Missoula Travel Suggestions
May 19, 2010 11:57 AM   Subscribe

We'll be in Missoula, Montana for a couple of days this July. Where should we stay? Eat? Drink? Play?

So we'll be there for a couple of (week)days in late July on our way to do some camping in Glacier National Park. We'd love hotel suggestions (would prefer something like a a historic railroad hotel to a modern boutique or chain hotel) and eating and drinking suggestions (we're not "foodies"but we love good food and drink), as well as any can't-miss things to do in Missoula. (Stuff we like: farmers markets, bookstores, beer, wine, vintage- and junk- stores, ice cream, and gardens. Also kitties, but that's not so relevant here. )
posted by Nothing... and like it to Travel & Transportation around Missoula, Mt (3 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
It's been a few years since I've lived in Missoula, but here's some ideas:
-If you don't mind spending a little money, the Red Bird and Finn and Porter are both excellent places to dine. There's a lot of local cafes and sandwich shops that are great for lunch or coffee. Try Bernice's Bakery for breakfast, and the Staggering Ox, the Pickle Barrel, or Taco del Sol for a quick, cheap lunch. Big Dipper = the best ice cream in town.

-It's worth spending a few hours walking around in Missoula's small downtown (the blocks around Higgins and Broadway, just north of the river); there's lots of bookstores, boutiques, etc. You can also check out Caras Park, and watch kayakers on the artificial wave in the Clark-Fork.

-There's tons of great hikes in the area that you can probably find descriptions of online: St. Mary's Peak, Lolo Peak, the M/Mount Sentinel. If you visit Snowbowl (a ski area) in the summer, you can ride the chairlifts up and hike/mountain bike/off-road scooter down. I think they rent bikes and scooters up there, and the lodge serves awesome pizza and Bloody Marys.
posted by jeisme at 12:37 PM on May 19, 2010


Eating: I really enjoyed Worden's Deli/Grocery (the Cornucopia was my favorite sandwich) for lunches/sandwiches. If nothing else, that might be a place to grab sandwiches on your way out of town.

Also enjoyed Sean Kelley's for beer and Irish-ish food, Taco Del Sol for fish tacos, The Old Post for the chili and grilled cheese recession special, but there are nicer places as well.

But really, there are tons of local restaurants with a lot of character (and good beer--lots of good beer), so I'd recommend just wandering around and seeing what you find. It's a fun town to walk around. I enjoyed the Mount Sentinel hike (went up the back side, came down the M side), but there are others around. Sorry-no recommendations for places to stay as I did couchsurfing there, but I think you'll enjoy hanging out there!
posted by BlooPen at 1:04 PM on May 19, 2010


Have the corned beef hash and eggs at Hob Nob.
posted by Seppaku at 1:49 PM on May 19, 2010


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