I did about 9 miles on the bicycle today running around town doing errands. First stop was the laundromat, which was on the other side of the river from downtown, near the University of Montana. (Another issue with the hotel was that the washing machine was broken, and they hadn't gotten around to replacing it). On the way there I cycled through downtown Missoula, which is nicely turned out, with many lovely old buildings, lots of restaurants and shops. As I crossed the river it was super busy with the marathoners wandering around town and I could see the Farmers Market stalls along the riverfront promenade. It had a great vibe, and the day was sunny and cool (normal cool I might add!). I stopped at Bernice's Bakery on the way there, which is a bit reminiscent of Nabolom in Berkeley, with nice big gooey pastries.
Sparkle Laundry is a cool spot, with a soda fountain, wifi and the New York Review of Books. It's run on Saturdays by a recently retired philosophy major who moved to Missoula in the 70s. I enjoyed talking to him, and I was reminded of my first time through Missoula in 1978, when I'd hitched there to visit a friend I'd made in Jackson Hole that summer. Missoula was nowhere then, with a pulp mill that belched noxious fumes, and temperature inversions that made you choke. But it was full of dropouts and hippies and pot smokers, and it was nice to see that spirit still alive, if a bit long in the tooth!
While I was waiting for the laundry, I called around to find a new rear tire, that would be heftier than the Panaracer Paselas that I've been using. They are really too lightweight for heat and chip seal, and I'd worn a new rear tire out just coming from Alturas. It was hard to find 26 x 1.50 touring tires in Missoula, but a great local bike shop had some really bomber Bontragers with Kevlar tread. When I got to the Open Road shop, and saw the tire, I knew it was the one! They were super helpful, and within 20 minutes I had a new tire on the rear, a spare to take with me, and cleaned up drive train and derailleur adjustment. If you're ever in Missoula, check them out!
By the time I was finished with my errands, I'd missed the weekly Farmers Market, but I did get to stop in at Adventure Cycling and chat with the two staff who work there on Saturdays. One was the long time cartographer, so we talked maps and roads, which was fun. I think Adventure Cycling does a great job for the sport, but for me, I'd rather plan my own adventure, rather than follow a preplanned one. But you know me, why not take the road less traveled! We also talked about the awful southern approach into Missoula, and apparently there's some political gridlock involved.
Then it was off to the hotel where the manager had finally returned my call, and found a room that had at least some wifi service (but still too slow to upload pics or documents). After waiting for an hour or so, and being cheated of a much needed nap, I was off to REI for a couple of items, and a stop at Costco (across the street) for a big supply of Clif Bars for me and Ben. As I continued to pedal around town, it seemed like there was an awful lot of road rage in such a small city, with lots of people screeching around corners in a hurry. I have to say I was starting to get concerned about riding around town....
A quick stop at Safeway, then back to the hotel to pay bills, write emails, and get ready for Ben's arrival. No time for a rest at all....
Ben's plane was on time and when he got to the hotel we went and had bison burgers for dinner, then back to the hotel where he worked on getting his bike ready for our first day of riding tomorrow. I think I fell asleep in about 2 minutes. All in all, too busy a day!
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