The ADCI or the American Dream Composite Index^TM  powered by dunnhumby is a measure of the level of satisfaction with all the dimensions of the American Dream among people living in the United States. The ADCI represents the first measurement that quantifies the American Dream in its entirety. A comprehensive and robust measure, the ADCI gauges our nation’s well-being as a function of the multifaceted American Dream. The ADCI takes into account all aspects of life in its calculation. The ADCI measures true aspiration of the people living in the United States and is based on a monthly survey of 1,000 people living in the United States. The results of the survey respondents are used to calculate the ADCI, and the five sub-indices (Economic, Well-Being, Societal, Diversity, and Environment).

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Bill Muhlenfeld is owner and publisher of Distinctly Montana magazine and other publications. He lives in Bozeman with his partner, Anthea, and always finds time to enjoy the great outdoors, when he is not writing about it....

Let's face it.  Montana is just one big bucket list all by itself.  After living here for 16 years I am amazed at how many things I have not done, seen or experienced.  Why have I not been to the Hi-line, or seen the Cut Bank penguin?  The Yaak Valley?  Not yet.  Custer's last stand portrayal?  Maybe next year.  Wild Horse Island? Uh-uh. Garden of a Thousand Buddhas?  Pray for me.

Honestly, I'm starting to feel a bit guilty about not getting to all these places.  Yes, I do add them, new ones every year; but, come on, there are 54 state parks, on top of a book-full of oddities and curiosities--like Jim Dolan's 39 horse sculptures outside of Three Forks, the World's Longest Dinosaur in Bynum and the barstool races in Martin City.

Trust me, the list goes on and on.

So what's the answer?  I'm not sure there is one, except to keep plugging away.  For help and guidance I rely on the Montana State Parks app for my mobile phone, and a great little book called Montana Curiosities.

Now, if you excuse me, I'm off to see the $50,000 Silver Dollar Bar in Haugan.

National parks and monuments boosted the economies of surrounding communities in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho by a combined $1.15 billion last year, according to a new study.

More than 2 million visitors were recorded at Glacier National Park in Northwest Montana, spending more than $178 million. That was nearly half of the $397.3 million spent in Montana by visitors to parks and monuments run by the National Park Service.

Wyoming saw $723.3 million in spending by visitors to national parks and monuments, while Idaho’s piece of the action was much smaller — $29.4 million.

These details were part of a nationwide report released Friday by the National Park Service. Spending on hotels, restaurants, gas and supplies by visitors to all U.S. national parks in 2013 contributed $14.6 billion in economic benefits to communities within 60 miles of the parks nationwide.

Wyoming, Idaho and Montana share parts of Yellowstone National Park, where visitors spent almost $382 million in nearby communities. Yellowstone had 3.18 million visitors in 2013.

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