The Centennial Inn

Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to visit a very exclusive Montana property. Unique in its history, luxury accommodations as well as prime location. The Centennial Inn is located on 13 private acres on the Yellowstone River outside of Livingston, Montana. Once part of the 1964 Montana Centennial Train that traveled the country promoting tourism for the state of Montana, this train car has been tricked out into an incredible two bedroom luxury home on The Yellowstone River.

A trip planned to celebrate my mom’s 71^st birthday, this would be a special stay for her as she was actually the head entertainer for the Montana Centennial Train. Miss Kitty Ann Quigley entertained countless amounts of people that would gather to hear and see the wonders of the treasure state. She even had the opportunity to sing for President Johnson when the train made it to the New York’s World Fair. I am obviously very biased, but even those that don’t know my mom well, will tell you she was Montana’s sweetheart and has always made a huge impression on people wherever she went; she still does.

On the way over to Livingston we stopped in downtown Bozeman to do some window shopping, gambling and have cocktails and lunch. Downtown Bozeman is a vibrant glimpse into the old west, with eclectic and neat stores, excellent dining options and home to quite possibly my favorite cocktail of all time. The “f.g.c.” at Plonk. An acronym for “(Expletive) Good Cocktail” – it is a refreshing martini of house infused ginger vodka and muddled basil. Even the virgin version was heaven.

After a couple of hours exploring downtown Bozeman we jumped back in the car and headed down the road to Livingston. Quintessentially west, framed by the Absaroka Mountain Range, Livingston is a classic picture of Montana.

After some more gambling and walking around downtown, we headed the 4 miles down the road to check out our digs for the next two days. A code operated private gate opens up to a large field bordered by a beautiful grove of dancing aspen trees with The Centennial Inn sitting pretty like a picture in the middle. At this point I am going to let the pictures do the talking J

 
ALL ABOARD THE CENTENNIAL INN!!!!!!

I think the thing that was said most by Susie, myself and my mom as well as all of our husbands that came to visit us for the day was “I could live here!!!”, and it was so true. The Centennial Inn evokes a cozy feeling of home and comfort. It is perfectly appointed with antique furniture and luxury details, like the huge shower that doubles as a hot tub size soaking tub. The kitchen is fully equipped with a gas stove and there are even laundry facilities tucked smartly behind a pocked door in the hallway.

The 13 acres that The Centennial Inn sits on was immaculately groomed and so beautiful to explore. The aspen trees had just leafed out for spring, and the Yellowstone River was swollen and muddy (much to my fly fishing husbands disdain) with spring run-off just starting.  I counted at least four sweet bunnies hopping around the wheels of the train quite a few times too. The Centennial Inn is truly a slice of Big Sky heaven, and would be a wonderful option for a fun weekend get-away, or for guests wanting to stay close to the park. Please contact me for more details on how you can set up a stay in this historic luxury train car.