Well, of course there's more. But here's a good start.

In Montana we measure our distances in hours and our windshields are constantly cracked. Memorial Day and the 4th of July are often indoor holidays and we rarely fail to register the coldest temperature in the Lower 48. Our sports affiliations are split between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks, but we don't mind missing Monday Night Football to see our own kids play in a Termite League hockey game. Montana's not the most sophisticated state and most of us could make more money living somewhere else, but we don't want to. We want to live in this great state, and here are 55 reasons why.

Wilderness

While some states boast open spaces no bigger than an aisle at Wal-Mart, we have 3,442,416 acres of undeveloped, unspoiled, unpopulated paradise. Need we say more.

The Big Sky

"... sandbanks and sandbanks and prairies and prairies and always the strange hills and the big sky." When A. B. Guthrie, Jr. wrote "The Big Sky," published in 1947, he gave Montana a short, sweet and oh-so-apropos nickname embraced for the ages and attached to everything from T-shirts and license plates to beer.

Waterways

Without the Missouri River, Lewis and Clark never would have gotten here. Without the Big Hole, native Arctic grayling would never have survived into the twenty-first century. Without the Blackfoot River, Norman MacLean's novella may never have been written. Without the Gallatin River playing understudy to MacLean's favorite river, Brad Pitt would have never stopped by for a visit.

Wildlife

From the short-tailed shrew to things that can actually eat you if they have a hankering, Montana's wildlife is something we all value. No other state in the lower 48 can claim as diverse a wildlife population as Montana. And with either Glacier or Yellowstone National Park as a backdrop, there's no other place where wildlife watching is better.

Population

There's so few of us that it seems like everyone knows someone who knows someone. Even if you're a transplant, chances are you've met a native Montanan, and you can use their name as a starting point to "Do you know ______ from __________?" --a phrase that rolls off the tongue of many Montanans when meeting someone new. Feeling out of the loop? Stick around for a year or so, join a church, a watering hole, or find the local haunts in your area, and you'll be part of the crowd. Now all you have to do is get a Montana driver's license.

Bitterroots

Watch where you step. You don't want to tread on the state flower. Bitterroots thrive in rough situations, sort of like, well, Montanans.

Restored Hotels

They don't make them like they used to. With the help of historic preservationists and locals who know a good thing when they see it, many of Montana's old hotels are stops not to be missed. From the Gallatin Gateway Inn to the Grand Union in Fort Benton, and the Pollard in Red Lodge to the Sacajawea Hotel in Three Forks, these buildings are some of the highlights of Montana architecture.

'Jag'

Montana's first pooch. Next to Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Jag probably is the most visible member of Montana's first family. He's on the governor's plane, he's in the governor's office, he's in the governor's mansion, he's at the press conferences -- and he can catch a Frisbee in his mouth.

Farmers Markets and County Fairs

Worth getting up early for on a Saturday morning and staying up late for on a school night, farmers markets and county fairs are where you'll find every generation of Montanan.

Archie Bray Foundation

One thing is for sure: Montanans are crazy about clay-and nowhere is that more true than in Helena, home of the internationally renowned Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts. We can't prove it, but we think Helena might have the highest number of potters per capita of any other small American town. Since the early 1950s, "the Bray," as it's familiarly known, has played a major role in the development of ceramics as an art form and continues to be a place where clay artists gather to make great work and inspire each other.

'You Bet'

Montana Translation: "You're welcome", "Glad to help", "I can do that", or Sen. Conrad Burns' old campaign slogan.

Pasties

Who said Montana high cuisine is all about beef? It's about beef, potatoes, gravy, and pie crust. We have Butte's early-day miners to thank for pasties. This Montana comfort food is kind of like a calzone: a pie crust folded in half, stuffed with beef, potatoes, maybe some vegetables and gravy. Can't make it to Butte? Chances are you can find them in the deli section of your grocery store ... but only in Montana.

Subarus

There are so many Subarus in this state, you'd think every parking lot was a Subaru dealership.

Winston Rods

Any lucky fisher who owns one of the green graphic beauties made by the R.L Winston Rod Co. of Twin Bridges knows the exhilaration of laying a dry fly just ahead of the dimple of a rising trout.

Our Lady of the Rockies

Back in the late 1970s Butte was eager to find a community project to boost spirits. Knowing Butte, one can only imagine how folks embraced the idea when they decided to build a huge statue in the likeness of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and place it atop the Continental Divide overlooking Butte, 8,510 feet above sea level. Volunteers of all ages, from all faiths and all walks of life took on the task, starting work in late 1979. In the early fall of 1985, a base with 400 tons of concrete was poured. Finally, Our Lady of the Rockies was lifted onto the mountain ridge in four parts on Dec. 17, 1985, by a National Guard Sikorsky Sky Crane. The head of Mary was placed on top of the statue at 4:07 p.m. on Dec. 20.

Literary Montana

Montana has been home to talented writers. In the early part of the twentieth century, the infamous Mary MacLaine created a stir with her provocative views. Butte's Myron Brinig enjoyed national recognition for his novels. James Welch was the articulate, beautiful voice of Montana's Indians. Tom McGuane, Bill Kittredge, Annick Smith, Rick Newby, Norman MacLean, A.B. Guthrie, Jr., the list goes on and on.

Game Day at UM's Grizzly Stadium

It shakes, it rocks and it rolls ... and it's nestled at the base of Mount Sentinel in Missoula right at the gateway to Hellgate Canyon. On any given Saturday in the fall, Washington Grizzly Stadium turns into the fifth largest city in Montana. Now listen up here, you Bobcat fans ... we're not ignoring your stadium, but this place is LOUD and scares the pants off visiting teams. (We know you beat the Griz on their home turf in 2004. Poor Grizzlies!)

Public Radio Stations

"This American Life," "Weekend Edition" and puzzle master Will Shortz; "The Infinite Mind," and "Sounds Eclectic" and don't forget "A Prairie Home Companion" -- ahhh, let us count the ways in which we love public radio. Local stations Montana Public Radio, Yellowstone Public Radio and KGLT keep us in the know and entertained twenty-four/seven. Listen up: Who needs television?

Pow Wows

With brilliant colors, fascinating sights and sounds, Montana's pow wows are one of the most noteworthy displays of Montana's cultural heritage.

Beef

We love beef so much that for a whole year, the tiny town of Saco was recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as being home to the World's Biggest Burger. The thing weighed 6,040 pounds and was nearly 24 feet in diameter. Seventeen head of Montana beef went into the burger. One year later, Seymour, Wisconsin, reclaimed the title with an 8,000-pound burger. That's a lot of beef.

Bison

We don't want to be the ones that shoot 'em, but we sure don't mind eating 'em. Bison burgers, bison steak, bison sausage. It's the other red meat.

Wild Game Feeds

A great way to clean out the freezer to get ready for the new hunting season. Antelope antipasto, moose meatballs, venison stew, elk chili. Cook up a batch of last year's harvest and invite all your neighbors.

Minor League Baseball

The Pioneer Baseball League is a short-season, professional minor league-with the Northern Division teams based solely in Montana. For a chance to see future major leaguers, check out the Billings Mustangs, Great Falls Dodgers, Helena Brewers, and Missoula Osprey.

Animals

Cuttroats, grizzlies, bighorns, osprey, and bobcats

Sports teams

Cutthroats, Grizzlies, Bighorns, Osprey, and Bobcats

Beer names

Trout Slayer, Moose Drool, Sharptail Pale Ale, Scape Goat, Powder Hound, Golden Grizzly

Bars and churches

Chances are that any place you visit in the Big Sky State will have an equal number of bars and churches. Now, we're not suggesting you attend either one. Just let your conscience lead you, or your thirst.

Art Deco Bus Station

in Great Falls

Best place to hop on the bus, Gus, is in downtown Great Falls at the bus station. Walking up to and through the building is like taking a trip back in time ... to the art deco era. If you're a true art deco fan, while in Great Falls, tour the buildings at the State Fairgrounds. These beauties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Myrna Loy and

Gary Cooper

They're not the only things that make our great state famous, but homegrown stars Gary Cooper and Myrna Loy give Montana a good name. The Radersburg beauty Loy made waves as the character of Nora Charles in the "Thin Man" movies of the 1930s. American legend Cooper appeared in over 100 films and won the Oscar for best actor twice, for his performances in "Seargent York" and "High Noon." Coop, as he was known, was a true icon of the American West.

Butte-isms

Butte's got its own lingo that comes from a rich blend of cultures and mining heritage. So next time you're in the Mining City, if someone tells you to "tap 'er light," you should smile and say, "Thanks, I will take it easy." Or if you're at one of Butte's fine dining establishments, like Lydia's, and the waitress asks, "What can I getchas?" she wants to take your order. Folks from Butte also like to attach an "s" to the ends of their words ... "Youse guys," "How she goin"? are heard more often than not.

Smokejumpers

Forget baseball ... these are the real boys (and girls) of summer. The Missoula Smokejumper Base is one of only two in the country and located at the Aerial Fire Depot in Missoula. Ranging in age from early 20s to 50s, these 85 dedicated and professional individuals are highly-trained and experienced firefighters. We feel safer already.

Taxidermy

Some people argue that Montana doesn't have its own art tradition. Well, I don't know about you, but the priciest piece of art in my home is that big old elk head in the stairwell. Plus it comes with a live re-enactment of the day my husband shot it with a bow. Now that's performance art.

One U.S. Representative

Montana is one of a handful of states with a single representative in Congress. And what that means is with an area of some 147,046 square miles and a population of just over 900,000, there's plenty of space for all of us.

Lone Peak Tram

Before The Tram, Big Sky Resort was known for its intermediate terrain. But that wasn't good enough for its expert skiers and those who "just had" to get to the top of Lone Peak. With the construction of the Tram, Big Sky's skiable terrain increased by 50 percent, pushing the vertical to 4,180 feet and giving sightseers 360 degree views of three states, two national parks, and dozens of peaks.

Weather

Everybody says, if you don't like the weather, just stick around for five minutes. Well, they say that in almost every state. In Montana it just happens to be worth the wait.

HATCH Film Festival

Move over, Sundance -- HATCHfest is here. The Bozeman indie arts festival is the extension of a year-round program which encourages up and coming "creative innovators" -- from fashion designers to filmmakers-through mentorship and networking opportunities. HATCHFest showcases the work of these young artists and is slowly attracting such talent young and old, that we predict in a few years will have Hollywood types clamoring for reservations at Chico and a latte at the Leaf and Bean.

Shakespeare in the Parks

From Havre to Helena, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks has been bringing the Bard to the people in the park for almost 35 years. Don't miss Love's Labour's Lost and The Winter's Tale-coming this summer to a park near you.

Tater Pigs

Nothing can be finer than to eat a sausage swaddled in a potato at the Sweet Pea Festival in Bozeman. The Bozeman Chord Rustlers have been cooking up these tasty treats since we can remember. According to Chord Rustlers President Andy Jackson, "There is no secret recipe, but there is a not-so-secret ingredient that goes into every Tater Pig ... and that's harmony!"

The Rims

These beautiful rock formations have some of the best urban-outdoor getaways in Montana. The City of Billings is nestled up against these Yellowstone Park-like rocks, better known as the Rimrocks, or the Rims. Go climb a rock!

Montana Children's Theater

Not only great performances using local talent, MCT takes its class acts around the globe in little red pickup trucks. Since its inception in the 1970s, MCT visits more than 1,100 communities in the U.S., Canada, and overseas every year.

Alberta Bair

This woman's generosity has helped make Montana what it is today. As the daughter of Montana's famous "sheep baron," Charles Bair, Alberta lived in Billings during her formative years with her sister, Marguerite Bair. Through the sisters' travels throughout the world, they brought back art and antiques to their family ranch in Martinsdale, which would become the Bair Family Museum. Montana has a lot to thank Alberta for, but namely a science building for Rocky Mountain College, a gymnasium for the Boys Club of Billings, the trauma center at Deaconess Hospital, the Bair Clinic in Harlowton, and a generous contribution toward the theater in Billings.

Treats from the

Montana earth

If you're looking for a tasty side course, or a sweet way to cap off a perfect meal, try some of Montana's natural treats, courtesy of the good earth. We're talking about Flathead cherries, wild huckleberries from the acidic soils of northwestern Montana and wild raspberries. For the fungi lovers, morels and shaggy manes are a couple of the state's best, quick fried in sizzling butter.

One-room schools

Cowboy hats off to these teachers who go it alone: Polaris School, Dillon; Spring Creek School, Decker; Hartland Elementary School, Chinook; Cleveland School, Chinook; Bear Paw School, Chinook; North Harlem Elementary, Harlem; Boyd School, Boyd; Edgar Elementary School, Edgar; Hammond School, Hammond; Hawks Home School, Hammond; Alzada School, Alzada; Deep Creek School, Great Falls; Warrick School, Big Sandy; Carter School, Carter; Benton Lake School, Floweree; Riverview School, Ismay; Spring Creek School, Ismay; Knowlton School, Ismay; S Y School, Miles City; Twin Buttes School, Miles City; S H School, Miles City; Deerfield School, Lewistown; King Colony School, Lewistown; Spring Creek Colony School, Lewistown; Ayers School, Grass Range; Pleasant Valley School, Marion; Springhill School, Belgrade; Big Dry School, Sand Springs; Van Norman School, Jordan; Pine Grove School, Brusett; Kester School, Jordan; Cohagen School, Angela; Sand Springs School, Sand Springs; Ross School, Mosby; Hidden Lake Elementary, Cut Bank; Gildford Colony School, Gildford; Raynesford School, Raynesford; Salmon Prairie School, Swan Lake; Trinity School, Canyon Creek; Whitlash School, Whitlash; Liberty Elementary School, Galata; McCormick School, Troy; Sylvanite School, Troy; Yaak School, Troy; Lennep School, Martinsdale; Cooke City School, Cooke City; Springdale School, Springdale; Landusky School, Dodson; Loring Colony School, Malta; Tallow Creek School, Malta; Zortman Grade School, Malta; Dupuyer School, Dupuyer; Kingsbury Colony, Valier; Miami School, Conrad; Biddle School, Biddle; Gold Creek School, Gold Creek; Brorson School, Sidney; Birney School, Birney; Camas Prairie School, Plains; Molt School, Molt; Fishtail School, Fishtail; Nye School, Absarokee; Melville School, Melville; McLeod School, Big Timber; Hillside Colony School, Sunburst, Rimrock Colony School, Sunburst; Shawmut School, Shawmut.

Carhartts on the ski slope

Nothing quite defines a Montana ski area more than seeing a few folks swishing down the slopes in their Carhartt coveralls and matching jacket. It's even better if the ensemble is topped off with a fluorescent orange hunting cap. Who needs Patagonia (who we also love for its outlet store in Dillon) when you've got good ol' Carhartts?

The salmonfly

What's the tastiest and chunkiest morsel of food known to trout? It has to be the salmonfly, a large stonefly found throughout the West in the larger, faster riffle waters. The somewhat clumsy monsters migrate to stream-side rocks and tree branches where they emerge from their shucks-then they often fall, splashing into the water. You can only imagine the results, as large trout in the Madison, Big Hole, and other rivers await the buffet. As a fisher matching the hatch, something big, like a #2 sofa pillow, will get results.

Dan Bailey's legend

It's only fitting that many of Montana's most notable citizens gained fame not at the butt end of a joke, but of a fly rod. Dan Bailey, who opened his fly shop in Livingston in 1938, after being lured to the waters of southwestern Montana from Eastern trout streams, helped popularize many of the famous fly patterns in use on western waters today. The store's Wall of Fame, where wooden silhouettes of trophy fish are mounted, endures today, but fish are no longer added to the several hundred that were posted in the '40s, '50s and '60s. To make the Wall, a trout had to weigh at least 4 pounds if taken from a river, or 10 pounds if taken from a lake, and had to be caught on a fly.

Jack Horner and the

Museum of the Rockies

World-renowned paleontologist Jack Horner, originally of Shelby, considers the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman a dream come true. Supplied by Montana's abundance of dinosaur fossils and fueled by the museum's cutting-edge research, the Hall of Horns and Teeth made its public debut last summer.

Scenic highways

Glacier Park's Going-to-the-Sun, the Beartooth Highway, and yes, even Highway 2 across eastern Montana for a real taste of "Big Sky Country."

Pitchfork fondue

If you're traveling through north central Montana and hit a 4-H fundraiser this summer you might catch a glimpse of Lloyd Wolery of Joplin standing beside a black caldron of boiling oil. Lloyd will be bearing pitchforks in the "American Gothic" style, ready to cook steaks. Three minutes is what it takes to reach medium rare once the top sirloins are plunged beneath the surface in a spit of smoke. Mr. Wolery and his wife, Fern, have been traveling the state hosting pitchfork fondues for some twenty-five years now.

Hot springs

How do you like your hot springs? Let us count the ways. From fancy and expensive to secluded and free, choose from more than two dozen developed hot spring pools and thirty natural ones.

One-finger wave

Because we're usually driving down a two-lane, graveled road when this happens, we dont want to take our hands off the steering wheel. But we do want to say "Hi," because next to Minnesotans, we're probably the friendliest bunch in the nation.

Cemeteries and ghost towns

We hear dead people. On a quiet walk through one of Montana's ghost towns or old cemeteries, you won't have to be clairvoyant to hear the stories whispered by the weathered buildings or lime-stained grave markers.

The Auditor

He carried the dust of Butte's Berkeley Pit in his dreadlocked coat for nearly 17 years before his death in 2003. The shaggy sheepdog got his name from Montana Resources employees for always showing up when they least expected him. He belonged to no one and valued his solitude so much he lived where not even a weed would take root, walked barefoot through contaminated water and witnessed the death of 342 geese who tried to pay him a visit on their migration route.

Erik & Wiley Gustafson

Erik "Fingers" Ray is the one-man band and Wiley's the yodeler. You can still hear Erik play at different venues around the state. Unfortunately, we don't get to see much of Wiley anymore, but you can buy his CD on-line at westernjubilee.com.

Mushers This list doesn't start or end with just one person. Montana's most famous musher is four-time Iditarod champion, Doug Swingley of Lincoln. Next to him stand Terry Adkins, John Barron, Jason Barron, Katie Davis, Cindy Gallea, Rick Larson, Harmony Kanavle, and the list goes on of Iditarod veterans.