(car vrooming) - [John] Coming up on this episode of "Backroads of Montana."

- [Staff] Good afternoon, Sugar Shack.

- [John] We join a big crowd at a little diner, that has a moving history.

- [Customer] It's a 1950s diner in the middle of nowhere.

I mean, how often do you see that?

(water flowing) - [John] We'll swing and sway on a bridge that gives a breathtaking view of a beautiful Northwest Montana river.

When you have a growing collection like this, in Northern Montana, what else do you need?

- We had to get a bigger house.

(Dan chuckles) - Excavating- - [John] And in Southeastern Montana, we'll follow folks digging in the dirt, that's filled with prehistoric treasures.

- [Nathan] Every rock has a fun little story.

- [Participants] Shindig!

- [John] This episode has so many good stories, it will make your head spin.

- [Announcer] "Backroads of Montana" is made possible with production support from the Greater Montana Foundation, encouraging communication on issues, trends and values of importance to Montanans.

The Big Sky Film Grant and the University of Montana.

♪ Home is where Montana is ♪ ♪ Montana is my home ♪ ♪ From mountain, beach to prairie lands ♪ ♪ The places I have known ♪ ♪ And I'm bound to ramble ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm bound to roam ♪ ♪ And when I'm in off the road, now, boys, ♪ ♪ Montana is my home ♪ - Welcome to "Backroads of Montana."

I'm John Twiggs.

We are excited to continue our tradition of more than 30 years of telling stories of interesting people and places across our state.

Today, we get a chance to experience a good old fashioned county fair.

(upbeat country music) We're at the Madison County Fair in beautiful Twin Bridges.

The historic fairgrounds sit by the Beaverhead River.

During the show, we'll sample much of what the fair has to offer, from some of their blue ribbon talent, to the skilled FFA and 4-Hers.

Exciting rodeo action, plus some different fun and games.

And of course, we'll need to taste test the fair food.

Food is a fun part of any "Backroads" trip.

It's a great chance to eat local.

In our first story, we found an amazing little diner up on the Hi-Line.

It has an incredible history, that proves it's more than just the food that makes it unique.

(car vrooming) (burgers sizzling) (upbeat rockabilly music) - [Kimberly] You walk in, you're strangers- - [Staff] Good afternoon, Sugar Shack.

- And you leave friends.

Thank you two, very much.

And it was nice meeting you both.

(upbeat rockabilly music continues) - [Customer] I love the 50s theme.

(milkshake maker whirs) - [Customer] It's going back in time.

It's back to a better time.

- It's just nice to come here.

It gives me fond memories.

- [John] Just what is it about this tiny diner?

They come from near- - [Customer] We're 21 miles out.

- [John] And far.

- I'm from Florida.

- [John] To the Sugar Shack.

- [Staff] All right, you guys.

- [John] A tight-knit hardworking crew- - 2003.

- [John] Run by owner Kimberly Seidlitz- - Are you guys eating these here?

- [John] Keeps customers of all ages happy.

(Staff laughs) - [John] With only 10 stools, it fills quickly.

The top spot?

Stool number one, closest to chat with the cook.

- So I wish you guys were closer to us, I'd be like calling on you.

(customer laughs) - [John] Kimberly knows it's more than just the locally sourced beef for the burgers, or the hard ice cream that Kevin the dog loves.

This place has something more.

People are squeezing into a little piece of history, an authentic Valentine diner.

Named after businessman Arthur Valentine, his Kansas-based company seized on a new trend.

After World War II, Americans were driving more, and looking for roadside diners.

The company produced a variety of options, including this 10-stool model, that only needed one or two people to run it.

As the 1950s started, this building landed in Montana, and began a fascinating journey.

(bluesy piano music) According to the previous owners, it started in Chinook as the Diesel Diner.

Hardworking waitresses like Lucille Thompson served hungry customers.

(bell dinging) But by 1958, it was sold, and they moved the whole building more than 100 miles to Conrad, where it became the Trail Cafe.

The town actually had two of these diners until 1969, when Betty Nerstheimer took over one and started Betty's diner.

- I think she just loved it, you know?

I think it just became such a part of her.

- [John] Daughter Nancy pitched in, and one of her first chores was to hand write the menus and tape them to the wall, so customers knew that dinner steak was $4.

Betty ran it for almost 20 years, building a loyal clientele that came in for more than just food.

- Visit, you know, talk about their day, talk about their families.

And, she was amazing and cared so deeply about the people that came in.

- [John] Betty retired.

And by the mid 90s, the diner was for sale again.

That's when Maxine Woods entered the picture.

She grew up in Conrad.

Her folks ran the old A&W, and she knew all about Betty's Diner.

- It was a mini version of what my mom and dad had.

I just felt like, "Wow, I gotta have this place."

(birds tweeting) - [John] But Maxine and her husband, Pete, lived in Chester.

So the little diner hit the road again.

(upbeat country music) It returned to the Hi-Line for its third stop.

The only thing they changed was the name, to the Sugar Shack.

- We wanted it to stay original, because everything in there was original.

Once you take that away, it's gone.

- [John] She ran it for almost a decade, and kept that authenticity.

When it came time to sell, they were picky, wanting the next owners to keep it original.

It sat quietly on Chester's main drag until 2018, when Kimberly Seidlitz told her husband Rory, she had an idea.

- I thought she was crazy.

She said, "Buy a restaurant, she says, "It'll be fun," she says.

"Yeah, okay."

(engine whirring) - [John] Rory and the family were busy running their 11,000-acre farm nearby.

But Kimberly wanted a different challenge, and they decided to take on a side business.

They could have kept it in Chester.

Instead, it was another road trip for the diner.

(upbeat music) Friends and family helped hoist it off the foundation (Kimberly gasps) load it on the flatbed, roll it 21 miles down Highway 2, and then gently place it in its new home.

- [Kimberly] Oh gosh.

- [John] From a small town, to the really small town of Rudyard.

- It's gorgeous.

We get to see the fields changing, and, I mean, it's beautiful.

I can't tell you why exactly, but this is the only place that I pictured it.

(upbeat rockabilly music) - It's been super important to us, you know?

They say a rising tide lifts all boats, and that's what this has been.

It's been a rising tide for our little community.

- [John] Kimberly and Rory have kept their promise.

The place remains authentic.

From the durable stainless steel, to the stools.

Even the counter with wear spots showing the place that satisfied customers leaned into a juicy burger.

And of course, the solid brass lockbox by the door, where aspiring owners used to put their daily payments towards the diner.

- The feel of it, and it just carries the nostalgia of the '50s and '60s everywhere it goes.

You can all sign the guest book and pass it down, please.

- [Customer] Okay.

- [Kimberly] Thank you.

(gentle guitar music) - [John] More than 70 years in Montana and four towns later, the diner keeps connecting.

It's still a shared experience.

And no matter the time, or the place, it continues bringing people together.

- So fortunate to be able to work with my mother all those years.

And, that was probably the best part of my growing up.

- Hi!

(Kimberly laughs) You know.

I mean, you saw how many loved ones, you know, came.

They knew it was a big, it's gonna get me all (Kimberly laughs) work, but, they knew how important it was to me.

How are you?

- We're good.

Thank you.

I have food on, I just had to come and say hi.

(friend laughs) (gentle guitar music continues) There's something about that diner.

It touches you.

It is magical.

I truly, truly believe it's magical.

(crowd chattering) - To experience some of that magic, it'll have to be a summertime treat.

Kimberly and the Sugar Shack only operate seasonally.

They're open roughly from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

(upbeat country music) We're continuing our fun at the Madison County Fair in Twin Bridges.

There are games for all ages, from the stick horse races (participants clapping) to an old fashioned greased pig contest.

(kids screaming) - I'm gonna get him!

- There he goes!

- [Announcer] There you go, Queen Run- - [John] Two things should be guaranteed at a county fair, a good rodeo and a little crazy weather.

The Northern Rodeo Association puts on a two-night event, with some of the top talent on the circuit.

(audience applauding) And it wouldn't be fair week without a thunderstorm rolling through.

Of course, the crowd didn't have to hang on very long, because a short time later, the weather changed again.

We'll need to hold on tight for our next story.

Travelers have a chance to see one of our state's wild and scenic rivers.

In Northwest Montana, not far from Highway 2, there's a spectacular view and another adventure, traversing a unique bridge.

After parking near the highway, you start on a short hike.

(water flowing) Soon you have a decision to make, the swinging bridge or Kootenai Falls.

We take the mile-long walk down to the bridge first.

(gentle music) It's quite a structure.

The Civilian Conservation Corps built the first bridge across the Kootenai River in the 1930s, to help with firefighting.

(gentle guitar music) It's been flooded out, reconstructed, and rehabilitated numerous times since.

Today, huge towers anchor giant cables that stretch across the river.

(gentle guitar music continues) (hikers chattering) (water flowing) The span measures more than 200 feet.

And true to its name, the bridge does in fact, swing, just from regular foot traffic, and sometimes with the help of some more adventurous young visitors.

The motion can take you a bit by surprise.

- Okay, I'm going first.

- A little further along.

- Should we go up?

- I'm going up this one.

- Daddy, can I go?

- I love it.

(hiker laughs) - [John] A walk across the bridge allows you to explore the far side of the river, but a stop on the bridge gives you a terrific vantage point to take in the lower section of the Kootenai Falls.

(water flowing) (gentle guitar music) For an even better look at the falls, take the second trail.

At river level, you can appreciate the power and magnificence of this wild section of the Kootenai River.

(water rushing) (gentle guitar music) The swinging bridge and Kootenai Falls give you a refreshing pit stop, or a spectacular day trip, to watch for wildlife and birds, or relax along the river.

(water rushing) More than 500 people a day visit the swinging bridge and falls.

They are open year round, but as you would expect, the busiest times are when the snow is gone.

(upbeat country music) There's lots of talent on display here at the Madison County Fair in Twin Bridges.

The hardworking FFA and 4-Hers are good examples.

These young men and women show the discipline and long hours needed to complete their projects.

Dozens of them will even camp on the grounds during the week of the fair.

- [Auctioneer] 50, hey, 50 now, nine.

Get nine, rock.

- [John] Another example is their market animal sale.

This event regularly generates more than $500,000 in sales, a staggering number for a small fair, and a tribute to local supporters.

- In my growing up years, I did 4-H here as a kid.

My kids have done 4-H here.

A lot of these kids that are showing, their grandparents, their great-grandparents showed here.

Generation after generation show here.

- [John] Other 4-H projects showcase a wide collection of award-winning talent.

We've had plenty of collections on "Backroads" through the years, but this next one just might be the most illuminating.

We head to the Northern part of Blaine County, for a display that's years in the making.

- Nobody will help me clean 'em just because nobody wants to handle them.

- [John] It's one thing to clean your china, Connie Liese has learned the proper way to lather lamps.

- [Connie] Wash those.

- [John] It takes a splash of soapy water, a shot of brake cleaner (aerosol sputtering) and loads of paper towels.

- [Connie] I buy 'em by the case.

(playful music) - [John] But most of all, the process takes patience.

These pieces weren't exactly designed with cleaning in mind.

- Well, that was not smart.

Way back when, I don't think that they took the time to clean that all this like this.

You know?

- [John] Even today, we can't imagine anyone dedicates as much time to the process as Connie.

Because Connie has a lot of lamps.

- [Connie] It just spiraled, I guess.

(playful music) - [John] In fact, she's collected enough to give five to every resident in Turner.

She counted them.

- I lost track at 500.

- [John] Some might call it excess lighting, but to Connie, each lamp is a treasure beyond measure.

- This is Montana clay.

- [John] And even if you think you've spotted doubles, don't you dare call them duplicates.

- There's never any that are exactly the same.

(playful music) And so that keeps it a little more interesting.

- [John] Her husband, Dan, is a not-so-innocent bystander.

- She cleans 'em all and knows where they're all at.

I wouldn't have a clue where any of 'em are.

And she'll say, "Well, you got me this one."

And I say, "Oh, okay, I did?"

(Dan chuckles) - And this is the one that, kinda started the whole thing.

- [John] Before they were married, Dan's mother gave Connie a lamp as a Christmas gift.

- And then after I got married, you know, I just found another one that I liked, and another one and then another one.

- Then they, it was like they bred or something.

They just multiplied.

There was more all the time.

- But as far as thinking, right then, you know, "I'm gonna have this as a collection," that thought never crossed my mind.

But I have 'em now.

(Connie chuckles) - [John] Some are new- - Most of those are modern-day ones.

- [John] But, most are old.

- 1877.

To think about the lighting that they had back then, compared to the lighting that we are spoiled with today.

It's quite a comparison.

- [John] Turns out Turner is the perfect place to look for old lamps.

When homesteaders settled in this part of Montana in the early 1900s, they lugged their lighting with them.

And years later, they left it behind, to become part of the landscape, until the Lieses came along.

- I found a railroad lantern in a rock pile, and there's not a railroad out here, you know.

(Connie laughs) - [John] She even has a couple lamps within lanterns.

- I don't know what you'd classify those as.

- [John] Connie's collection isn't for lighting, it's for looking.

Positioned at eye level, and low level, the glass gleams across 50 shelves.

- We had to get a bigger house.

(Dan chuckles) - [John] Make no mistake, Dan has his own collections, too.

- Oh, I collect some guns and cars and pickups.

Bigger things.

If you collect stuff, you never have enough.

- The lamp will actually rock.

- [John] Connie likes to keep her finds in ship-shape condition.

- [Connie] It cleans all that out.

- [John] So after years, and years of cleaning this collection, she's learned there's no shortcuts.

- [Connie] It's time consuming.

- [John] But she gets a certain satisfaction with each one.

- Oh, that one shined up nice.

- [John] Only 499 to go.

- If that's what I wanna collect, that's what I have to do.

- Connie's collection continues to grow.

In fact, Dan recently brought home a pair of new lamps from an auction sale.

(gentle music) The Madison County Fair in Twin Bridges is rich with history.

This county fair is one of the oldest in the state, dating back to 1889.

The fair grounds are dotted with buildings now on the National Register of Historic Places.

The square building was constructed in 1894, and is the fairground's only remaining original building.

Most of the structures, like this beautiful octagonal pavilion, were built during the Great Depression.

The works project provided much needed jobs for local residents, and what turned out to be lasting structures for the fairgrounds.

It remains a great gathering place for the community.

- Everybody that's in the community, this is where they go, fair week.

'Cause they've gotta be down here, and it's always marked off on the calendar and is a very huge event.

Not only for Twin Bridges, but also for Madison County.

- We've got a deeper, distant history for our final story.

Montana is home to some of the best fossil hunting on earth.

We traveled down to the Southeastern part of the state and found a festive way to celebrate, at one of the biggest dinosaur parties around.

- Anytime you pick something up, think, now, do I wanna make Nate do a lot of paperwork for this?

(participants laugh) - [John] This is Nathan Carroll.

You might say he's in his element, out in the hills near Ekalaka, teaching this curious group of fossil newbies how to look at a dirt patch and see the stories of a prehistoric world.

- This bone that hasn't weathered out.

Looks totally different than the bone I showed you around the other side of the corner.

- [John] These fossil-rich piles of dirt are part of what's known as the Hell Creek Formation, which 66 million years ago, was covered by a giant river system.

- So these big river systems smash up tiny things pretty well.

They bury big things super well, too.

It is, really kind of a big mud pile, preserving the last of the dinosaurs.

But this is also why it's a good idea not to like, grab a piece of bone and then carry it halfway up the hill and then like, drop it.

- [Participant] Oh.

- And then you're like, "Oh, no.

Where's that?"

There's a lot of mysteries out there still, in the Hell Creek, to be discovered.

I don't know if it's in back of the brain case- - [Participant] Or maybe a partial vertebrae or- - [John] Nathan is the curator of the Carter County Museum, which is hosting this excavation as part of its annual Dino Shindig.

- [Participant] This is so crazy, we're digging a dinosaur bone.

- [John] Anyone with a little curiosity and taste for adventure, can come dig in the dirt, guided by Nathan and experts that come in from around the world.

- You found it?

- Yep.

- Very well done.

- [John] Matteo Fabbri, an Italian researcher at the Museum of Natural History in Chicago, found this site.

- I noticed that there was missing a piece of Italy in this land, so I decided to call it Little Italy, and we will see what this site will give us, in terms of scientific outcome and dinosaur bones and new discoveries.

- [John] Fossil hunting in Carter County is a tradition that stretches as far back as the ranching and farming ones do.

And it's an interest that Nathan shares with his father, Llane Carroll, who chairs the museum board.

It's something he fits into his busy routine.

(door clunks) - So now that he has a son that's a curator, I get a call from him occasionally, that isn't just a, "Hey Nate, I need help with the changing this tractor tire."

And I know it's a call about dinosaur of some sort, because he will say, "Llane Carroll, amateur paleontologist here."

- It's pretty cool to be part of some new discovery stuff.

- [John] As curator, Nathan carries on a community tradition.

- It's that long history of the Geological Society forming that early on, and then also having some really amazing curators through the ages.

Namely, Marshall Lambert.

We're in the Lambert Hall right now.

And Marshall Lambert was here for 50 years.

He was a high school science teacher, he was a principal.

- So he would bring his classes out into the field with him.

And, so they would learn about field work first hand, so that generation of students, they have kids and grandkids that they're bringing to the museum now.

(kids chattering) - [Nathan] What I'm excited about is, using our great fossil resources we have here, to make science a lot more accessible and fun.

- Ready?

Pow!

(participants shouting) - [John] If accessible and fun is the Shindig mission, then count it as a success.

It's a lot more than just the dig, it's an entire weekend of camaraderie, small-town hospitality, cutting-edge research talks, kids activities, star gazing, and of course it wouldn't be a shindig without a little dancing.

- People come in from all over the place for the Dino Shindig, and it started off just kind of grabbing it, all of the paleontologists that were already in the field, dusting them off, feeding them, and letting them share the research that they're doing.

Now the shindig has grown to where we have amazing speakers coming in, mostly just to hang out with other amazing paleontologists in an amazing little town in Eastern Montana.

When I go to the professional conferences, those conferences are fun, but you always kind of hear, "Oh, it's not the Dino Shindig."

- [Participant] Two, three, shindig!

- [Participants] Shindig!

- [John] With all those amazing offerings, it's still out in the field where the past shows itself one discovery at a time.

- Today we're doing a lot of prospecting, seeing what we can find.

Sometimes we miss bones as we're digging and they kind of erode out over time.

- These are dinosaur- - Fossil magnet, yeah.

That's a little ribbed bit.

Most of what we find, we jokingly call chunk of chunkasaurus.

It's just a bit of bone.

Without eyes on the ground, you're not gonna find anything.

- [John] And it's not just dinosaur bones they're looking for.

- We're finding lots of interesting plants today.

We found ginkgos, we find metasequoia, things that are around today, that we can still find, a lot of things that are swamp plants, which is very interesting talking with the crew being like, "Look, look at this great swamp out here, right?"

(Steve laughs) - [John] Remember Matteo's newly named Little Italy site?

Turns out, it did yield an exciting find.

- So we definitely have a partial skull of a dinosaur, and hopefully this will be a great addition to the local collection, so we are all very excited about it.

- [Steve] Yes, we are.

(everyone laughing) - [John] And what should this first resident of Little Italy be called?

- Hopefully, Galileo.

If not, then we'll accept a suggestion.

- [John] Here is a legacy of curiosity and exploration, that Nathan and company carry on, with a nod to those who've come before them.

- What I really appreciate about what Marshall was doing, was focusing on small, little mysteries, right?

Ones that don't take up too much shelf space, but require a lot of head space to kinda sort out like, what's going on with that?

- I think any opportunity that you can reflect on the past and the world that existed, is an important opportunity to reflect on the kind of world that we wanna leave for future generations, and even after humans are gone.

- Pretty much, every rock tells a story.

It doesn't always tell the story of a dinosaur, but, every rock has a fun little story.

(birds tweeting) - The dig part of the shindig has limited spots and fills up quickly, so you'll want to plan ahead to participate in a uniquely Eastern Montana experience.

Well, we're out of time for this episode.

We want to thank all the great folks at the Madison County Fairgrounds for their hospitality.

Remember, the fair in Twin Bridges is usually the second full week in August if you wanna swing by and take in the fun.

We also want you to remember, we're on the lookout for great story ideas.

If you have one, you can drop us a message on our Facebook page, or you can write us at "Backroads of Montana," University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812.

We've got more great stories to share, and two lanes to travel.

I'm John Twiggs.

And we hope to see you out on the backroads of Montana.

♪ And plenty of fresh air ♪ - [Announcer] "Backroads of Montana" is made possible with production support from the Greater Montana Foundation, encouraging communication on issues, trends and values of importance to Montanans.

♪ Where Montana is ♪ - [Announcer] The Big Sky Film Grant, and the University of Montana.

♪ Prairie lands ♪ ♪ The places I have known ♪ ♪ And I'm bound to ramble ♪ ♪ Yes I'm bound to roam ♪ ♪ And when I'm in off the road now, boys ♪ ♪ Montana is my home ♪ (participants cheering) ♪ Coming in off the road now, boys ♪ ♪ You know I'm heading home ♪ (twinkly music)