There's a gap in the upscale travel market right now. The companies that plan these limited-access excursions aren't selling as much as they used to, and once-upon-a-time buyers still have a thirst for the experiences not available to the general public – but not at the prices they paid before the recession. A new website, Jetsetter, is planning to help luxury travel planners and buyers meet in the middle.

Jetsetter, now in beta, bills itself as a "flash-sale website" for the up-market. This Gilt Groupe enterprise is invitation-only. So, the opportunities provided are not subject to the mass competition of the entire travel market. Nonetheless, inventory is likely to move quickly, and the window within which to act is not wide. "International trip curators" roam the world to conduct primary research – including on-site visits. These experts, including veteran travel writers and industry experts, then compile their findings on Jetsetter's site, with editorial accounts and photographs used to help would-be travelers make informed decisions.

Members of the online community will receive e-mail alerts every evening announcing the coming sales. Once that e-mail goes out – at 8 PM – the clock starts to tick.

Destinations available through Jetsetter include The Cotton House on Mustique, Negresco in Nice, the Paws Up resort in Montana (an amazing space) and Encantado in New Mexico.

Montana's Yugo sapphires are a little known American treasure. The cornflower blue stones are only found in remote portions of Montana and are prized for their deep color. Jewelry pieces made using these stones will be auctioned off to benefit Montana's Special Olympics program in an upcoming event. The pieces include a bolo tie worn by Montana's Governor Brian Schweitzer as well as a variety of rings, earrings and pendants. An online auction has already begun and the highest online bid will be the opening bid on items at a live auction as part of the Montana Sports Legends Dinner and Auction on October 3.

The auction item shown above includes a trillion cut Yogo sapphire that is over one carat along with matching earrings featuring sapphires and diamonds set in yellow and white gold. The lot has a total value of $24,000. Online bidding ends September 30.

Another huge ranch has hit the market through Hall and Hall. The Crazy D Ranch is located near the descriptively named town of Big Timber, Montana. The Crazy D is a big one, around 12,170 deeded acres that includes 3,600 acres of irrigated hay ground and improved pasture with the remaining land left in a native state. The Crazy D has views of the Crazy Mountains. The Crazies, according to Wikipedia, is a shortened version of "Crazy Woman Mountains" a name given them, in compliment to their original Crow name, after a woman who went insane and lived in them after her family was killed in the westward settlement movement.

Putting that grim story aside, the ranch has been a working cattle operation and can support around 500 head of mother cows. Several creeks meander through the property offering ample fishing. Wildlife on the ranch includes antelope, whitetail and mule deer, grouse, pheasant, partridge, cranes, turkey, ducks and geese. The property has room for multiple families working the ranch. Six moderately sized ranch homes dot the property. The main home is a 11,000 square-foot log cabin with five bedrooms, three family rooms, two office and a loft study. There is also an elevator and a heated three car garage and one key feature for stormy winter months, an emergency 15,000 KW generator. The home also has four fireplaces, a walk-in pantry with commercial refrigerator and food warmer, satellite TV and deluxe hot tub. Outside there is a pool for enjoying the area's short but hot summer. This ranch is listed at $22.5 million.

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The Bluecreek Retreat in Heron, Montana is a rather unique piece of property. The 160-acre property is located near the Cabinet Mountains of Montana and surrounded by national forests. There are 14 bedrooms in the Bavarian style retreat, each with a unique theme.

An article from The Missoulian from 2007 gives a bit more background on this unique property. The Kirkman family was seeking to create an environmentally-friendly community to look like a European 17th century village. Kree Kirkman named his place Oberkleinberg and from the sound of things, was hoping to build a small utopia of artists, writers, craftsman and others inside a walled village with shops and businesses. The Bluecreek Retreat was the first step in this ambitious project.

The property is also a working ranch and features several barns on the property. This Andrew Henry's Meadow style property is listed at $2.95 million.

A tragedy (both real and symbolic) recently occurred in Bozeman Montana on March 5th. A natural gas explosion on Main Street destroyed about four businesses and rocked the lives of many people in this small American town. Although this incident was very real, the news could easily be read as a metaphor on the collapse of "Main Street" America and the close of small businesses during these hard economic times. Still, caring companies do exist vetted in the prolongment of independent American businesses.

In what can only be called an American peculiarity, Bozeman Montana is also home to one of America's few independent watch makers, the Bozeman Watch Company. In an attempt to assist its place of business and residence, the Bozeman Watch Company will pledge $500 for each watch it sells until April 15th, 2009 (tax day). That is a big chunk of profit from each watch, showing that the company is serious about helping its town. The money will be dedicated to the memorial fund that will eventually be associated with the tragic event. Bozeman Watch Company has an impressive line of luxury watches each with a distinct American personality. The pictured watch is the men's Gallatin model. All watches feature Swiss movements and many are certified Chronometers.

Via Montana News Station.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

I wrote about this one back in 2006 but it's time to revisit since it's still for sale and for quite a discount. Avalanche Ranch in Kalispell, Montana estate has 68 acres that include four guest cottages, caretaker's home, and equestrian facilities. The main house was inspired both by Rocky Mountain lodges and by Norwegian hotels giving it a West meets Euro appeal. The home is decorated with antiques and has a great room dominated by a monolithic fireplace, a sunroom, 3,000-bottle wine cellar and billiard barroom. The master suite has antique chandeliers and a spa bathroom. The home is a deluxe showplace that includes a Theo Kalomirakis home theater which offers up-to-date electronics but the style of an old-time movie house (according to a commenter on my 2006 post it cost $3.5 million alone. This property was listed at $26.5 million two years ago and now it sits at just $13.9 million.

Somewhere between a race car, a light plane and a yacht there is the Greenbird, a light craft powered only by the wind. Engineer Richard Jenkins is on a mission break both the land and ice world speed records. He's giving it a go on the ice-covered Canyon Ferry Reservoir in Montana attempting to be the fastest sail-powered man ever to race across the face of the earth. Currently the record for a purely sail-powered vehicle on land stands at 116mph and the highest reliable recorded sailing speed on ice is 84mph. Jenkins is hoping to hit a speed of 120mph or even 125mph. In UK land-based trials, Greenbird unofficially touched 120mph when fitted with wheels and he's hoping for a faster speed on ice.

[via The Telegraph]

The Lima Peaks Ranch sits at the base of the impressive 11,000-foot Lima Peaks Mountains in Dillon, Montana. The ranch is located 15 minutes from an airstrip and includes an 9,880 square-foot residence that overlooks a private lake. The property has a variety of ranch buildings including a handcrafted log home, custom indoor horse arena, manager's home, private lakes and a fish hatchery. The property includes deeded, state of Montana, BLM land and adjoining Beaverhead National Forest grazing allotment for a total of 19,522 acres so that it can operate as a large ranch. Gorgeous land, great views and a home that is full of rich wood, graceful curving lines and large windows to take in the grand expanse. It is listed at $17.9 million.

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Just a couple of days ago, my colleague Rigel Celeste mentioned the luxury camping trend and the Paws Up Resort in Montana. But the trend doesn't seem to have been enough to keep the resort open year round. KPAX in Montana reports that 70 employees at Paws Up will lose their jobs November 1st. Paws Up, which has been a four-season resort, plans to close for the next several months during the winter season, opening up only for the Christmas and New Year holiday period but then closing down until the snow melts around mid-April. The resort says they had a record summer but can't afford to stay open in the winter months.

Having just returned from a trip to Montana, where I happily picked up a Pendleton handbag at Bob's Outdoor in downtown Livingston (not to be confused with Bob's Taxidermy, which is right up the road), imagine my surprise to find that Pendleton -- the Oregon family-owned woolen mill that's been around for 140 years -- is on trend for fall. Carried this season by retail's litmus-test-for-hip Opening Ceremony, the iconic brand seems to be making the reverse commute from country to town.

The Chinle Tote, at right, retails for $128 and measures 17 3/4 by 16 3/4 by 5 1/2 inches with 10 inch leather handles. The virgin wool print evokes early 20th century Navajo rugs from the Chinle region. Its base is made from canvas, and the bag is fully lined.

If you've ever thought about having property in Montana, you can snap up a condo for pretty reasonable prices during an online auction. Deer Creek At Whitefish which is located near Glacier National Park, is selling off 14 units by online auction. Minimum bids are starting as low as $99,000 for a two-bedroom unit. The two-bedroom unit is the only one selling by open auction and is the only one that is fully furnished. The rest are being sold via sealed bid from now until October 23. All units are more than one floor: two three-bedroom units have $140,000 starting bids, four three-bedroom units have $150,000 starting bids, and seven two-bedroom units have $160,000 starting bids. The complex includes a clubhouse with a fitness center, spas, a fireplace, a wet bar and a pool table and homeowner fees are $115 per month. Twenty-nine units have been constructed as Phase One, The project originally called for 168 units at the site of the former Par 3 on 93 golf course but was later pared down.

There aren't too many chances to own your own island in Montana. This estate is on a private island in Whitefish Lake and sits on 10 acres with over 2600 waterfront feet. The home is a custom 7,554 square foot house with three bedrooms, an attached guest apartment, attached oversized two-car garage plus a separate three-car oversized garage with space upstairs for a work room. The interior has a beautiful log cabin style and seems to be the ideal place to retreat from the world. It appears to be the home of State Senator Dan Weinberg who announced in December he wasn't seeking reelection. This home is listed at $17 million.

For more prime properties and lush locations, see Luxury Homes and Mansions.

Last January, we heard about the plans for a $155 million home planned for the Yellowstone Club, the exclusive millionaires' playground in Montana. The AP reports that Tim Blixseth, the founder of the Yellowstone Club has sold the parcel of land where he had planned to build the home. Big Sky resident Loren Bough bought the 160-acre parcel.

Earlier this month, The Desert Sun did a comprehensive story on Blixseth's fight to keep his wealth. He and his wife Edra Blixseth have been involved in a bitter divorce. He's also been fighting a multimillion-dollar settlement with former cycling star Greg LeMond. When Tim and Edra first split in December 2006 after a 25 year relationship, they were lauded for dividing their property and assets without fights and lawyers. But since then, they have been involved in a protracted battle for their shared assets.

Also Tour de France champion Greg LeMond, his parents-in-law David and Sacia Morris, and Jorge Jasson, a family friend have claimed i ncourt that Blixseth tried to buy their shares at the Yellowstone Club for a total of $13 million, which they say was a fraction of their value. The parties reached a $38 million settlement in the case. Blixseth paid the first installment on the suit but missed a payment in January and interest is now accruing.

Blixseth is trying to sell the 13,400-acre gated community. In January he was working with CrossHarbor Capital Partners LLC, the Boston-based private- equity firm founded by Yellowstone member Sam Byrne to sell assets of the club for $455.7 million.

Usually I don't write up pieces of land without homes on them but this one is pretty impressive, a huge 1,507-acre spread (1,374 deeded along with 133-acre BLM lease) in Montana on the Yellowstone River. This area was named Black Bluffs by Capt. William Clark of Thomas Jefferson's Corps of Discovery and has been basically untouched for over 200 years. The property is bordered on the north by 2.5 miles of private Yellowstone River frontage and has dramatic upriver views framed by the Beartooth Mountains, Montana's tallest peaks. The river is full of wild brown and rainbow trout and the area is rich with wildlife including sage grouse, wild turkey, elk, moose, black bear, antelope, eagle and osprey. The property is located about 30 minutes away from Billings, Montana. Hopefully whoever buys this land will preserve this beautiful open space. It is listed at $5,750,000.

Why this one? Because it's a lighthouse, in Bigfork, Montana. Okay, it's not so much a lighthouse as a house with a lighthouse-like structure appended to it. Still you have to admire the commitment to the nautical in this one. Most of the houses we see in Montana are full of antler chandeliers, roughhewn logs and western fabrics. Not so here. this one could easily be plunked down on an East Coast shoreline. Boat-shaped bookcases and nautical art add to the rather relentless theme decorating. The house is located south of Woods Bay and is perched above Flathead Lake for some truly beautiful views. The home is under 4,000 square feet and sits on one acre. It is listed at $2.95 million.