Missoula, MT

From the beginning, I had a not-so-secret hope that Missoula would be a top contender. I visited Missoula for a two-day work trip about five years ago, and came back announcing I was going to start the hashtag, #movemetomissoula, and you know I love the narrative of this little long-ago meet-cute for our final destination. 

The drive across Montana was stunning, but started to feel more hilly rather than mountainous as we approached the city. I do use the term "city" intentionally. This was the first spot so far that was a true stand-alone city, albeit small – not a stand alone town or a quaint suburb. There were the standard pros and cons of a city: more diversity, higher-end stores, and a noticeable homeless community. Unlike most cities, Missoula is surrounded by an abundance of accessible public lands. 

Cameron and I made use of the shopping available: he bought some new running shoes, I found a ceramic planter for our air plant (inside a boba shop to boot!), we enjoyed Sweet Peaks Ice Cream, and Top Hat for dinner. As it was the Saturday before Halloween, many of our fellow diners were in primo Rocky Horror Picture Show attire. We also did a little walk along the Bitterroot River and hiked the "M" trail overlooking the University of Montana campus. Many parts of Missoula made it very clearly a college town, but we didn't find as many cheap student haunts as I would have hoped. That is, until our drive back through on the way home, where we found the more run down and affordable student-focused part of the city.

The Good

• Small-city charm and amenities, such as cultural events, entertainment, and a really close airport.
• Lots of outdoor options, in and out of town. From the top of the "M" trail, you can see the whole city, which has a hearty distribution of trees and is fully surrounded by hilly pine forests. 
• Some exceptionally cute shops. Oddly, the artwork sold inside of Pearl Boba was my favorite. 
• Two sections to downtown – the main downtown area that is relatively upscale, and then the student-focused areas across the river, known as the "Hip Strip."
• A great trail system, including many riverside paths.
• Diversity in all senses of the word. As far as economic diversity, we could (probably) afford the type of property we'd ultimately be looking for. 

The Bad

• Lots of casinos nearby. It doesn't bother me too much, and we even spent a night in the parking lot of the Gray Wolf Casino, but Cameron finds them off putting. 
• Football-heavy focus for the college, and around town in general. 
• A noticeable population of folks who were homeless and likely would benefit from social services, if they were available. To decrease the impact of this negative, I did see one business front that clearly existed for that purpose. 
• Per a former long-time resident, some winters days can feel very short (it is at a high latitude) and summertime smoke can be oppressive for weeks. 

The Verdict

Yes. Honestly, I couldn't think of anything that Missoula lacked, except the giddy excitement I want to feel, and that I think I did feel during my first introduction to Missoula. Perhaps I put too much pressure on this visit and my expectations outran reality. However, we got to come back through Missoula approximately a week after the "official" visit. Whereas the first days were warm and colorful, visit #2 presented the surrounding hillsides in a heavy dusting of snow. Despite the near-freezing weather and graying skies, the excitement began to grow. I guess what I'm saying is, don't be surprised if I announce next year that Cameron and I are moving to Zootown. 

Birdseye view of the city from the top of the "M" Trail. You look down directly at the university campus, but can see all of the surrounding hills and mountains (most of which are national forest lands). Although not pictured, off to the right you get peek-a-boo views of a nearby sk

This manmade surf wave on the Clark Fork River is in downtown and nestled next to Caras Park. It's what initially won me over five years ago. 

"No Hate in our State" was one of many slogans I saw posted on business widows. Other common ones were "Black Lives Matter" and "Shop Small Missoula." I took them as a positive sign.  

There was so much going on! Live music, plays, Halloween events, running races, and surely many others that I didn't pick up on were advertised around town. And of course, there's the seemingly mandatory "Griz Country" sign in the top corner of this window.

Look at all those green park spaces on this map! 

Pictured in the map above is the Clark Fork River, and this is the Bitterroot River. We drove by some houses for sale along this river, and I couldn't help but visualize floating down it in the summertimes. 

When we returned to Missoula about a week later, it was definitely grayer and some snow was lingering on the ground. Nonetheless, I thought the neighborhoods were ideal and many had mixed-home options. 

Once we found the Hip Strip, I knew there was enough college grunge to be fun!

The college side of town is where all of the good cheap food is. I got a mega burrito for $8.

Per the internet's recommendation, we also stopped in for a Veera doughnut, despite being stuffed on $8 burritos.