Red Lodge, Montana
Although everyone was raving about Montana Candy Emporium in Red Lodge but I wasn’t drawn to it.
I am just not into sweets and with a bacon habit that can be taxing on the waistline I stay away from unnecessary treats.
With only ten minutes before moving onto a new town I popped in to see what all the fuss was about and realized that what I thought was a tiny retro candy shop really was a gigantic sugar emporium.
Oddly enough there are only a few kids who seem relatively well behaved; however, there are hoards of adults shrieking over finding their lost but long loved childhood candy.
Beyond the kitschy candy, the emporium also has far more taffy than anyone could fathom and home-made chocolate.
While the people in front of me purchased $42 worth of candy I had restraint and tried three:
– Maple bacon, while I was suspicious since my last maple bacon disappointment at Voodoo it was actually quite good.
– Walnettos which are the best seller and hard to source. It was okay but nothing special.
– Huckleberry just because I was in Montana the home of huckleberry.
The women at the cash were surprised that I only purchased three for a whopping 35 cents. I left a satisfied shopper but I’m happy that I’m leaving this one horse town because its a dangerous place to stay in.
I would of spent my total daily spending limit here. My sugar tooth is rough on the budget. But good thing because that store looks INCREDIBLE!
It would have been hard for me to walk away without one of each!
Oh lawks. I would be in heaven. I absolutely love such places, interesting things arranged in buckets/bins. If it’s the kind of place that provides a home for childhood fave candies, as opposed to faux-historical stuff that’s faked for tourists (infuriates me when I see that going on) – well, that shop could very well be perfect.
Also, I’m a big believer in exploring a new place via its snackfoods. Jannis peanut & seasame seed bars in Greece, for example. If I ever visited their factory I would probably eat myself dead in minutes.
This is definitely my next stop next time I’m in Montana! I’ll try not to spend more than… U$10, I promise! 😉
you were VERY good, to spend only 35ç.
Enjoy the rest of the trip!
I wish I had your self restraint – I tried quitting sugar for about 4 months, and it just made my sweet tooth stronger when I had that first forbidden taste after months of going without. Sigh. I resigned myself to the fact that I’m an addict.
That place looks good, but I am a chocolate girl myself, so MAYBE I’d have been able to restrain myself, at least with the taffy.
The creepy sign out front is definitely something that would lure me in… mmm fill me with sweet sugary goodness!
Oooh I can feel my fillings dislodging as we speak! Your candy (or lollies as we call them here) sound very different to our AUstralian equivalents. Maple bacon candy? mmmm
I’m not a big candy person, but if that had been a bakery I would have spent $100. 😉
I would have been the person spending $40 on candy. Looks so good.
Wow, if you got three pieces for 35 cents, I can’t imagine how much the people in front of you got! You don’t have to twist my arm too much to get me inside of a giant sugar emporium. Good find, Ayngelina!
Maple bacon candy sounds interesting. I LOVE places like this. So old school I’d be one of the adults shrieking with glee too. A wonka factory of childhood delights. YUM! I’m surprised you didn’t buy more. $40 sounds reasonable.. 😉
*Dying* I think you walked into my heaven.
Wow! Deep-fried Oreo cookies?! This is unbelievable – I’m always surprised by what passes for food in the US!
We have a place like this in Austin – a good ol’ fashioned candy store. NOMNOMNOM
I’m not a big fan of sweets but I would give it a try…
Montana has some fantastic candy stores. One of my best memories from our road trip in Montana was an impromptu stop at the Sweet Palace in Philipsburg.
I love all the retro packaging!
Yeah… I would have been the person spending forty bucks. I have the world’s worst sweet tooth. Looks like such a cute shop!
I am fortunate that I don’t really care for sweets, but I do have a massive alcohol tooth which is just as bad.
You gotta do the Huckleberry.
I think it is hilarious that the kids were well behaved but the adults were being unruly!
Sometimes adults get very weird, especially around retro things.
We just read that Wisconsin is the home of the morel mushroom, I’d much prefer to be somewhere with the home of the huckleberry 🙂
You just have to one-up me don’t you!
I think you have the upper hand here 🙂 I have no clue what a morel mushroom is.
I have to admit it is the first article I ever read about candy in Montana. Cool pics!
Really? I heard it’s kind of a “thing” here although to be honest I didn’t know about it before either.
Ohhhh I love old-fashioned candy stores!!
It was so cute but I am not sure people need $30 worth of candy.