BILLINGS — There's a new book available in Billings, about Billings, and it's filled with places to see, eat and explore.
Written by a mother-daughter duo, "100 Things to do in Billings Before You Die" is divided into five categories: Food and drink, music and entertainment, sports and recreation, culture and history, and shopping and fashion. There are also activities by season and suggested itineraries at the end of the book.
Gina Tarnacki and her mother, Nancy Icopini, are no strangers to writing about Montana. Tarnacki started the blog Travel Montana Now in 2019. She lives in Seattle, so she enlisted her mother's help with the blog. It's that blog that got the attention of the publishing company for the 100 Things to do Before You Die book series.
“They really like to showcase some of the cities around America, or destinations, that just don’t quite get as much love from maybe like a guidebook perspective,” Tarnacki said. “Billings should be celebrated for being the cool, dynamic city it is.”
Icopini said she was a bit skeptical when her daughter came to her to ask for help writing the book.
"When Gina first contacted me, my first reaction was, are there 100 things to do in Billings?” Icopini said. “It didn’t take very long before we realized, first of all, that there were way more than 100 things."
The duo extended the 100 things to include some places outside of Billings, but that would still only be a day trip to visit. For example, Red Lodge and Reed Point are in the book.
Both Icopini and Tarnacki said this book would be great for someone who lives in town or someone who frequently travels to the area.
“It's not a typical tourist book, it’s more the unique things that make Billings, Billings,” Icopini said. “We think this book is one that you would pick up, flip open a page and say lets go here and do this.”
The book is available at many local retail gift shops, as well as Barnes & Noble. It can also be purchased online on Amazon or for $18 on the publisher's website.
Icopini and Tarnacki visited Montana This Morning on Monday to discuss their new book. Watch the interview below:
