One of my favorite things to do in a new place is visit their local library. You can tell a lot about a community by the state of its library. It’s a gathering place, a home of knowledge, a shelter, a conduit that offers the constant invitation to expand our world. While you’re in Missoula, head over to the public library and allow yourself a day of rest and reading. As far as libraries go, Missoula’s is large. And more importantly, it’s filled with books I haven’t found

In the digital world, we are losing some of the best aspects of community life. And almost nothing has taken a bigger hit than the “record shop” business. Music is downloadable from almost anywhere, directly into our pockets, whenever we want. It makes sense that we don’t make the time or effort to go to a store and make a purchase in person. But today, let’s pretend that the internet doesn’t exist. Because today, you are heading to what is perhaps Montana’s most iconic a

​While most people think of Bozeman or Whitefish when anything “extreme” comes up, you may be surprised to know that Missoula, besides being a cultural hub, is also the home to all sorts of “hardcore” sports stuff. And the people to match. And despite the proximity to the mountains, Missoula’s main action sport isn’t skiing. It’s kayaking. It makes sense, I guess. A river runs directly through the center of town, and many others surround the city. World class gets thrown

Okay! That was probably emotionally taxing to be away from the digital world for at least the third time this month. I know the feeling. I panic when my 4g turns to 3g, and when I can’t find an outlet at the restaurant, I usually just order appetizers out of spite. So in the name of preserving your sanity, let’s get you back to civilization. How about some music. Any music. Good music. Head to the Wilma Theater in downtown Missoula for a headlining musical act of your

It’s nice to keep things fresh. And you may think that this guide is just going to be leading you from outdoor experience to restaurant to bar and back again. And you’d be right. But is there anything better than exploring Nature’s beauty and then taking the time to relax and realize what you just did? ​ In the name of this very crucial and often forgotten element of Montana life, take yourself to dinner at the Belton Chalet in West Glacier. Built in 1910 and renovated in

Back to the mountains you go. If you haven’t caught on, that’s what a lot of this Montana stuff is all about. We want to get you off your butt and out of doors. That’s where all the good stuff is happening. Don’t worry, they’ll be playing the Republican debate for weeks to come. You can afford to get some fresh air. Today, head to the Savenac Nursery, which is a National Historic Site, in Haugan, MT. While this beautiful section of woodlands is indeed close to the Idaho

Today, take a drive into the country. Get out and smell the crisp air of fall making its way down from wherever that place is that it comes from. It doesn’t smell like freedom, because only America’s oxygen has the patented scent of freedom built into it, but cool arctic air does seem to pick up the faint odor of a hockey locker room on the way down, and then, I believe, they mist it with a hint of maple as it crosses the border. And while you drive and think about the stra

After spending what may or may not have been an excessive amount of time with ghosts, and the houses of ghosts, it may be time for a cleansing. Unless you like being haunted, or your haunter is a nice ghost, or you’re a wizard. Now, of course, cleansing is in the soul of the beholder...er, something like that. But we have a specific idea for you if you’re one of them fence-sitting agnostics. Head to the St. Mary’s Mission in Stevensville. Mission has a serious sound to it

Since we’re on the subject of signs of our ancestors, let’s keep going in that direction. It’s time to start heading South. Not just because winter is coming, but because you have been up near Canada for quite some time, and we expect you probably want to see what else the state has to offer. Today, head to the modern-day ghost town of Garnet, which is located 30 minutes East of Missoula. As you can probably imagine, the town is named for the ruby-colored gemstones that we

Historically speaking, Wednesday is a day of passion and inspiration. So with that in mind, and if you’re in the area, we recommend that you head to Swan Lake, just South of Bigfork. And no, it’s not just another lake. The coolest thing about the Northwest region of the state is that each of the many lakes that exist there are unique, and offer a different experience. At just ten miles long, Swan Lake is small in comparison to its’ neighbors. But perhaps that is the great