Photograph by Jess Chamberlain

Montana is making a play for Seattle. On almost every bus, billboard—even this downtown ferry terminal—there are National Geographic-esque nature scenes seducing you to Montana.

Don’t get me wrong: I heart Montana. The mountain air is a drug. The rolling rivers, music.

But Montana, your banner ads would be better placed in New York, Chicago, or Detroit. In Seattle we’ve got the mountains, and the water, and the views. And with your ginormous photo billboards, really, it’s almost like we’ve got Montana.