One Montana Town Makes The List For Most Unusual In The Nation

The United States is a big country. With all kinds of cities, towns, and villages across the nation, we certainly have our fair share of "unusual".

From weird and wacky road stops across our nation's interstates and highways, to towns with strange and often colorful backstories and or landmarks, it can certainly be a fun adventure to check out.  Whether it's a history lesson or a town with a tainted past, you just never know what or who you might come across.

In fact, one publication decided to put together a group of the most unusual towns in the country, and one Montana town made the list.

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The website A Weekend IN picked a town from each state that was unique or unusual. In case you're wondering what the criteria were to make the list, according to the site they decided to go with the following:

"These places hold stories, traditions, and monuments that are sometimes a little off the beaten path--not many of these places are at the top of vacation bucket lists. But that doesn’t mean they’re not worth a visit! They all contribute, in their own small way, to the long, sometimes bizarre story of the United States."

According to that, there are few Montana towns that could make the cut.  Just off the top of my head, towns like Virginia City, Fort Missoula, or Bannack are certainly worth a mention. Then of course there are places like Helena and Butte with all of their history, however, none of those made the list.

So what Montana town is the most unusual? That distinction would go to the town of Arlee, Montana.

With under a thousand people, Arlee is located in Lake County and certainly has a unique history. Each summer there is a 4th of July Celebration, a Rodeo, and Pow Wow which brings folks from all over the area. However, that's not the only thing that brings visitors to the town.

Arlee is also known for The Garden Of 1000 Buddhas, which might seem a little strange considering that Alree was named after the Salish Chief Arlee. The Garden was created back in 2000 after a Tibetan Master said he saw the area in a prophetic dream. The Garden is maintained by volunteers and is free to visit, although they do take donations for the upkeep.

So how do the two different cultures interact? Actually, quite well.

The Garden is a place for peace and reflection and has been used on several occasions for not only the Salish people to have different events as well as educate others on their history, but other groups as well. Which in the end, isn't that what a Peace Garden should do anyway?