As a fellow Montanan, I can confirm most towns are a little “cold” to newcomers, not because we don’t like you or don’t want you to see our area, but we know how beautiful it is and enjoy our open spaces so we don’t want it to expand too much.😉 after digging a little deeper, you’ll see that it isn’t that cold and will start to see more of the town charm and how welcoming they can be.
@TravelingWhileBlack1 billings is not the place... I live here... you have to hit the west side of the state. But glad you visited. It does get stinken cold here...right now it is sitting at 95.... yuck
I'm a black woman and my family and I have lived in Billings for about 14 years. When we go to bigger cities to visit or vacation I can't wait to get back "home". There's actually fun things to do that keep my kids and I busy. You guys just needed a tour guide and you would have had much more fun 😊
Im a native Montanan , please dont judge us by Billings....But super glad you two dipped your toe into the deep pool of wonders that is Montana, and hope you venture further into Montanas craft brewing and distillery scene ....just saying a really great way to see more....aim for the small towns....if you get into my neck of the world....check out the frontier club....fresh local burgers....cold local brews....and then cross the street to the Plaza.....2 local breweries just down the street.....and the headwaters of the Missouri right here.....Three Forks MT
I am from Billings and I just commented on how everyone agrees that we are the ugliest town. In fairness, we are still in Montana so we're not ugly ugly. We are the ugliest in the prettiest place, which still makes us pretty. 😊
Thanks a lot! Yes we are lucky to learn so much rich Black History that we never heard of prior to visiting, it would be a disservice not to share. Thanks for watching!
@@TravelingWhileBlack1Come to Great Falls!! We are gorgeous, quaint, friendly and some of the best people you'll ever meet!! We are the Golden Triangle and the Gates of the Mountains!! We welcome you!! Charley Pride is from here! Edited to correct a silly spelling error.
Sorry , but was a little insulted by some of the stereo typing they placed on the people of Montana and of Billings. The Restaurants, fun and history yup all of it you barely skimmed the top. Then there is how we dress, no wonder people think we don't have internet, still travel in horse and buggy and all are cowboys. Billings has indoor football, minor league baseball and other sporting events. As Restaurants go you two only hit downtown. What we call the Westend is where the people westenders go . Quite a few steakhouses out there and shopping centers, theaters out there . Then there is what is called The Heights which has a Waterpark, shopping and eateries up there too. Last but not least is Midtown where there are city parks, biking trails that connect to all the other parts of the city(over 99 miles ) , shopping , and of course a lot of family own restaurants like korean bbq, authentic Mexican, tex-mex etc, etc Downtown Billings is mostly about the legal, medical, and white collar businesses so yah, your not going to see Boothill, Yellowstone Kelly's grave, Sword Park on top of the Rims down o the area you were at. So don't write off Billings completely. You just skimmed the top of it. So I'll rate your visit as a 5 sorry I looked at your other videos and I felt you did an injustice to them too. Did you come hoping we'd fail? Just asking for a friend. PS if you wanted to learn more black history of Montana you went to tge wrong town...those are Great Falls and Havre. Havre for the Buffalo Soilders and Great Falls for the Airforce base. Oh, and you could of taken the Northeast entrance to the Park via Red Lodge. Closer entrance.
As a Montanan, I don’t know anyone who would go to Billings for fun.  I think your spot on with the way it felt but that is just most of Montana. As they say we invented social distancing. Next time go to one of the more tourist oriented towns or places like Bozeman or Missoula or even Helena. 
Not to nitpick, but the Billings Outlaws won the Arena Football League championship last weekend. Semi pro is still pro. As a white guy who has lived in Billings for most of his life, I can acknowledge the isolationist attitude where the locals don’t want outsiders to come in and f up our slow pace of life. But it doesn’t have anything to do with skin color. But apparently we pulled your trigger on that one. Good! Come back some day and I’ll take you to some actually good restaurants.
Living in Butte, Montana my entire life, I think Billings represents the Eastern portion pretty well. The Western side of the state, I believe, is a very different feel. Mountains and forests. I am glad you visited our state, and am now following the channel because I want to know about other places. Thanks you for the fun video.
Hello! And thanks for putting Billings Montana on the map. I would l Iike to start off by saying, "My wife and I really enjoy your videos . Now, I would also like to mention that I am Mexican 3rd generation and my wife is Argentine 2nd generation. We are originally moved here from Los Angeles. When we first told family, friends, and coworkers that we planned on moving to Montana, they all said, " We were CRAZY!" But 5 years ago, we made the move to Lockwood Montana, just outside of Billings. As a matter of fact, we are less than 10 minutes from Metra Park. You guys are 100% right about the percentage of Blacks here in Billings. But, I have to say while we we were unloading our moving truck our neighbors to the left of was were black. Our neighbors to the right of us were white, and so were the neighbors behind us. All were very welcoming. Despite race or color. I haven't experienced any real racism here, but more of people who dont want outsiders changing Montanas way of life. Montanas seem not to care too much about race.
I'm glad you visited the Little Bighorn National Monument. Across the entrance is a touristy trading post that has delicious fry bread. In June, the Real Bird family hosts a reenactment of the battle.I also noticed you ate at the Sassy Biscuit, a popular brunch spot. It's owned by a black couple. My brother worked for them when they first opened.
As a Indigenous person (one of the few left..) I appreciate your honesty, & yes having our ancestors bone in that area..for THOUSANDS OF YEARS. My grand children still feel that coolness..😮 which you put it nicely 😅.....by these COLONIALISTs. Otherwise Most people ignore it...ME IM TO OLD TO EVEN DIGNIFY THAT...A'HO...🤔. WAST'E...OH AND BOTH OF YOU NICE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WELCOME ANY WHERE ON .."OUR" LAND...☺️
Thank you for having tiptoed through my adopted home. Sorry I missed your visit as I would have been happy to introduce you to some of my colorful friends. I'm still trying to blend in as a transplant but after 36+ years, I don't think it will happen, even after decades of being heavily involved in this community. Montanans are polite as long as you don't come to stay. Pass by as often as you want but don't plant roots. Wide open spaces is what they like and don't be different in any kind of way. I came in 1986 and my intro to this community was singing "We are the world" while holding hands with a bunch of strangers in a city park. That faded very quickly. Big hearts here but don't try to touch those hearts. They are brittle. Git along little doggie is the motto rather than gold and silver. Still it would have been nice to meet you both. Happy trekking. Enjoy life and each other and keep those check marks adding up.
Great falls has a military base and, therefore, more diverse & used to new comers. Bozeman has been gentrified. It is now Vail, CO, Missoula has always been progressive. Billings is the last refuge for blue collar in MT. VERY conservative home to mining, oil & construction workers. Billings is suffering from extreme inflation last 3 yrs has seen housing prices triple while wages are flat, so newcomers are not welcomed. Montana was settled by German, Irish, Lutheran, Catholic. These cultures lean quiet, keep to themselves, not extroverted. The Native tribal culture considers chatting as impolite, too. Regardless of who you are, if you aren't related/family, it is considered impolite to approach or chat. Billings turned every venue into a casino so there isn't anything to do. I agree with your conclusion that Billings is equally unwelcoming to everyone. 😉 (I've lived here off & on for 30 yrs. Also lived FL, LA, NM, CO for comparison) Looks like you had a wonderful trip. 😊
Whats your next group of videos going to be about? Since you asked my thoughts something I thought would be cool would to go through south American countries or European countries and figure out the black influence there and give the black experience. That would be off the chain
Found your channel by chance, and really enjoyed your video! I have lived in Billings all my life, and would like to confirm that the people of Billings, and Montana as a whole are NOT racist. The hiker you mentioned has the same attitude as a lot of native Montanans. The cost of housing in Billings has almost doubled in the last ten years for both renters, and buyers. There's also a tendency for people to love Montana enough to move here, but then try really hard to change the way things are. So we tend to be a little standoffish with people who are clearly new comers.I recently moved across the river to the suburb of Lockwood, and the people at the local gas station were almost rude to my family for the first couple of months until we became regular customers. Now they're all awesomely friendly people. All of that being said, Billings can be an incredibly boring city if you're not into country western activities.
Right on! Thanks a lot for the insight. We are planning on giving Montana another shot in the near future. We are glad you found our channel as well and hope you continue to enjoy our other episodes. Thanks for watching!
As somebody born and lived in Billings most of my life, I have to say I am surprised you chose the city. Really my main reasons for living there is proximity to family, shopping, healthcare, and job opportunities. However I would say it is far from the most interesting or beautiful towns in the state, but it is just a short drive from some beautiful areas. A few hundred miles west is Bozeman, it has better views of the mountains and amazing hiking trails. It is also growing pretty rapidly due to the college and there seems to be all sorts of new fun shops when I visit. The Beartooth Pass to the south near Red Lodge is also stunning - views rivaling Glacier National Park in my opinion. Still not that many Black people though, you got us there lol. Billings does seem to be growing though, I am excited to see people from different backgrounds moving here. That said the coldness is a general attitude of not wanting people to move here, and from my personal experience my frustration is the economy changes and that infrastructure has not adapted quick enough with the increase in population. When I went to MSU in Bozeman finding an apartment and driving let alone parking anywhere was a nightmare and it has only gotten worse and I'm starting to see that in Billings now too. Anyway sorry for the novel (and our crazy driving that I'm sure you didn't mention because you are polite) but great video, I hope you get to explore more of Montana in the future!
Hope you guys enjoyed the brew pub. I am born and raised in Billings and next time Bozeman might be more of what you’re looking for it’s called Bozeangeles for a reason lol. People in Montana for the most part all have the same views they don’t like outsiders and the out of states that move here and it’s sad as a state we aren’t more open minded. Safe travels
Just came across this channel, glad i did. Ive heard nothing but bad things about these cities but im here to hear what else can be said. Great vid 👍🏾🎉🎊✊🏽
Very cool video! I like your new grading! If you go to the Skagit Fair in the second week of August, make sure you go in Building "D" to see our Garden Railroad modules! Love your guys!
You guys are adorable! I love this video series but this is my first one so I am gonna follow your journey backwards I guess lol. I am from Billings and you guys graded it pretty accordingly I would say. That rodeo weekend was hectic haha I was delivering pizzas and it was mayhem 🤣🤣
Right on! We can imagine that you were busy that night it seemed like the whole town was buzzing about the event. We hope you enjoy watching our other episodes/series. Thanks for watching!
As a native and former resident of Billings (I've also lived in Alabama and Seattle).... I'm sorry we didn't seem welcoming. I know there are VERY welcoming people here that actually are color blind, my grandma would have made you feel SO at home. _Sadly_ Eastern Montana culture can be very isolated and diversity is... well... hard to find. There are a lot of remote ranchers that make coming into town for supplies a weekend event - so even though we're mostly an oil and farming town, there are a lot of great restaurants and shops. My recommendation is for you to visit Bozeman or Missoula. Red Lodge is also a fun little mountain town just north of Yellowstone National Park and has one of the top rated scenic highways in America, the Beartooth Pass. Though I have to agree with another poster from Billings - your trip really did only scratch the surface of activities and eateries. Try coming when the fair or rodeo is in town.
Hey right on! And no need to apologize. Bozeman and Missoula are the spots we are hearing that we need to check out within the state. So we are definitely planning a return trip. Thanks for watching!
I’ve spent my whole life in billings, and im gonna be honest the racism here is pretty bad. im glad you didn’t have any obvious experiences with it, but the racism is common and particularly harsh towards native Americans. As for the lack of pretty much anything to do, it’s a city desperate to grow with a population too stubborn to let it. I hope you come back to Montana, I feel you’d have a better time in Bozeman/western Montana. There’s more to do, the people tend to be kinder, it’s more inclusive (Bozeman in particular), and it’s gorgeous. Just stay away from great falls lol.
As a native Montana and born and raised in Billings, while I appreciate some of your video I think you're perspective is a little limited. There are actually historical sites here that celebrate the Browns and their contributions - the Heritage Center could have helped you with that. The prostitution was not just south of the tracks and also a very interesting history. There are lots of opportunities to learn the broad history of my hometown. Sad you missed all the great food offerings where you were walking in the historical part of town. Come again 🙃
What a great channel to stumble across. Thank you! And I love your green book approach. While not black I am Asian and my son is autistic and if you guys are more comfortable it also speaks to how comfortable any minority might feel.
Thanks a lot for watching! And we love that you find value in our channel. We totally agree that our reason for doing our show resonates with other communities. Thanks for watching!
This TWB drop was amazing! I hope that y'all make it out to Yellowstone and its neighbor, Grand Teton National Park. Wamego, the city with the OZ museum has an OZ festival in October. I stopped through back in April and saw a flyer. it is supposed to be the biggest in the US lol I would suggest checking out the free museum underneath the Arch in St. Louis for a whole lot of perspective about how blacks were treated under Spanish and French monarchy rules! It was so illuminating because overnight people lost their rights as soon as the land was sold to the US. thank you for y'alls content! It was fun to join along!
Thanks a lot @daren5510! And we gotta say that we are more surprised that you’ve been to Wamego, KS than there being an OZ Festival 😂. But you’re right the Grand Teton or Yellowstone would be amazing. We need to do a video on the whole city of STL! We use to go to that museum under the arch to the a lot throughout the years growing up in the area, would love to see how it is since it’s been updated. The underground museum was the only thing both of us did even before we met because neither of us trusted the elevator car to the top 😂. Thanks for watching and supporting!
@@TravelingWhileBlack1 Saw the OZ Museum sign for the last three years on 70-East finally just had to check out Wamego, KS haha! if you go in the late spring before June you can capture the red calfs (the baby bison) in their full landscape glory. the arch has become a national park recently, I would totally watch yalls video on STL! Happy to support!
Regarding Sheridan Wyoming: there were huge coal seams in the area. The seams caught fire in the 50s (?) and were still burning alongside the highway in the 70s when I would visit as a young child. Not sure, but I think the Black Diamond you mentioned may refer to coal.
Love your video. Like yourself, I live in the Seattle area (actually in Kingston). Ok… gotta say it. Kitsap is beautiful with minimal African American presence. Seattle, also, doesn’t seem overwhelmingly Black. That being said, I adore the ‘island’ lifestyle. But, the focus here is Montana. I’ve worked in both Missoula and Great Falls. To me, both places possess breathtaking opportunities for hiking, exercising, and positive living. Overall people are friendly and likable. At times, weird stuff was experienced. Walking by a passerby, one casually mentioned “it’s just like Blacks can’t swim.” The remark was intended to be derogatory as I was definitely within earshot. The person voicing the comment was likely younger than twenty-five. This was a rare instance. Otherwise, Missoula welcomed me. Great Falls has more of a Black element due to its military presence. Still, Black population seems quite minimal. Both cities are safe, comfortable, and are prepared with a few ‘stares.’ (Leave that to your own interpretation.) I LOVE Montana, her beauty and rich western heritage is incomparable. Just don’t expect to find many chicken n waffle joints. Peace.
As a Billings resident, this town kind of sucks. Underfunded infrastructure and everything dependent on the car. It is not devoid of culture, thankfully. It is not very picturesque because of lack of zoning requirements.
I have travelled throughout Montana on several occasions for work and actually found the local people to be very friendly and helpful. I hiked the "M" in Missoula, an activity that locals suggested. In fact, when I was travelling through there, I learned that the Mayor of Helena Montana was a black man. I was pleasantly by that fact. That said, I think what you felt wasn't necessarily related to being black. It had more to do with the way they are towards everyone that they consider an outsider. I personally gave Montana a higher than average score for comfortability after my adventures. Keep travelling.
The like, one Mexican restaurant in Billings gave me salmonella and served my colleague onions (which she specifically said she was deathly allergic to, to our waitress, multiple times before and after ordering)..Not authentic at all and just a bad experience for us (we are Native Americans from the south, there on a conference trip, so we were just trying it to compare and … yeah. Taco Bell would’ve been safer) 😂 just a heads up to those thinking maybe they should be adventurous, don’t eat Mexican food from the north unless it’s authentic. The people in Billings treated us similarly, but I’ve come to understand that people from the north just… are like that. They’re just kind of jerks 😂 can’t wait to move back south tbh, I’ll deal with the weather if I can have my friendly folks back
I can only imagine how much interesting the Rockies would be if Indigenous Americans had been left alone and allowed to manage and cultivate their land. Montana has a lot of history that has been whitewashed and is somber. No surprise there isn't much going on in Billings
I love people who visit other cultures and are upset they don’t live the same way. America is a melting pot from the world. It’s a mash of cultures. Those cultures spread across the country collecting in some areas but not in others. What’s the point of traveling if you want everything to fit into your understanding of cultural practices.
If you make it this way again, consider Red Lodge for a day trip out of Billings - it's about 90 miles SW, and is the start of the Beartooth Mountain highway. Billings will often have street fairs downtown on the weekends, especially in the summer. I agree, though, our restaurant scene could be better.
Go to south america! And show black culture there and how it influeneced the tribes there and study things like black brazilians and show what life is like for black people. That will grow you to over 100k trust me!
@seanivery yes there are a quite a few South American countries on our list to explore. We’ve done Central America so far and it was crazy dope. We wanted to move to Belize after our visit. And Ecuador was the one of the most amazing experience of our lives (Quito, Mashpi Rainforest, and Galapagos Islands). We have episodes on all of those experiences mos def check them out.
@@TravelingWhileBlack1 oh OK I didn't know. Or go to Spain and Italy even or even Asian countries. I see you guys went fromb10.8 to 11.1 with the last video so you're starting to get traction congrats 👏
If you come to Montana to be separated into a special feeling group, 🤷that not going to happen. Montana loves everyone regardless!! Please try not to segregate yourself. Crime is high in Billings due to no space in jails and they refuse to build another one. Godspeed
I wouldn't recommend visiting Billings full of rude discoutious people are car was keyd .2 tires were slashed. Maybe before all the pilgrims moved in it was a town worth visiting 😢
Two days it’s not long enough to experience Montana. I’ve lived in Billings for eight years we retired here from California.It’s a beautiful state. Part of the population does not like Californians, because they want to keep their open land for camping and hunting and fishing. The price of homes have doubled since Covid. Come back for more than two days and really enjoy it Montana you can’t even get through Yellowstone in two days.
Funny enough, I'm from Billings and I saw you filming your intro while driving by. The racism here is usually targetting native people. I have literally heard someone explain how great their brother in law is, the brother in law is black, then in the next breath say the most racist things about native peoples. Most Montanans agree that Billings is the ugliest town in Montana. The town was notoriously boring when I was young. I can say Montanans are stand offish. We have a saying that you shouldn't befriend a new comer until they have made three winters, because then they are staying. Rent and housing prices have increased a lot, particularly in the prettier spots. Montanans are going homeless in areas that they are native to, or had lived in their whole life. McMansions are a reai problem. Growing up here, everyone agrees that Custer got what was coming to him. Not many people realise how crooked and brutal he was. Honestly, how brutal the government was. Thank you for coming. The hats are cute, but that's why driving by I knew you were newcomers.
Wow thanks a lot for that insight. Both the positive and the negatives. We are picking up from the comments from Montanans on here that Billings wasn’t the best city to pick for our journey . Still we’re thankful that we got to experience at least once (even if it’s for the last time lol). Also as you probably could tell from the episode I (Anthony) shared the same thoughts about Custer growing up 😂. Thanks again for the local insight and watching!
I stay in Billings, as a black man it’s straight Fr, most people really never been around black people so it’ll be more of a culture shock for them than you. If you want a quiet place to stay that won’t kill your pockets Billings is ok. Great job by you two, thank you for this content. But note there is nothing to do here.
Right on! Thanks for that insight. And you are right the affordability of the area isn’t a bad at all (especially compared to where we are based in Seattle). Thanks for watching!
What are u talking about. Iv seen plenty of black people in billings. I live on south side and plenty live around me. When I lived o north side same thing.
I'm a black man here with my wife we have been here for 10 years now Billings is slow easy living compared to inner city descent jobs it can get boring but hey it's a solid place to live
OK😆 No one is allowed to wear cowboys hats when visiting Montana... "ihavetheanswers" said so. Thank you for dictating what others should wear. You're awesome!
@@TravelingWhileBlack1thank you for buying cowboy hats in my town. We like money too. There is a lot of nuance to a hat. I like seeing a hat that says, "I just got here and I am excited." I think they are as pretty as a "going to town" hat. (Not the fanciest hat, but a good one.)
As a fellow Montanan, I can confirm most towns are a little “cold” to newcomers, not because we don’t like you or don’t want you to see our area, but we know how beautiful it is and enjoy our open spaces so we don’t want it to expand too much.😉 after digging a little deeper, you’ll see that it isn’t that cold and will start to see more of the town charm and how welcoming they can be.
Right on @tuxheidner7059! Yes we are definitely up to giving Montana another try. Thanks for watching!
@TravelingWhileBlack1 billings is not the place... I live here... you have to hit the west side of the state. But glad you visited. It does get stinken cold here...right now it is sitting at 95.... yuck
Agreed- we are freindly people, but it can be trying to welcome and get to know neighbors, then they leave after the first winter.
Very true I am black and living in butte I was always hearing about outsiders
@@kristirudolph7504I agree Bozeman Butte Kalispell Missoula are all fun
I'm a black woman and my family and I have lived in Billings for about 14 years. When we go to bigger cities to visit or vacation I can't wait to get back "home". There's actually fun things to do that keep my kids and I busy. You guys just needed a tour guide and you would have had much more fun 😊
Im a native Montanan , please dont judge us by Billings....But super glad you two dipped your toe into the deep pool of wonders that is Montana, and hope you venture further into Montanas craft brewing and distillery scene ....just saying a really great way to see more....aim for the small towns....if you get into my neck of the world....check out the frontier club....fresh local burgers....cold local brews....and then cross the street to the Plaza.....2 local breweries just down the street.....and the headwaters of the Missouri right here.....Three Forks MT
Right on! We will add all of those to our list on our return trip to the state! Thanks for watching!
I am from Billings and I just commented on how everyone agrees that we are the ugliest town. In fairness, we are still in Montana so we're not ugly ugly. We are the ugliest in the prettiest place, which still makes us pretty. 😊
I really appreciate how you two tell the Black history of these places you visit. I never knew Montana's African American history.
Thanks a lot! Yes we are lucky to learn so much rich Black History that we never heard of prior to visiting, it would be a disservice not to share. Thanks for watching!
@@TravelingWhileBlack1Come to Great Falls!! We are gorgeous, quaint, friendly and some of the best people you'll ever meet!! We are the Golden Triangle and the Gates of the Mountains!! We welcome you!! Charley Pride is from here!
Edited to correct a silly spelling error.
Same, as a Montanan who spent more of my life than not in Billings, I had no idea of the Black history.
Sorry , but was a little insulted by some of the stereo typing they placed on the people of Montana and of Billings.
The Restaurants, fun and history yup all of it you barely skimmed the top. Then there is how we dress, no wonder people think we don't have internet, still travel in horse and buggy and all are cowboys.
Billings has indoor football, minor league baseball and other sporting events.
As Restaurants go you two only hit downtown. What we call the Westend is where the people westenders go . Quite a few steakhouses out there and shopping centers, theaters out there .
Then there is what is called The Heights which has a Waterpark, shopping and eateries up there too.
Last but not least is Midtown where there are city parks, biking trails that connect to all the other parts of the city(over 99 miles ) , shopping , and of course a lot of family own restaurants like korean bbq, authentic Mexican, tex-mex etc, etc
Downtown Billings is mostly about the legal, medical, and white collar businesses so yah, your not going to see Boothill, Yellowstone Kelly's grave, Sword Park on top of the Rims down o the area you were at.
So don't write off Billings completely. You just skimmed the top of it. So I'll rate your visit as a 5 sorry I looked at your other videos and I felt you did an injustice to them too.
Did you come hoping we'd fail? Just asking for a friend.
PS if you wanted to learn more black history of Montana you went to tge wrong town...those are Great Falls and Havre. Havre for the Buffalo Soilders and Great Falls for the Airforce base.
Oh, and you could of taken the Northeast entrance to the Park via Red Lodge. Closer entrance.
I adore this series!!
Thank you for supporting and watching!
Great video and keep up the good work. On your next trip to MT you will have to visit us in NW MT.
Right on! And YES that’s what we’re hearing. We guess we’ll be coming back lol. Thanks for watching!
As a Montanan, I don’t know anyone who would go to Billings for fun.  I think your spot on with the way it felt but that is just most of Montana. As they say we invented social distancing. Next time go to one of the more tourist oriented towns or places like Bozeman or Missoula or even Helena. 
Not to nitpick, but the Billings Outlaws won the Arena Football League championship last weekend. Semi pro is still pro.
As a white guy who has lived in Billings for most of his life, I can acknowledge the isolationist attitude where the locals don’t want outsiders to come in and f up our slow pace of life. But it doesn’t have anything to do with skin color. But apparently we pulled your trigger on that one. Good!
Come back some day and I’ll take you to some actually good restaurants.
Wow this was so interesting informative and I truly enjoyed it ! You bring these places to life. Thank you for the history.
Living in Butte, Montana my entire life, I think Billings represents the Eastern portion pretty well. The Western side of the state, I believe, is a very different feel. Mountains and forests. I am glad you visited our state, and am now following the channel because I want to know about other places. Thanks you for the fun video.
Hello! And thanks for putting Billings Montana on the map.
I would l Iike to start off by saying, "My wife and I really enjoy your videos .
Now, I would also like to mention that I am Mexican 3rd generation and my wife is Argentine 2nd generation. We are originally moved here from Los Angeles. When we first told family, friends, and coworkers that we planned on moving to Montana, they all said, " We were CRAZY!" But 5 years ago, we made the move to Lockwood Montana, just outside of Billings. As a matter of fact, we are less than 10 minutes from Metra Park.
You guys are 100% right about the percentage of Blacks here in Billings. But, I have to say while we we were unloading our moving truck our neighbors to the left of was were black. Our neighbors to the right of us were white, and so were the neighbors behind us. All were very welcoming. Despite race or color. I haven't experienced any real racism here, but more of people who dont want outsiders changing Montanas way of life. Montanas seem not to care too much about race.
Haha right on! Yes from LA to MT is a HUGE change! We’re glad that it seems like you are cool with living there. Thanks for watching!
We don't care about race here. We don't want big city people changing the culture to big city life.
I'm glad you visited the Little Bighorn National Monument. Across the entrance is a touristy trading post that has delicious fry bread. In June, the Real Bird family hosts a reenactment of the battle.I also noticed you ate at the Sassy Biscuit, a popular brunch spot. It's owned by a black couple. My brother worked for them when they first opened.
Wow thanks for that insight! If we make it back that way we will definitely have to stop by. Thanks for watching!
In Billings, we don't care what your background is. We are a libertarian-minded people. You do you and I will do me.
As a Indigenous person (one of the few left..) I appreciate your honesty, & yes having our ancestors bone in that area..for THOUSANDS OF YEARS. My grand children still feel that coolness..😮 which you put it nicely 😅.....by these COLONIALISTs. Otherwise Most people ignore it...ME IM TO OLD TO EVEN DIGNIFY THAT...A'HO...🤔. WAST'E...OH AND BOTH OF YOU NICE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WELCOME ANY WHERE ON .."OUR" LAND...☺️
Thank you for having tiptoed through my adopted home. Sorry I missed your visit as I would have been happy to introduce you to some of my colorful friends. I'm still trying to blend in as a transplant but after 36+ years, I don't think it will happen, even after decades of being heavily involved in this community. Montanans are polite as long as you don't come to stay. Pass by as often as you want but don't plant roots. Wide open spaces is what they like and don't be different in any kind of way. I came in 1986 and my intro to this community was singing "We are the world" while holding hands with a bunch of strangers in a city park. That faded very quickly. Big hearts here but don't try to touch those hearts. They are brittle. Git along little doggie is the motto rather than gold and silver. Still it would have been nice to meet you both. Happy trekking. Enjoy life and each other and keep those check marks adding up.
Bozeman Missoula and great falls is comfortable for black people. Lived in great falls for almost 8 years
Right on! Yes that’s what we are hearing. One if not both of those spots are where we are headed when we come back to Montana. Thanks for watching!
Great falls has a military base and, therefore, more diverse & used to new comers. Bozeman has been gentrified. It is now Vail, CO, Missoula has always been progressive. Billings is the last refuge for blue collar in MT. VERY conservative home to mining, oil & construction workers. Billings is suffering from extreme inflation last 3 yrs has seen housing prices triple while wages are flat, so newcomers are not welcomed. Montana was settled by German, Irish, Lutheran, Catholic. These cultures lean quiet, keep to themselves, not extroverted. The Native tribal culture considers chatting as impolite, too. Regardless of who you are, if you aren't related/family, it is considered impolite to approach or chat. Billings turned every venue into a casino so there isn't anything to do. I agree with your conclusion that Billings is equally unwelcoming to everyone. 😉 (I've lived here off & on for 30 yrs. Also lived FL, LA, NM, CO for comparison) Looks like you had a wonderful trip. 😊
Great Falls (my home) is fantastic!! Charlie Pride called us home and we are proud of that fact!
Been waiting!
Sorry for the wait! But can’t wait to get your thoughts.
Whats your next group of videos going to be about? Since you asked my thoughts something I thought would be cool would to go through south American countries or European countries and figure out the black influence there and give the black experience. That would be off the chain
Love what you guys do.
Right on! Thanks for watching and supporting!
Seems like you two were made to do this sort of thing! Even your voices are perfect! Maybe Netflix will notice your channel!
That would be dope! We love doing this and love it more when the folks watching like it and find value in it. Thanks for your support and watching!
Very diplomatic describing your comfort level
Found your channel by chance, and really enjoyed your video! I have lived in Billings all my life, and would like to confirm that the people of Billings, and Montana as a whole are NOT racist. The hiker you mentioned has the same attitude as a lot of native Montanans. The cost of housing in Billings has almost doubled in the last ten years for both renters, and buyers. There's also a tendency for people to love Montana enough to move here, but then try really hard to change the way things are. So we tend to be a little standoffish with people who are clearly new comers.I recently moved across the river to the suburb of Lockwood, and the people at the local gas station were almost rude to my family for the first couple of months until we became regular customers. Now they're all awesomely friendly people. All of that being said, Billings can be an incredibly boring city if you're not into country western activities.
Right on! Thanks a lot for the insight. We are planning on giving Montana another shot in the near future. We are glad you found our channel as well and hope you continue to enjoy our other episodes. Thanks for watching!
As somebody born and lived in Billings most of my life, I have to say I am surprised you chose the city. Really my main reasons for living there is proximity to family, shopping, healthcare, and job opportunities. However I would say it is far from the most interesting or beautiful towns in the state, but it is just a short drive from some beautiful areas. A few hundred miles west is Bozeman, it has better views of the mountains and amazing hiking trails. It is also growing pretty rapidly due to the college and there seems to be all sorts of new fun shops when I visit. The Beartooth Pass to the south near Red Lodge is also stunning - views rivaling Glacier National Park in my opinion. Still not that many Black people though, you got us there lol. Billings does seem to be growing though, I am excited to see people from different backgrounds moving here. That said the coldness is a general attitude of not wanting people to move here, and from my personal experience my frustration is the economy changes and that infrastructure has not adapted quick enough with the increase in population. When I went to MSU in Bozeman finding an apartment and driving let alone parking anywhere was a nightmare and it has only gotten worse and I'm starting to see that in Billings now too. Anyway sorry for the novel (and our crazy driving that I'm sure you didn't mention because you are polite) but great video, I hope you get to explore more of Montana in the future!
Hope you guys enjoyed the brew pub. I am born and raised in Billings and next time Bozeman might be more of what you’re looking for it’s called Bozeangeles for a reason lol. People in Montana for the most part all have the same views they don’t like outsiders and the out of states that move here and it’s sad as a state we aren’t more open minded. Safe travels
Just came across this channel, glad i did. Ive heard nothing but bad things about these cities but im here to hear what else can be said. Great vid 👍🏾🎉🎊✊🏽
Right on! It’s a major reason why we do our show, because we will never know unless we go. Thanks a lot for watching and supporting!
Stayed in Montana for months worse experience ever
You two produce excellent, informative content. Thank you! Can't wait for your next series!
Very cool video! I like your new grading! If you go to the Skagit Fair in the second week of August, make sure you go in Building "D" to see our Garden Railroad modules! Love your guys!
Right on @gardenrailroading! If we make it out this year we will definitely stop by. Thanks for the support and watching!
@@TravelingWhileBlack1 Are you still living in Seattle?
Excellent series. Thanks for the sharing your journey.🙌🏾
You guys are adorable! I love this video series but this is my first one so I am gonna follow your journey backwards I guess lol. I am from Billings and you guys graded it pretty accordingly I would say. That rodeo weekend was hectic haha I was delivering pizzas and it was mayhem 🤣🤣
Right on! We can imagine that you were busy that night it seemed like the whole town was buzzing about the event. We hope you enjoy watching our other episodes/series. Thanks for watching!
As a native and former resident of Billings (I've also lived in Alabama and Seattle).... I'm sorry we didn't seem welcoming. I know there are VERY welcoming people here that actually are color blind, my grandma would have made you feel SO at home. _Sadly_ Eastern Montana culture can be very isolated and diversity is... well... hard to find. There are a lot of remote ranchers that make coming into town for supplies a weekend event - so even though we're mostly an oil and farming town, there are a lot of great restaurants and shops.
My recommendation is for you to visit Bozeman or Missoula. Red Lodge is also a fun little mountain town just north of Yellowstone National Park and has one of the top rated scenic highways in America, the Beartooth Pass.
Though I have to agree with another poster from Billings - your trip really did only scratch the surface of activities and eateries. Try coming when the fair or rodeo is in town.
Hey right on! And no need to apologize. Bozeman and Missoula are the spots we are hearing that we need to check out within the state. So we are definitely planning a return trip. Thanks for watching!
I’ve spent my whole life in billings, and im gonna be honest the racism here is pretty bad. im glad you didn’t have any obvious experiences with it, but the racism is common and particularly harsh towards native Americans.
As for the lack of pretty much anything to do, it’s a city desperate to grow with a population too stubborn to let it.
I hope you come back to Montana, I feel you’d have a better time in Bozeman/western Montana. There’s more to do, the people tend to be kinder, it’s more inclusive (Bozeman in particular), and it’s gorgeous. Just stay away from great falls lol.
I spent more of my life in Billings than not and you said it well.
HOWDY FROM BILLINGS MONTANA!!!!
As a native Montana and born and raised in Billings, while I appreciate some of your video I think you're perspective is a little limited. There are actually historical sites here that celebrate the Browns and their contributions - the Heritage Center could have helped you with that. The prostitution was not just south of the tracks and also a very interesting history. There are lots of opportunities to learn the broad history of my hometown. Sad you missed all the great food offerings where you were walking in the historical part of town. Come again 🙃
What a great channel to stumble across. Thank you! And I love your green book approach.
While not black I am Asian and my son is autistic and if you guys are more comfortable it also speaks to how comfortable any minority might feel.
Thanks a lot for watching! And we love that you find value in our channel. We totally agree that our reason for doing our show resonates with other communities. Thanks for watching!
This TWB drop was amazing! I hope that y'all make it out to Yellowstone and its neighbor, Grand Teton National Park. Wamego, the city with the OZ museum has an OZ festival in October. I stopped through back in April and saw a flyer. it is supposed to be the biggest in the US lol I would suggest checking out the free museum underneath the Arch in St. Louis for a whole lot of perspective about how blacks were treated under Spanish and French monarchy rules! It was so illuminating because overnight people lost their rights as soon as the land was sold to the US. thank you for y'alls content! It was fun to join along!
Thanks a lot @daren5510! And we gotta say that we are more surprised that you’ve been to Wamego, KS than there being an OZ Festival 😂. But you’re right the Grand Teton or Yellowstone would be amazing. We need to do a video on the whole city of STL! We use to go to that museum under the arch to the a lot throughout the years growing up in the area, would love to see how it is since it’s been updated. The underground museum was the only thing both of us did even before we met because neither of us trusted the elevator car to the top 😂. Thanks for watching and supporting!
@@TravelingWhileBlack1 Saw the OZ Museum sign for the last three years on 70-East finally just had to check out Wamego, KS haha!
if you go in the late spring before June you can capture the red calfs (the baby bison) in their full landscape glory. the arch has become a national park recently, I would totally watch yalls video on STL! Happy to support!
I dont even go to billings and i live in montana.
😂
Regarding Sheridan Wyoming: there were huge coal seams in the area. The seams caught fire in the 50s (?) and were still burning alongside the highway in the 70s when I would visit as a young child. Not sure, but I think the Black Diamond you mentioned may refer to coal.
Wow thanks for that insight! And thanks for watching!
Love your video.
Like yourself, I live in the Seattle area (actually
in Kingston). Ok…
gotta say it. Kitsap is beautiful with minimal
African American presence. Seattle, also, doesn’t seem overwhelmingly Black.
That being said, I adore the ‘island’ lifestyle.
But, the focus here is Montana.
I’ve worked in both Missoula and Great Falls.
To me, both places possess breathtaking opportunities for hiking, exercising, and positive
living. Overall people are friendly and likable.
At times, weird stuff was experienced.
Walking by a passerby, one casually mentioned
“it’s just like Blacks can’t swim.”
The remark was intended to be derogatory as I was definitely within earshot. The person voicing the comment was likely younger than twenty-five. This was a rare instance. Otherwise, Missoula welcomed me.
Great Falls has more of a Black element due to its military presence. Still, Black population seems quite minimal.
Both cities are safe, comfortable, and are prepared with a few ‘stares.’ (Leave that to your own interpretation.)
I LOVE Montana, her beauty and rich western heritage is incomparable. Just don’t expect to find many chicken n waffle joints.
Peace.
Right on! Thanks for that insight. Those are definitely the two spots we are going to hit on our return trip to Montana. Thanks for watching!
Should of gone to Missoula or Bozeman, as a white guy I can't say for the black comfort scale but there is at least more to do in both places
I'm in Denver right now. Where are some black clubs, bars, or areas
As a Billings resident, this town kind of sucks. Underfunded infrastructure and everything dependent on the car. It is not devoid of culture, thankfully. It is not very picturesque because of lack of zoning requirements.
I have travelled throughout Montana on several occasions for work and actually found the local people to be very friendly and helpful. I hiked the "M" in Missoula, an activity that locals suggested. In fact, when I was travelling through there, I learned that the Mayor of Helena Montana was a black man. I was pleasantly by that fact. That said, I think what you felt wasn't necessarily related to being black. It had more to do with the way they are towards everyone that they consider an outsider. I personally gave Montana a higher than average score for comfortability after my adventures. Keep travelling.
Right on! Thanks a lot for your perspective. We want to check out Missoula on our next visit to the state. Thanks for watching!
I lived in Butte Montana I am black I liked it
Oooh Billings… should visit Bozeman. 😂
The like, one Mexican restaurant in Billings gave me salmonella and served my colleague onions (which she specifically said she was deathly allergic to, to our waitress, multiple times before and after ordering)..Not authentic at all and just a bad experience for us (we are Native Americans from the south, there on a conference trip, so we were just trying it to compare and … yeah. Taco Bell would’ve been safer) 😂 just a heads up to those thinking maybe they should be adventurous, don’t eat Mexican food from the north unless it’s authentic. The people in Billings treated us similarly, but I’ve come to understand that people from the north just… are like that. They’re just kind of jerks 😂 can’t wait to move back south tbh, I’ll deal with the weather if I can have my friendly folks back
I can only imagine how much interesting the Rockies would be if Indigenous Americans had been left alone and allowed to manage and cultivate their land. Montana has a lot of history that has been whitewashed and is somber. No surprise there isn't much going on in Billings
💯 to all of what you said! Thanks for watching!
Helena is friendlier, you should scope out that place.
I live in North Central Montana. You should have gone to Missoula. Billings is meh.
Yes that’s what we’re learning 😂
I love people who visit other cultures and are upset they don’t live the same way. America is a melting pot from the world. It’s a mash of cultures. Those cultures spread across the country collecting in some areas but not in others. What’s the point of traveling if you want everything to fit into your understanding of cultural practices.
Seems like y’all came to Montana looking for anywhere other then Montana 😂
If you make it this way again, consider Red Lodge for a day trip out of Billings - it's about 90 miles SW, and is the start of the Beartooth Mountain highway. Billings will often have street fairs downtown on the weekends, especially in the summer. I agree, though, our restaurant scene could be better.
Right on! That sounds dope we might have to check that out on our next visit. Thanks for watching!
Go to south america! And show black culture there and how it influeneced the tribes there and study things like black brazilians and show what life is like for black people. That will grow you to over 100k trust me!
@seanivery yes there are a quite a few South American countries on our list to explore. We’ve done Central America so far and it was crazy dope. We wanted to move to Belize after our visit. And Ecuador was the one of the most amazing experience of our lives (Quito, Mashpi Rainforest, and Galapagos Islands). We have episodes on all of those experiences mos def check them out.
@@TravelingWhileBlack1 oh OK I didn't know. Or go to Spain and Italy even or even Asian countries. I see you guys went fromb10.8 to 11.1 with the last video so you're starting to get traction congrats 👏
If you come to Montana to be separated into a special feeling group, 🤷that not going to happen. Montana loves everyone regardless!! Please try not to segregate yourself. Crime is high in Billings due to no space in jails and they refuse to build another one. Godspeed
I wouldn't recommend visiting Billings full of rude discoutious people are car was keyd .2 tires were slashed. Maybe before all the pilgrims moved in it was a town worth visiting 😢
Quit playing the victim card!
This is great!! I grew up there and have watched it grow but there is not a ton of diversity. I still do like it though. Good job braving it 😉
Right on! Thanks for watching!
Two days it’s not long enough to experience Montana. I’ve lived in Billings for eight years we retired here from California.It’s a beautiful state. Part of the population does not like Californians, because they want to keep their open land for camping and hunting and fishing. The price of homes have doubled since Covid. Come back for more than two days and really enjoy it Montana you can’t even get through Yellowstone in two days.
Funny enough, I'm from Billings and I saw you filming your intro while driving by. The racism here is usually targetting native people. I have literally heard someone explain how great their brother in law is, the brother in law is black, then in the next breath say the most racist things about native peoples.
Most Montanans agree that Billings is the ugliest town in Montana. The town was notoriously boring when I was young. I can say Montanans are stand offish. We have a saying that you shouldn't befriend a new comer until they have made three winters, because then they are staying. Rent and housing prices have increased a lot, particularly in the prettier spots. Montanans are going homeless in areas that they are native to, or had lived in their whole life. McMansions are a reai problem.
Growing up here, everyone agrees that Custer got what was coming to him. Not many people realise how crooked and brutal he was. Honestly, how brutal the government was.
Thank you for coming. The hats are cute, but that's why driving by I knew you were newcomers.
Wow thanks a lot for that insight. Both the positive and the negatives. We are picking up from the comments from Montanans on here that Billings wasn’t the best city to pick for our journey . Still we’re thankful that we got to experience at least once (even if it’s for the last time lol). Also as you probably could tell from the episode I (Anthony) shared the same thoughts about Custer growing up 😂. Thanks again for the local insight and watching!
I stay in Billings, as a black man it’s straight Fr, most people really never been around black people so it’ll be more of a culture shock for them than you. If you want a quiet place to stay that won’t kill your pockets Billings is ok. Great job by you two, thank you for this content.
But note there is nothing to do here.
Right on! Thanks for that insight. And you are right the affordability of the area isn’t a bad at all (especially compared to where we are based in Seattle). Thanks for watching!
What are u talking about. Iv seen plenty of black people in billings. I live on south side and plenty live around me. When I lived o north side same thing.
@@Nightreaper86 compared to what and where?!
@@coachbwil45exactly
I'm a black man here with my wife we have been here for 10 years now Billings is slow easy living compared to inner city descent jobs it can get boring but hey it's a solid place to live
You should of ditched the stupid hats. Most people in Montana don't wear cowboy hats...that's callled a stereotype.
OK😆 No one is allowed to wear cowboys hats when visiting Montana... "ihavetheanswers" said so. Thank you for dictating what others should wear. You're awesome!
🤣🤣🤣
@@TravelingWhileBlack1thank you for buying cowboy hats in my town. We like money too. There is a lot of nuance to a hat. I like seeing a hat that says, "I just got here and I am excited." I think they are as pretty as a "going to town" hat. (Not the fanciest hat, but a good one.)