still in the double digits and qualifies as among the places in the state that are “pretty unvisited" by many Montanans.
While the restaurant got on Therriault’s radar because of its famous pinto bean soup, another menu item that really stood out to the author.
Once a major exporter of wool, the restaurant pays homage to its roots with the sheepherder hors d’oeuvre. For $6 per portion, you’ll get saltine crackers topped with a slice of cheddar cheese, raw onions and — the “real wild card” ingredient of an orange slice.
When he saw this dish on the menu, Therriault had one thought: “It sounds so gross I have to try it."
His verdict? “Somehow it worked.”
Boulder: A ‘Bizarre’ Wellness Retreat
Homeowners might spend thousands of dollars to mitigate radon in their residences, but some people flock to places where they can pay to willingly expose themselves to this gas.
North of Boulder, which is on I-15 between Helena and Butte, there’s the Free Enterprise Radon Health Mine, where visitors can “self-treat” for a variety of ailments with radon exposure.
Nearby Basin is home to the Merry Widow Health Mine, which features a cave-like tunnel where people sit on all varieties of benches breathing in the gas.
“It is so bizarre,” Therriault said.
Whitehall: Rocks That Sound Like a Bell
If radioactive gases aren’t your thing, another of Therriault’s favorite Montana curiosities will be music to your ears.
If you’re traveling along I-90 east of Butte, take exit 241 and a 30-minute drive north on a dirt road to a unique geological formation with a Whitehall address. There you’ll find a big pile of rocks, aptly known as Ringing Rocks, which chime if you tap them lightly with a hammer.
“They sound like a giant bell,” Therriault said.
The pile of rocks, about the size of a Holiday Inn, is “so bizarre” but worthy of a detour and will make you wonder how someone first discovered the rocks could ring. “I assume it was by accident,” Therriault said.
St. Marie: An ‘Extra Spooky’ Ghost Town
Finally, if you ever find yourself in northeast Montana near Glasgow, Therriault recommends a visit to St. Marie, once home to people who worked at the nearby Glasgow Air Force Base.
When the base was decommissioned in 1976, most of St. Marie’s residents left town.
“It emptied out pretty much overnight,” Therriault said, adding that more than 1,000 homes were abandoned, some with the doors still hanging open nearly 50 years later.
St. Marie still has some residents, and it’s also caught the attention of people who document their visits on YouTube and social media, Therriault said.
But nothing compares to an experience in-person and seeing the homes that appeared to be abandoned in haste and how nature has largely taken over, with grass and bushes pushing through the asphalt, Therriault said.
“People go there in the winter and it’s extra spooky.”
