From Big Sky, it was just a matter of driving through Montana and getting to North Idaho, where we planned to spend some time before we moved on to Seattle to meet Matt. I will come back to Montana another time and do it properly. I definitely want to make it to Glacier National Park at some point. I just didn’t want to rush it this time around.
Bozeman is just north of Big Sky and it was a cool little city. There really wasn’t much going on outside of the area around the main street. But I can see it growing larger over time. They have the university there and Big Sky is just down the highway. That will definitely bring people in.
Butte was a blast from the past and not in a good way. The whole town looked like it was built in 1940 and it hasn’t been updated since. Things were falling apart, literally. Lots of Irish pubs to be fair. But it is just a mining town way past its prime. It had a New England feel to it as far as the architecture went. But that was about its only charm.
Missoula was more like Bozeman. A lively town. It’s smaller than Bozeman but there seemed to be more going on. We only spent the day here but I wouldn’t mind coming back. I am looking for a place to stay from February to April when I work the winter busy season. Maybe Missoula is an option.
Amanda and I stopped at the rock climbing gym in both Bozeman and Missoula. Twenty dollars for a day pass and you can rock climb, they have a weight lifting area, and you get a shower too. Definitely worth it. I will definitely be continuing on with my rock climbing journey.
The gym in Missoula was way more difficult but I enjoy the process. Rock climbing takes a lot of thinking. You don’t jump on and climb to the top. I mean you probably can if you are really good at it. But the plebs, like me, have to think through the problem and come up with a plan on how to get your body up the climb. It’s fun.