HOME SWEET HOME

Today, I’m feeling grateful for things that I don’t often think about – much less feel gratitude for! Things like zoning regulations, well-planned, wide city streets, reasonable speed limits, age limits to casinos and more. This week I went to Montana for a friend’s funeral. The snow-capped Rocky Mountains were stunningly beautiful. Yet the scenery was offset by differences in living styles that made me really appreciate Minnesota!

SPEED LIMITS

Montana’s speed limit is 80 miles per hour – even through curvy mountain passes. There are no streetlights except at entrance and exit ramps. A plus? The freeways were very well maintained and were devoid of the construction delays commonly seen in Minnesota. An oddity? There are frequent spots for runaway trucks to veer off the road if they are out of control. The combination of speed, curvy mountain roads, runaway truck paths, steep deadly embankments off the side of the road, and no streetlights was a terrifying combination for this wimp!

CITY STREETS

In town, the city streets were not as well cared for and poorly laid out. There were no standard blocks. Many of the streets were so narrow that two cars could not pass each other. Driving through Butte, there were homes on such a steep incline that if there was any snow, drivers that did not have an all-terrain vehicle would not be able to get to the homes. The streets were so narrow it would be very difficult for a standard garbage truck or snowplow to make it up the road, either.

ZONING

Zoning is something that I have seldom been grateful for. But seeing firsthand the lack of zoning made me appreciate the zoning laws we have in Minnesota. For example, in Deer Lodge and Butte, the houses were so close together that you could reach out the window and pass your neighbor a cup of sugar without ever leaving your house. Another example – in Deer Lodge, we stayed at a VRBO. Directions to the home were to… “Go down Maryland until you see a house with 6 tractors in the front yard.” You would think that would make it stand out and easy to find – but it didn’t! The homes were very small with many trailer homes in the mix and over 50% of them would not be able to be sold FHA because of peeling paint and visible structural integrity issues. Many front yards had been cut in half to provide off-street parking for 5-8 vehicles in the yard. Backyards were almost non-existent. We stopped at a new construction open house in Butte which was advertising a “gigantic backyard.” A 20×20 deck is bigger than that backyard! This new home was built next to several businesses including a gas station and a trucking company. Price? $399,900!

UNDIVERSIFIED EMPLOYMENT

In Deer Lodge, over 75% of the town was employed by the Montana State prison. Restaurants, bars, and stores all referenced that connection. While in Butte, it was clear it had been a copper mining town. All the restaurants and hotels proudly displayed the copper connection.

GAMBLING

Most restaurants had a casino section. Casino sections weren’t limited to pubs that served food, either. You would see them in Chinese buffets and even in kid-oriented places. We also became very accustomed to seeing a green cross – the sign of a dispensary where they sell legalized cannabis products. In Bozeman (a college town), there was a dispensary every couple blocks.

TAKEAWAY

I left Montana in awe of the magnificent mountains. While I know I’ll be back again to gaze upon their beauty, today I’m much more grateful to be a Minnesotan. Grateful not only for friends and family but for unexpected things like zoning regulations, lower speed limits and cheaper home prices. It’s good to be back in Minnesota!