Montanarama

Everyone knows Lewis and Clark stopped in Great Falls, Montana on their way west. We’ve all seen the Ken Burns documentary, right? Lewis and Clark and their team were tough guys, that’s for sure, what with all that canoeing, portaging, exploring, and what-have-you. But everyone needs a break from work now and then, right? And what did they do when they needed to get out of the covered wagon for a while? Why, they dropped in at Sip ‘N Dip to grab drink and watch the mermaids. Yes, mermaids, those charming half woman, half fish-ish creatures with the hair floating around and the bubbles trickling up.

The Sip ‘N Dip, a Polynesian-themed restaurant and bar, has been putting on a mermaid show nearly every night since 1962. When I learned about this place I knew I had to go and satisfy my curiosity. I even called ahead to make sure the mermaid did not have land plans. 

The restaurant has not changed since it opened. It’s dark, has a bamboo ceiling and walls, and has fake island icons throughout. Tiki bars were all the rage back in the day, apparently in response to the United States adding Hawaii as its 50^th state. If that’s not a show of patriotism I don’t know what is! 

I sat down and ordered a mai tai. Even though I don’t like mai tais, I managed to slurp one down to keep with the theme. The mermaid was friendly (I think most mermaids are), and interacted with the patrons, using gestures and visual communication. We never saw her breathe, although she did go out of sight from time to time. You’re not supposed to see a mermaid breathe!

Another true Western experience.

After that great re-introduction to the state it was time to see the other features Montana is famous for: its endless sky and mountains, and the clarity of the light. 

Eventually we travelled down into Yellowstone National Park, entering the gates one cool morning at 6:00 a.m. We found a quiet place to park next to the Madison River and sipped our coffee while watching the swans as the sun came up. Next we started exploring. Immediately we met a herd of bison grazing near some of the hot thermal pools. As we made our way around the park we learned that one of the geysers had erupted for the first time 50since 1988. The ranger who shared this information could barely contain herself, she was so excited. I was happy that she loved her job and her discoveries so much.

We watched Old Faithful erupt, we observed the bubbling pools, and we climbed up a nearby hillside to get a bird’s eye view of it all. It was another lesson in the oddness and miracle of nature.