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and tie tomorrow's flies at one of the fly-tying benches. Overnight accommodations include
a private bath and full breakfast, plus all the fishing banter you can handle.
MM Chico Hot Springs Resort
Built around a natural hot spring that was discovered in the late 1800s, the Chico Hot
Springs Resort (163 Chico Rd., 23 miles south of Livingston in Pray, 406/333-4933,
www.chicohotsprings.com ) has become a Montana icon, as much for its sensational food
and raucous saloon as for its heavenly year-round outdoor pools. The resort got its start
when Bill and Percie Knowles offered weary miners a clean bed, a hot bath, and fresh straw-
berries with every meal (a precursor to hydroponics perhaps?). The resort has stayed true to
its humble origins by offering simple, no-frills guest rooms with shared baths in the main
lodge for only $55. Modern accommodations are available in Warren's Wing ($129-189)
and in elegant cabins ($225) or pet-friendly rustic cabins ($83-93). There are also cottages,
houses, and chalets ($179-419) to accommodate larger parties.
For travelers in search of more than a memorable meal and a luxurious soak, Chico of-
fers a number of activities, all of which take advantage of its spectacular location just north
of Yellowstone National Park in Paradise Valley. From horseback riding and dogsledding to
hiking and cross-country skiing, Chico affords every visitor ample opportunity to earn their
dinner.
FOOD
If the pools are what bring people to M Chico Hot Springs (off U.S. 89 S., 23 miles south
of Livingston, 406/333-4933, www.chicohotsprings.com , $25-36), the food is what trans-
forms them into regulars. From the first taste of baked brie en croûte with Montana huckle-
berry coulis, through the house-smoked rainbow trout and the gorgonzola filet mignon to
the legendary flaming orange, Chico has gone a long way in defining Montana cuisine
with fresh local ingredients in simple, hearty, and outstanding dishes. The Chico cookbook,
available at the resort, should be in every kitchen.
Closer to town but still set in the grandeur of Paradise Valley, the M Pine Creek
Lodge & Café (2496 E. River Rd., 10 miles south of Livingston, 406/222-3628,
www.pinecreeklodgemontana.com , 5:30pm-9pm Wed.-Fri., 9am-1pm and 5:30pm-9pm
Sat.-Sun., $14-20) boasts pasta with elk sausage, rainbow trout tacos that you will not soon
forget, and a cozy atmosphere that invites community. There is live music and outdoor bar-
becues on Saturday nights in summer, and local authors read their works on Wednesday
nights in winter. The place was nearly burned down in a big 2012 forest fire, which would
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