Seniors Head West To Bozeman

Bozeman, the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, senior travelers learn, is in the southwestern part of the state. Bozeman is called “The Most Liveable Place.”

The city is named after John M. Bozeman who established the Bozeman Trail and was a key founder of the town in August 1864. Bozeman is a college town, home to Montana State University. The city is served by Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.

In 1863 John Bozeman, along with a partner named John Jacobs, opened the Bozeman Trail, a new northern trail off the Oregon Trail leading to the mining town of Virginia City through the Gallatin Valley and the future location of the city of Bozeman.

Seniors Admire Bozeman’s Location

One of MSU’s greatest assets is its location. Bozeman is known as one of the top towns for outdoor recreation and high quality of life in the country; just look at its top rankings in magazines like Outside, National Geographic Adventurer, Powder Magazine and Fly Rod.

Runner’s World magazine recently named Bozeman’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Run to the Pub the No. 2 “must-run” half marathon in the nation.

Seniors, Bozeman averages 300 days of sunshine and because of the dry climate, summers are pleasant with warm days and cool nights. Mild winter weather is not unusual, and more than a week of consistently frigid weather is infrequent.

Bozeman is small enough to have a personality and big enough to have all the amenities of a city. The area attracts artists, photographers, filmmakers, authors and entrepreneurs who want to work close to nature. Cultural offerings include a symphony orchestra, opera, theatre and ballet companies.

 Seniors Discover A ‘Dream Town’

There’s a reason Bozeman (pop. 38,000) has been dubbed a “dream town” by Bizjournal.com and lauded for offering high quality of life by National Geographic Adventure. Add the cultural amenities of a local symphony and ballet, the vibrancy of a college community, and an energetic downtown-Bozeman is the complete package.

Senior travelers, when you fly in over the Bridger Range or drive into the valley and find yourself surrounded by mountains, it’s easy to understand why people want to live, work and play in this place.

Bozeman’s Main Street was named one of the “10 Great Streets for 2012″ by The American Planning Association and their program, Great Places in America. Enjoy world-renowned fly fishing, dramatic mountains for hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, hunting, and backcountry exploring. Then there’s Yellowstone National Park, and all its impressive wildlife.

Me, I’d head for Downtown Bozeman and take a good stroll around and then I would head over to the Gallatin History Museum and discover all that has happened in this area. Seniors, enjoy all the amenities this great city has to offer. -jeb