25+ More Things about Missoula (& Montana)

26.     In 1860 Missoula was established as Hellgate Trading Post.

27.     Missoula is also known by its nickname ‘ZooTown’. 

28.     Fort Missoula was home to an Italian and Japanese internment camp during World War II.

29.     After the war, many Italians remained in Missoula and made a life for themselves.  None of the Japanese stayed. 

30.     The largest Smokejumper base in the United States is located in Missoula.

31.     Almost every electric box around town is painted with a very colorful & creative mural.

32.     Brennans’s Wave, a man-made wave/rapid on the Clark Fork river, is often surfed! 

33.     I have never seen as many Golden Retrievers in any area.  It seems almost everyone who owns a dog has one.  Or a Huskie.                                                                                                      

34.     There are hundreds of ‘love’ locks on the Madison Street Footbridge.  They symbolize unbreakable love.

35.  The Northern Pacific Railroad is a major reason why Missoula became a larger town.

36.  Montana residents claimed 32 million acres under the Homestead Act, more than any other state.

37.  Missoula is the second most populated city in Montana with around 70-80,000 people.  Billing is first with a bit over 100,000.

38.  A ‘Gully Washer’ is a very heavy rainstorm, something I have yet to see in Montana.

39.  Trucks and guns are as ubiquitous as they are where I come from (Mississippi).

40.  At one time, when Montana mined copper, the capital Helena was home to more millionaires per capita than anywhere in the world!

41.  Missoulians are resourceful.  They reuse a significant amount of scrap metal and other material for arts, crafts, or parts for something else.  Reminds me of Cubans!                        

42.  Montana has almost 15,000 miles of marked hiking trails, second only to California.

43.  The current governor of Montana, Steve Bullock, is from Missoula. 

44.  The Flathead Indian Reservation is the closest Indian Reservation to Missoula. There are seven reservations in total in Montana.                                                                                              

45.  Missoula was one of the few counties that voted Democrat in the 2016 election.  Overall, the state voted Trump.

46.  Forget the fake green, fertilized lawns in a neighborhood.  Missoulians utilize almost every inch of their yards for gardening and other productive purposes.

47.  Gambling is legal is Montana.  There are a lot of casinos!

48.  Starbucks is here but it is not very ubiquitous.  Instead, many local coffee shops are scattered through town.  In fact, residents enthusiastically support many local businesses around town.

49.  Not one, but three rivers run through Missoula; the Clark Fork, the Bitterroot, and the Blackfoot.

50.  The population of elk and deer outnumber the human population in Montana

51.  Most Missoulians do not seem to care about luxury items.  They drive older cars, live in smaller houses, etc.  They just care about getting outside and enjoying nature!

The Two Most Asked Questions...

Since our family began to travel we get asked two questions a lot:

“How is homeschool going?” and “How can your family afford to travel?”

Let me answer the financial question first, because the second takes much more time and explanation.  And believe it or not, it’s the harder of the two to accomplish.  But stay tuned, because answer it I will in future blogs.

Both my wife and I still work and so we have an income.  She is a travel nurse and I teach online, write, and run the Ultimate Scavenger.  During my wife’s assignments, usually from six to thirteen weeks at a time, we are in one location.  We take nearby trips to explore our surroundings but overall, we are somewhat immobile.  Yet even though we both still work, we now make significantly less than we did when we were stable and owned a home. 

People tend to think that it takes a lot of money to travel.  I mean, it certainly could, but the truth is we do not spend any more on the road than we would at home.  Far less, in fact. 

Not owning a home has been a blessing.  Staying in hotels, lodges, Airbnb - all the bills are basically paid!  We have no energy or cable bills, no lawn maintenance, no home repairs or other hassles to deal with. We do not consume as much in terms of non-necessities.  There is no need to shop at IKEA or Pier One to decorate our living room.  We cannot travel with furniture, a huge flatscreen TV or a closet full of clothes.  So why buy them?

Yet we usually have what we need wherever we stay.  Ever been to a hotel without a nice TV or cable?  I have yet to ‘need’ anything that I cannot go out and get easily.  There might be a minor inconvenience here and there, such as something that makes cooking in the kitchen easier.  My wife really wanted a blender so we could make smoothies, for example, so now we pack it in with our stuff. 

The biggest expense has proved to be food.  Whenever I travel I love to enjoy the local cuisine; mostly the beer and the pizza, but also whatever a place has that claims to be the best or sounds delicious.  But as good as my wife cooks, nothing beats a homecooked meal, so we stock the fridge when we settle for any length of time.  It’s really the best of both worlds. 

As humans in today’s consumer society, the truth is we think we need more than we really do.  And since I am not ‘aspiring’ to acquire more possessions, I have more free time to create and spend with family.  The most important lesson that I have learned thus far from this adventure is that the time with our daughters is precious and I would not exchange it for the most extravagant home in the world!  I prefer to be richer in experiences.

 

That’s just me though.

25 Things About Missoula (and Montana)

1.     In mid-July thru late August (and apparently until the first snow falls) the sky is hazy from wildfires that burn nearby.  According to most locals the haze is ‘normal’ this time of year.

2.     David Lynch (the best director ever!) was born in Missoula.

3.     Breweries across the state close at 8 pm and can only serve an individual up to 48 oz. (3 pints) of beer a day.  It’s the law!

4.     Speaking of breweries, they are so ubiquitous that individuals can purchase a passport to get stamped at each brewery in Montana (over 50).

5.     Around 15,000 years ago (more or less) Missoula was an enormous glacial lake, supposedly one of the biggest and deepest in the world.

6.     The city government offers no curbside recycling.  Individuals must pay for the service from two private companies or take the items to local drop offs.

7.      Across the state, the speed limit is 80 mph on highways.  Until fairly recently signs read, “Reasonable and Prudent.” But people from out of state took advantage (so a local told me). 

8.     Montana has no sales tax!  The price you see is the price you pay!

9.     The Lewis & Clark expedition brought the first US settlers to the Missoula area.

10.  The Clark Fork River, named after William Clark, runs through Missoula.

11.  York, an enslaved African who was William Clark’s companion, was the first person of African descent to set foot in Montana.

12.  Homeless people are often sent to Missoula from other cities in Montana.  There appears to be a large number of homeless on the streets, in the parks, …

13.  The Montana Grizzlies college football team won the National Championship in 1995 and in 2001.  Presently, they are not doing so well ☹

14.  The Garden of 1000 Buddhas is a short 30-minute drive North of Missoula in Arlee, MT.

15.   Not a lot of ethnic diversity exists in Missoula.  It’s about as white as it gets.

16.   Jeannette Rankin, the first woman to be elected to the US congress, is from Missoula.

17.  Missoula must be one of the most bicycle friendly places in the country.  There may be more bikes than people!  In fact, there is local shop, Free Cycles, that gives them away!

18.  The city is also very pedestrian friendly.  Cars will stop in a heartbeat for someone crossing the street.

19.  There seems to be more cigarette smokers here than the average.

20.  Montana is one of the world’s richest sources of dinosaur fossils.  They even have a ‘state fossil’, the duck-billed dinosaur

21.  The movie A River Runs Through It was filmed in Missoula.

22.  Montana is the 4^th largest state but ranks 44^th in population (48^th in population density).  Needless to say it is easier to get away from people. 

23.  A short drive away and you can pan for sapphires and other gems (and usually find some!)  Montana is home to some of the largest sapphire reserves in the world.

24.  Before the city became Missoula, it was called the ‘Gate of Hell’ due to all the conflict from various settlers and tribes fighting over the area.  Supposedly, human bones were spread across the valley from dead bodies. 

25.  Once upon a time, timber was Missoula’s largest industry.  Education (University of Montana) is now the leading employer and economic driver.

Hotels vs. Airbnb

When traveling should you choose a hotel or Airbnb?   In many respects, such as price, the two are almost evenly matched. And as with most decisions, where you stay totally depends on your personal situation. But from my own experience let me share the positives and negatives of each.  I will keep it short and sweet, but feel free to email me with questions.

The hotel:  My kids love swimming pools!  Usually the pools are indoors so the weather is not a factor and often there is a hot tub for the adults as well.  Both feel great after a long day of traveling (and especially after camping).  The pillows in most newer hotels are so comfortable, often down feathers, and four to six per bed.  Blackout shades keep light out and often the continental breakfast is filling with both healthy and unhealthy choices. 

Hotels also provide services as well.  Besides the basics in the rooms like cable TV, Wi-Fi, coffee and usually a small fridge, a person can ask favors from the front desk if necessary.  Need something printed?  Laundry cleaned?  Directions?  Most hotels offer several services that the average person doesn’t even think about when staying the night.   

Notice I am not speaking about a hole in the wall road side motel, but there are plenty of options out there for around a $100 per night, depending on location. I go with the Choice Hotels program.  Like any reward program you build points and it may take several stays before you earn enough to get a free night.  But there are other perks: a late checkout when requested, easy booking with an app that comes in very helpful while on the road, and, from my experience, cheaper rates than other hotel search engines. 

Now Airbnb:  It always depends on what we are looking for, but this is our go to for longer stays.  Most Airbnb rentals are people’s homes and apartments.  If I can find a decently priced home in a good location then I can skip the pool and hot tub.  No matter how much I like trying the local cuisine (pizza shops and breweries), there is nothing like a home cooked meal.  Plus, it saves dinero in the long run. Also, sometimes the host can be obliging when it comes to discovering and exploring an area.  No one really knows a town better than a local. 

If you are staying for any significant amount of time, then even a home away from home can begin to feel comfortable.  Book 28 nights or more, and most hosts will give you a significant discount.  Be sure to always ask the host plenty of questions before you book.  Some rentals do not have amenities that we take for granted, like a TV, but we have yet to rent a bad place. 

So in a nut shell, for a few nights or less, especially if I am jumping from city to city, I would go with a hotel room.  I like the comfort and ease of relaxing, getting breakfast, and being able to leave without much packing.  Otherwise, for the long-term it’s Airbnb. Give me a place I can make comfy and homelike, cook a delicious meal, and stock the fridge.

The Road to Missoula #2

When we arrived in Iowa City a local fair was happening and the area was lively, almost as if the city was welcoming us.  We bypassed the fair but had the opportunity to try Big Grove Brewing.  Besides good beer, the pizza and salads were delicious.  I have come to realize that my favorite part of traveling is trying new food and beverages in each place we visit.  Only one problem - it gets expensive!  After I tallied our expenditures food accounted for almost half of the total, even more than lodging!

            My favorites to try are usually pizza places and breweries.  With two children pizza is an obvious choice but the breweries often have homemade root beer, which my girls love, and a kid’s menu.  I’ve asked Sofiah to create a blog about the ‘Best Macaroni and Cheese’, because she orders it almost everywhere we go and she even created a rating system.  We will see if the blog materializes.

The next state we visited, Minnesota, was a pleasant surprise.  We had no expectations and our time there was again a ‘scenic’ route and unplanned.  First, to appease out daughters, we stopped at the Mall of American in Minneapolis.  For some reason, I let slip about the largest mall being in Minneapolis where we would be passing through and of course they wanted to go.

Amazingly we were there maybe 2-3 hours at most.  Parking wasn’t difficult, and the crowd either.  Sofiah immediately wanted to go to a bookstore.  I love that girl!  And Kaia, she was hoping to find a toy store with Beanie Boos.  They had no interest in the large amusement park or the American Girl Store.  “I am raising them so well,” I thought to myself.

On to Duluth, a city we really enjoyed, and I became ecstatic when I learned it was the home of Bob Dylan. Somewhere I had heard it before, but it was a fact forgotten or hidden deep in my mind.  For the next two days we drove up Northshore Drive (Highway 61) playing Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited.  We visited his childhood home, not a museum but inhabited by some unknown family who probably gets random people stopping all the time. 

Lake Superior is akin to driving up the coast of an ocean; huge waves and the other side cannot be seen.  The cliffs and rocks are reminiscent of HWY 1 in California, not quite as steep and jagged, but nevertheless impressive and beautiful.   A two-hour drive turned in to at least double the time because the girls wanted to stop often and put their feet in the water.  Too cold to swim, but wading gave them just as much joy.  If we can promise water during a trip, especially a hike, then the girls are appeased. 

So close to the Canadian border, we had to make a visit…

Ask My Daughters...

Ask my daughters, Sofiah and Kaia, what they love most about traveling and without hesitation they will reply,

“The hotels with swimming pools and free breakfasts!” 

It’s true, they are seeing some of the most majestic sites this country offers and sometimes they are impressed, but when it comes down to it, jumping from bed to bed and a continental breakfast with sausage and three types of cereal to choose from cannot be beat.  Kids do not appreciate the same things as adults.

Yet traveling opens their minds and gives them firsthand experiences that cannot be measured, at least immediately.  So often my wife and I spit out facts or tell them a story or interrupt their play to show them a breathtaking piece of scenery.  They respond with a nod or an “OK” or even with a frustrated remark.  Then we get irritated, of course, because we cannot believe they are missing out on something that in our mind is so important.  How could they?

Because they are children.  Once upon a time we all were and we had other things on our mind as well.  I didn’t have the opportunity to travel as frequently, but I remember my mother trying to ‘educate’ me about my surroundings and pointing out this and that.  I could have cared less if it didn’t relate to Star Wars or Spider-Man. Yet looking back, I remember quite a bit of what my parents said to me, more than I care to admit sometimes. 

And suddenly one of my daughters will make a comment or regurgitate something I told them when I thought they weren’t listening.  It may be while they are playing.  It may be when a ranger speaks to them or sometimes just out of the blue.  What I love even more is when they discuss things they picked up on their own: differences in weather, people, landscapes or sometimes things I haven’t noticed.  

Kids seem to soak up information like a sponge.  Their minds are naturally curious and passionate to learn.  So whether I think they are listening or not, I will continue to ‘educate’ them. Even if they take just a fraction of what they learn with them into the future, I think they will appreciate and respect the world and others around them.