The Mysterious Missoula

Missoula South Side Adventure

Every town has its personality and it’s fun discovering Montana without knowing the history of what places have been but instead what they are today.

The influx of people is changing Montana, especially the bigger cities.

We stayed in a cool old mansion that is now condominiums. It’s located just across the river from downtown.

I’ve never stayed in a place that had so many great places that close.

How close? The Italian Restaurant we ate at, Ciao Mambo is right next door.

This is a nice restaurant but when you pay 30 bucks for dinner you get a huge portion and the food is amazing.

We had lunch at The Trough, a little restaurant just outside of town, well worth the drive. The area is called Orchard Homes. It’s a bit rural. The food at the Trough is great and so is the service.

We found a couple of great coffee shops. Clyde Coffee is very urban and where the college crowd hangs out. The Mocha was perfect. Not too sweet and very rich and frothy.

We also love the sandwiches and coffee at Market on Front located right downtown.

Another spot literally one block away from where we stayed is the La Petit Outre. I had a ham and cheese filled baked item and we brought some bread home that looks unreal. This place is a hangout for the slightly hippy crowd reminds us a lot of Eugene.

Also just down the street from where we stayed is the Kettlehouse Brewery. It’s a very cool warehouse with a pub inside. The place is charming and always super busy. We love their beer and while you can find Kettlehouse in any store in Montana you don’t the get the vibe of the people.

Missoula is really starting to grow on us. It’s too big as a place we’d want to live but it’s like going to Portland (used to be) to enjoy big city life. Yes, in Montana Missoula is the big city.

Every town we visit has its own personality. Cities are like people, it takes awhile to get a feel for the place and once you do you find something to like about all of them.

Happy Travels.