When a lot of Americans think of Montana, they think of Yellowstone and Glacier national parks and Big Sky Resort. Every week this summer we're showing you the other gems of the Treasure State where you can "eat, play, stay" and make the most of your summer adventures. This is "Exploring with Enya."
SHELBY, Mont. — This Montana town was born during the oncoming of the Great Northern Railway. As you drive into Shelby, you can't miss the tracks with trains cars leading you into the town. A town with some filling bites and businesses with childhood history. It's also home to 2019 Tribune Academic All-Star Damon Irvin.
More:Shelby's Damon Irvin is the 'perfect order calcuation' for an all-star
For the fifth episode of 'Exploring with Enya,' we traveled to Shelby. Ride beside the railways with us as we take you through a day of coffee, gravy smothered omelettes and ice cream at a carousel.
First things first, breakfast. The Griddle Restaurant is located at 311 Main St. Inside the brick building with red accents was a room full of tables anxiously waiting for a meal with a possible side of coffee.
The Griddle is quite the simple restaurant with intricate tastes. The menu offers a breakfast and lunch menu. The breakfast menu is served all day with the exception of pancakes, french toast and oatmeal after 11 a.m. For breakfast your options include breakfast combos, beefy combos and omelets. One omelet you may not want to pass up is "Gary's Omelet."
Gary's Omelet is filled with sausage, green peppers, onions, cheddar and hash with a side of country potatoes and topped with gravy. When I say topped, I'm talkin' the right amount of smothered. If you're looking for a fill, this might be your way to order.
On the lunch side of the menu, you have your choices between salads (including taco salad), sandwiches, wraps and burgers.
The Griddle Restaurant is open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. Make sure you check the board for daily specials. This summer you may want to bring a light jacket because the restaurant makes sure to let you know to "prepare for the air conditioner to be in use =)"
Sometimes you may need more than regular coffee and cream to brighten up your day. Just two doors down from The Griddle is the Prairie Peddler. A Montana-based shop that's been in business for years with a coffee bar, gifts, cookies, candy and so much more.
When you walk into the the Prairie Peddler you might become captivated by the smell of coffee and the amount of gifts and other merchandise for sale. The items they sell are from Montana based companies. They have cookies from the Garden of Eat-In in Cut Bank, Montana magnets, stickers, clothing and care products and what they may sell the most— coffee from Montana Coffee Traders of Whitefish.
The Prairie Peddler's coffee bar can heat up or ice down just about anything you could order from a corporate chained coffee house in local, homegrown fashion. They have chai tea, frappes, espresso, steamers, Italian cream soda and the list goes on. Another list that goes on would be their syrup flavors. They have over 20 flavors including almond, butter rum, chocolate chip cookie dough, toasted marshmallow and salted caramel.
Even my ever-so complicated order couldn't shake the baristas. The salted caramel chai tea latte made with almond milk and with two shots of espresso was a 16-ounce cup of creamy heaven. They even make a pretty tasty cookie dough frappe.
Kelsey Smedsrud is one of those baristas. She's been working at Prairie Peddlers for a little over a year. She started working at the shop after she graduated from college. Smedsrud said she's been coming Prairie Peddlers since she was younger.
"Italian cream sodas are really big with kids and so after school, high schoolers and middle schoolers will come and hang out," she said. "It's a good hang out place in a small community. I mean that's what I did growing up."
The Prairie Peddler is now under the ownership of Kelli Lohr. Smedsrud said the store has always been named the Prairie Peddler and it won't be changing. It's just going through rebranding with new logos and a few other changes.
"It definitely feels very homey now and our community's very lucky to have this place still going...because we have closing shops, you know, now and so it would be really sad to see this place go," Smedsrud said. "The new owner just didn't want to see it go and so, we're all glad that she stepped up and took over."
The Prairie Peddler is open 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and is closed on Sunday.
The Dash-In was a recommendation from many so, why not head there on the way out to have some Shelby grub for the road. The drive up restaurant is located at 702 W. Roosevelt Highway in the convenient location towards the way in and out of town.
The Dash-In waitress attentively took the orders of each car pulling up to the restaurant. The menu is located on the front of the building next to the talk-thru window. They offer quite the extensive menu with desserts and various different drinks to accompany your meal. Chose between items like a double bacon cheeseburger, chili cheese dog, french fries, mini tacos and their gyro.
The Dash-In gyro is made with greek gyro meat (this restaurant uses thinly cut steak), lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber dressing. The gyro was well-crafted when delivered, but it didn't stay that way for long. Ditch the fork, grab it folded style and dig into a mouth watering bite of a fluffy pita with Greek stuffing.
The restaurant also has outside seating where you can enjoy one of their slushes, floats and shakes. One must-try shake, recommended by co-owner Tanya Carrier, was the huckleberry shake. When drinking the light purple, blended ice cream beverage be sure to enjoy the huckleberry making its way from the straw to your taste buds.
Dash-In is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Put those cards away, this restaurant is CASH ONLY.
Carousel Rest Area of Shelby
The Carousel Rest Area of Shelby is not only for the children, it's also for those who are still children at heart or of maturity. The rest area is located at 441 11th Ave. N. You probably won't miss the building, but if you see stuffed animals riding ferris wheel, you've arrived.
The rest area features a restored carousel with hand painted animals, a helicopter peddle ride and plasma cars for riding. It also offers various flavors of Wilcoxson's Ice Cream.
Harry Benjamin is the founder of the carousel rest area. After over 50 years of working, 70 years of marriage and the 110th anniversary of his family farm, Harry Benjamin retired at the age of 87 years old. He passed the torch to now general manager Kelly Hayes who said with a smile that Benjamin's "retirement" isn't much of one at all.
Benjamin is still working on projects around town. He's the type of man who will continue moving and working until he can't anymore.
More:The end of a carousel ride: Shelby's Harry Benjamin to retire at 87 years old
Hayes has transitioned with ease and the carousel rest area is ready for the summer. The ice cream bins are full and the grill is set-up and ready to go.
The Carousel Rest Area of Shelby is one 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and closed Sunday.
The Lake Shel-oole Campground is located a few minutes north of Shelby at 1210 Oilfield Ave. The name came from the combination of the town, Shelby, and the county, Toole.
The campground also has a playground, ball field complex and year round recreational opportunities. There is also a turn just beyond the entrance to the campground that will take you to and above the lake. From the overlook you get a glimpse of some of the city.
For more information, check out visitmt.com.
If you need a place to stay other than the campgrounds, the town of Shelby has plenty of motels, hotels and RV parks available.
Have any suggestions to share from your own Shelby adventures? Business and entertainment reporter Enya Spicer wants to hear from you! Email you name, suggestion and why you love it to espicer@greatfallstribune.com to have your comments in the online edition of "Exploring with Enya.To support Enya's work, subscribe today and get a special offer.