Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For information about the towns in the Ruby River Valley, the
Greater Ruby Valley
Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture
(
www.rubyvalleychamber.com
)
makes visitor
information available at the public library (206 S. Main St.) in Twin Bridges.
Dillon is about 65 miles south of Butte and 115 miles southwest of Bozeman. Virginia
City and Nevada City are both 70 miles southeast of Butte or southwest of Bozeman. The
Bert Mooney Airport
(BTM, 406/494-3771,
http://butteairport.com
) in Butte is served
by Delta/SkyWest and Horizon. The car-rental agencies at the airport are
Avis, Budget,
Enterprise,
and
Hertz.
Bozeman's
Gallatin Field Airport
(BZN, 406/388-8321,
www.bozemanairport.com
)
is served by Delta/SkyWest, Alaska/Horizon, Frontier, and Un-
ited Express. Car-rental agencies
Alamo, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz,
and
National
have
counters on-site.
Greyhound
(800/231-2222,
www.greyhound.com
) bus service is available to Dillon
from various cities in Montana. The station is located at Jim's Smoke Shop (25 E. Helena
St., 406/683-6703 or 800/454-2487).
Montana's capital, Helena (population 28,592, elevation 4,090 feet) is an elegant city, the
demure little sister to Butte. Founded in 1864 with a gold strike on a site that would be-
come the heart of the city, Helena was initially named Crabtown by the four prospectors
who made the discovery. Eventually, as the camp filled with miners, the name was changed
to St. Helena after a town in Minnesota. It was a gold-mining town, after all, so the saint
was eventually dropped. In 1875, after a bitter battle that pitted copper kings Marcus Daly
and William Andrew Clark against each other, Helena was named the capital of Montana
Territory, and 13 years later ground was broken on the State Capitol Building.
Helena has done a particularly good job of preserving its history by maintaining archi-
tecture. The State Capitol Building, for example, is Greek Renaissance style, and the myriad
mansions around town are largely Victorian. With its soaring spires and remarkable stained
glass, the St. Helena Cathedral would look at home in Europe. There are also humble
miners' cabins and historic businesses lining the streets in Last Chance Gulch. Like Butte,
Helena is a fascinating assortment of cultural influences captured over time, and the city
has preserved its history beautifully, both on the streets and in its museums.
