We drove to the Sweet Palace in Philipsburg, MT. 

This huge candy store contains about 900 types of candy.  Much of the caramels, chocolates and taffies that line the walls in barrels and buckets are made right there in the store.  There is also an impressive selection of candy from foreign countries.  We bought some licorice pipes from Holland and some (horrible) menthol-eucalyptus candy from jolly-old England, though I have to wonder why they are so jolly if they’re eating menthol-eucalyptus candy.  Perhaps there is a secret ingredient I am not privy to.

We were greeted by a taffy-maker when we entered the Sweet Palace.  He offered my son a piece of taffy, which was great.  Then my son was convinced that he was allowed to sample all of the candy, and he immediately went for the baskets of taffy on the shelves to “sample those, too.  After I took several minutes to explain why the first piece was free, but the rest we had to pay for, we went shopping.  My son had a great time picking the shiniest wrappers and the biggest lollipops and tossing them in the bag.  The price for all the candy was 7.99/lb no matter what you pick. 

$35 later, we left the store with a whole lot of sugary goodness.  And to think I didn’t even pick out any Jelly-Belly candies.  I love those things.  The Sweet Palace has a mind-boggling selection of Jelly-Belly too, they even had Garlic flavor! 

After we forked out the ridiculous amount of money for candy, we went across the street to the Doe Brother’s soda fountain for lunch. 

The weather was terrible and cold and rainy, otherwise we would have spent a lot more time in Philipsburg.  There is a lot to do.  Next time I want to take the family to Gem Mountain to hunt for sapphires, something I haven’t done since I was a kid. 

If you’re looking for a fun Montana road trip, I recommend Philipsburg.  Combine your stop with a drive on the Pintler Scenic Route for a full day of fun.