Where to Stay...
Best Western ClockTower Inn - I-90 Exit 450, 2511 1st Ave. North. Each room is equipped with data port phones, coffee makers, irons and boards, hair dryers, 27” remote control TV with cable and HBO, clock radios, complimentary shampoo, conditioner & lotion, same day valet service, large work areas. Sauna, outdoor heated pool, guest laundry, airport courtesy van upon request 7:30 am to 10:30 pm. Courtesy covered parking with cold weather outlets, meeting, and conference rooms, banquet facilities. 1-800-628-9081, 406-259-5511, fax 406-245-8004, www.bwclocktowerinn.com

Big 5 Motel, I-90 Exits 450, 452 - Fax: 406-245-9358. In the heart of downtown, next to Yellowstone Art Museum. Near library, courthouse, city bus terminal, hospitals, clinics, fine dining, arts theaters. 34 rooms on 2 floors. Low rates. Air-conditioned. Cable TV. Data line. Exterior room entrances. Non-smoking rooms, smoking rooms. 2601 4th Ave N 59101, i-406-245-6646.

Dude Rancher Lodge - I-90 Exits 450, 452, 415 North 29th St. Quaint Western Atmosphere. This time-honored lodge is more like an inn than a motel. It has 57 quiet, comfortable rooms with authentic ranch oak furniture and branded carpet. Courtyard parking, meeting room, business accommodations, attached restaurant. 1-800-221-3302, 406-259-5561, www.duderancherlodge.com.

Hotel Carlin - I-90 Exits 446, 450, 452, 2501 Montana Avenue. Eight executive suites tastefully furnished and appointed with original photographs of Billings streetscapes. Separate bedroom and bathroom. Kitchen facilities with refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, microwave, cookware, stoneware, flatware. High speed internet connection. 20 restaurants, great shopping within walking distance. Weekly maid service, on-site laundry facilities. 406-245-7515, www.carlinhotel.com

Crowne Plaza Hotel - I-90 Exit 450, 27 North 27th Street, South on 27th Street from Airport. Standing tall since 1980. Elegant guest rooms, data ports, high speed internet access. Complimentary shuttle service to and from airport. Free parking in covered garage. Nautilus health club, indoor pool, whirlpool and sauna. Dining in Lucky Diamond Restaurant on 20th Floor. 1-800-588-7666, 406-252-7400, www.crowneplaza.com/billings.com

Travel West Inn - I-90 Exits 446, 450, 3311 2nd Ave N. Travel West Inn offers great affordable rates. Clean, quiet, modern motel rooms. Single, double and triple rooms, queen and king beds, non-smoking rooms, refrigerators available, airport shuttle. Free continental breakfast, digital cable TV, wireless internet, and Free HBO. Affordable rates $40 and up - Call or email for details! reservations@travelwestinn.com, 1-888-231-WEST (9378), 406-245-6345, www.travelwestinn.com

Vegas and Lewis and Clark Motel - I-90 Exits 452, 450. Air-conditioned units four blocks from the downtown business district. Low rates. Color/cable TV, direct dial phones and refrigerators in every room. Economy rates, central heating, queen beds, bathtub and shower combination, kitchenettes and family rooms available. Casino. During peak seasons, reservations a must. 24 hour desk clerk. 3314 1st Ave N., 59101-2105. 1-406 259-4551.

War Bonnet Inn - I-90 Exit 450, 2612 Belknap Avenue, War Bonnet Inn. A clean comfortable motel.  The War Bonnet Inn has large clean rooms, air conditioning in each room with cable and HBO. Facilities include a dining room, casino, lounge, and a shuttle to the airport and bus depot. Banquet rooms and seating for up to 400. Seasonal pool . Copy, fax and ATM machines. 1-888-242-6023, 406-248-7761, Fax 406-248-7761

Wonderfully revitalized, this is the scene of western wear stores, western art, modern coffee houses, early-Montana to modern art, and a wide variety of restaurant fare - from fast food to haute cuisine, from ethnic choices to good thick Montana steaks. Pages of history unfold at the free Western Heritage Center. Follow Montana Avenue to the Historic Depot and enjoy all the shops and restaurants in between - a tourist, collector must visit area. Yellowstone Art Museum centers changing exhibits around the Will James Permanent Collection Tues-Sun. Alberta Bair Theater hosts Billings Symphony, dance, theater, top rate performers. Venture Theater is a community stage.