Out of Office: Every Outfit, Shoe, and Accessory You Need to Go Leaf Peeping

Where to Stay in Montana

Larch House

If you find yourself in Whitefish, then you'll want to book a stay at Larch House for your visit. This luxury boutique hotel has a variety of standard guest rooms and suites that have farmhouse-style decor and modern amenities. The property is spread across 10 buildings for a lodge-like feel and is home to a speakeasy and heated rooftop pool with views of beautiful mountains. This is the perfect hotel for a girls-trip, bachelorette party, or romantic getaway in the northern region of Montana.

Grouse Mountain Lodge

Plan on staying in the Whitefish area in the winter? Grouse Mountain Lodge is another property that both skiers and snowboarders will love as it's right near Big Mountain and Glacier National Park. The rooms are cozy, quaint and comfortable giving that more home-like, rustic feel that gravitates people to the country region. At night, you can head to the downtown area that has a plethora of dining and shopping options and then go back to your room to rest up for the next day of adventures.

Paws Up Montana

Paws Up Montana is an all inclusive resort in Greenough, Montana that combines the fun of a ranch with the sophistication of a luxury property. It's great for families who want to explore the great outdoors in a controlled environment as there's over 70 activities to choose from such as horseback riding, fishing, hiking, canoeing and more.

What to do in Montana

National Parks

Glacier National Park

A trip to Montana isn't complete with visiting a national park. Glacier National Park is home to over 700 miles of trails making it the perfect spot for those hikers looking to venture off the beaten path. You'll be able to see melting glaciers (hence the name) as you explore alongside lakes and valleys. If you enjoy backpacking, then you can do that at this national park but you'll need to get a permit in advance. Don't worry if you forget to file a permit because the Glacier Park Lodge is right next door and they have rooms and suites to keep you comfortable.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is the world's first national park — crazy, right? There's so much to do and see at Yellowstone it can be hard to find where to begin. Let's be clear — you probably won't see it all in one trip so that's just another reason to go back! For starters, take a visit to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. It runs for 20 miles and can be seen from various points in the park. It's a great location to take those picturesque photos for your Instagram feed — trust me. If you're a fan of hot springs, then you're in luck because there's no shortage of them here.

Other Activities in Montana

Glacier Raft Co

Rafting in Montana is a popular activity because there's not only so much water, but also beautiful scenery to take in. Glacier Raft Co. has a selection of rafting excursions and guided experiences to choose from whether you're looking to go out on your own or join a group and explore.

World Museum of Mining

Located on an actual mine yard, the museum offers a unique experience to visitors to tour the steel headframe and even go on an underground tour of the Orphan Girl Mine. This is an educational and insightful activity to do if you don't want to be out in nature and instead open up your mind to new facts and information.

Garden of One Thousand Buddhas

This park is home to 1000 hand-cast Buddha statues that are positioned around the central Great Mother figure. Located approximately 25 west of Missoula, this garden is the perfect place to venture off to for a peaceful and spiritual experience unlike any other.

Where to Eat in Montana

Lucca's Fine Italian

If you're craving delicious Italian food, then you'll want to make a reservation at Lucca's Fine Italian. This dinner-only restaurant serves up freshly made from scratch cuisine with everything ranging from pasta to poultry — don't miss out on the fisherman's spaghetti. There's no dress code and they encourage guests to come in whatever they feel most comfortable wearing.

The Montana Club

The Montana Club is touted as one of the best restaurants in Montana with its diverse menu filled with steaks, slow-roasted prime rib, seafood, sandwiches, burgers, pasta and salads. No matter where you are in Montana, you'll likely find a location close by as there are five throughout the state in Billings, Missoula, Butte, Kalispell and Great Falls.

The Marble Table

This family-owned restaurant in Billings, Montana is a hot spot for tourists and locals alike in the area. The menu is described as having an elevated twist on traditional comfort foods with menu items including mac and cheese, fried chicken and pork schnitzel. The family-friendly spot is closed on Sunday and Monday so you'll want to be sure to plan accordingly during your visit.

Princess Polly Cartmel Gingham Check Maxi Dress

This prairie-inspired dress is so sweet. It's got plenty of coverage, though the upper half fitted with a square neckline leans more femme and flirty. The flowy skirt just barely grazes the floor, enhancing the breeziness of the design! Plus, we adore that the gingham is a bit bulkier, as opposed to more micro patterns.

Reformation Kiria Dress

This pick's complete with a totally-smocked bodice that hugs your upper half in the best way possible. It also comes down on your waist a bit further than you'd expect, supplying an elongating drop waist effect (which is super trendy at the mome). The cap sleeve-high neck combo feel undeniably cutesy together – we'd pair this dress with some ballet flats for an easy get-up.

Quince 100% European Linen Scoop Neck Midi Dress

This dress' silhouette is fairly simple, meaning you can style it in endless ways for spring and summer. No matter what you wear it with, it's especially nice on the waistline, thanks to the subtle pleating and stretchy, smocked back panel.

Kimchi Blue Renee Smocked Maxi Dress

To amp up the feminine vibes even further, this maxi dress is dotted in illustrations of bows and lil' fruits that recall the spring season perfectly! The straps in the back make a criss-cross shape that's both pretty and practical for holding you in.

Abercrombie & Fitch Emerson Poplin Puff Sleeve Midi Dress

Abercrombie & Fitch simply kills it in the dress department every time. Case in point is this drop-dead gorgeous red gingham number that's elevated by some puff sleeves and a stylish tiered skirt. All the details found throughout this piece make it feel so whimsical and wonderfully comfy for spring outings.

Reformation Elvira Dress

Bubble hem? Check. Open back? Check. This Reformation dress has it all, especially if you're all about taking on the latest fashion trends. It even has a subtle drop waist for an undeniable princess feel.

City Chic Valley Check Maxi Dress

The sleeves on this adorable green number come with ties for a unique detail you can't often find in other gingham maxi dresses.

Dôen Emmaretta Gingham Pleated Voile Maxi Dress

With a milkmaid neckline, this maxi is downright dreamy. It's also tastefully embellished with some ruffles and bows up front, adding to the vibe even more. We'd rock this cutie with some white Mary Jane flats or even brown cowgirl boots to pair up with the sheer timelessness of gingham.

Abercrombie & Fitch Mila Stretch Midi Dress

The vertical seaming on this A&F dress give it a flattering quality, smoothing and shaping your waist to a tee. What's more is the cotton-blend fabric it's cut from is infused with a good amount of stretch to ensure it's comfy all day long!

1. Cloud Macchiato

Launched in collaboration with Ariana Grande back in 2019, the Starbucks Cloud Macchiato featured a fluffy, meringue-like foam topping made by blending nonfat milk, vanilla syrup, and a “cloud powder.” It was available to order in two familiar flavors: caramel and cinnamon.

Several Starbucks baristas noted that they simply did not care for making it, especially because the included cloud powder contained egg. This frustrated many plant-based customers, as the drink couldn’t possibly be made fully vegan.

“Was more annoying to make than anything,” one barista commented on Reddit. “Also they didn’t [really] advertise that it contained egg.”

“Tasted foul, irritating to make, having to explain that it cannot be made vegan (thanks Ariana…), and if it was mobile ordered you were almost guaranteed to receive a deflated cup of disappointment and regret,” another user said.

2. Spicy Refreshers

I got to get a first taste of Starbucks’ Spicy Refreshers when they dropped during the summer of 2024. Admittedly, I didn't think they’d be that good, especially because at the time, it seemed like the chain was grasping at straws to retain their fan base. At the same time the spice-infused Refreshers launched, Starbucks also debuted their (short-lived) boba, and it was just wild. There was also a Spicy Cream Cold Foam included in the launch.

Out of the three Refresher flavors available (dragonfruit, strawberry, and pineapple), the pineapple one tasted the best. The trio turned out to be pretty hit or miss, and lots of fans and baristas agreed.

“Those spicy drinks feel like a fever dream,” one person wrote on Reddit. “Genuinely forgot we had those and forgot how horrible they were.”

Funnily enough, many more people weighed in and said the now-discontinued drinks were only tasty with a shot of tequila included. Fair enough!

3. Oleato (Olive Oil) Drinks

Introduced in January of 2024, Starbucks’ first-of-its-kind Oleato beverages were crafted using extra virgin olive oil. The chain promised a “luxurious and next-level” flavor, but these drinks ended up totally bombing. Many customers and baristas reportednot being able to drink them whatsoever, or simply feeling sick if they did sip ‘em down.

"The barista refunded me after she saw me spit it back into the cup," this Redditor said.

"At my location, NOBODY likes the olive oil," another person noted. "Not even us baristas, it’s disgusting honestly."

4. Unicorn Frappuccino

Oh, lord. This discontinued Starbucks drink from 2017 truly needs to be studied. Available for a limited time, the Unicorn Frappuccino went viral for its “flavor-shifting, color-changing" qualities. It was crafted with an insane lineup of ice, milk, pink powder, sour blue powder, crème syrup, mango syrup, and sour blue drizzle – this massive load of sugar concerned plenty of people, too.

A former partner on Reddit verified that the reception of the so-called "famed" Unicorn Frappuccino wasn't all that it was cracked up to be:

"I think the worst part for me was, although it looked cool/pretty, it tasted absolutely horrible," they wrote. "If I recall correctly, it was the thick mango syrup, white chocolate, and some sour blue drizzle. I would say at least half of the customers who actually managed to get one from my store would return them half-full saying it was ‘disgusting’. And honestly, I agreed."

“If you were working in 2014-15, you get 'Nam flashbacks when anyone mentions unicorns or mermaids," another barista commented.

5. Toasted Vanilla Syrup

Discontinued at the end of 2023 for being generally unpopular, Starbucks' Toasted Vanilla syrup wasn’t quite well-received by baristas.

“That toasted vanilla smelled like every middle school mean girl ever, and it tastes like butt,” one person commented.

“Can’t believe I completely blocked the toasted vanilla out of my memory,” another said. “Sh-t was so nasty.”

6. Kiwi Starfruit Refresher

Crafted with green coffee extract, ice, and kiwi pieces, the long-gone Starbucks Kiwi Starfruit Refresher hit menus in 2020, but sadly fell off in favor of other Refresher flavors like pineapple and blackberry. Several Starbucks baristas were happy to see it go since it tasted so bad.

“I remember making it when I was training and thinking, ‘this shit smells like battery acid.,’” someone commented.