We had our second Montana trip of the summer a few weeks ago. We spent the week in Glacier National Park and had the time of our lives with my family.  On our way back from Glacier to my parent’s house, My Cowboy and I just had to stop and pull to the side of the road for this sunflower field. As if the field of flowers with the Rocky Mountain backdrop wasn’t enough, it just happened to be sunset hour.

Montana’s official nickname is “The Treasure State”. This nickname originated from the 1800’s, when it was discovered her mountains were rich in silver and gold. As I think of Montana, I definitely think of gold, but not the metal variety. The Montana Gold I’m referring to holds little monetary value, but is far more precious. So if you ever visit Montana, promise me you will take time to sit still and breathe in everything around you. You will discover she does in fact hold a whole lot of gold. 

Montana Gold is in the sunrises and sunsets that illuminate the entire Big Sky. It’s in the thousands upon thousands of acres, acres containing fields, brimming with ripe grain. It can be found in the quaking aspen leaves as summer begins that brilliant shift to fall. Haystacks piled high with a full winter’s supply also hold a beauty just like that of gold.

Most recently I found Montana Gold in this stunning sunflower field. The evening was so perfectly calm. We had just enjoyed an entire week of Montana’s rugged beauty in the unparalleled Rocky Mountains. Plus I was with My Cowboy. It was the ultimate ending to our trip. 

Montana Gold isn’t only to be found in the landscapes. It’s in her people too. A big piece of my heart will always belong to Montana, a heart that was shaped by so much more than the wildflowers and the sunsets. Montana filled my life with people whose examples of kindness, community, faith in God, friendship, and love outshine any valuable mineral or even a great, big, beautiful field of sunflowers.

Call it what you will, but that’s why I consider it the Treasure State.