Missoula Day One And Day Two. Friday 7th and Saturday 8th September.

After nine hour flight, five hour stop over at Seattle airport and hour and half internal flight arrive at Missoula. The views from plane on both journeys were the most spectacular I have ever seen. Greenland and glaciers, massive and vast snow capped mountains in Canada. We go through customs and Collect hire car and given a Kia (ugh) instead of the spacious Toyota Camry we had paid for. Martins directions to Campus inn led us in the wrong direction whilst I was struggling with a different car, driving on wrong side of road and darkness.... he survived .... just.

Got there and collapsed due to 23 hours from leaving England..

After a fairly good night sleep. The hotel is very near the railway where endless trains trundle and toot as they go over numerous unmanned crossings. Very loudly. Still excited at discovering Missoula. Walked to the first farmers market. Not as far as I thought. Missoula is a typical small university and working town. Very clean and lots of small and interesting shops. The farmers market was well attended with lots of Hugh cabbages, squash and melons etc . Hungry I opted for slimming world waffles, bbq chicken and Canadian bacon. Worth all the calories. The coffee put the perk back in my step. We sampled and bought some apples. Everyone was friendly and too polite to ask us where we were from. As usual everyone thinks we all live in London and have difficulty in understanding where Devon is. Back down into Missoula we go around the craft market with some unusual wood crafts and very insistent Indians selling crap jewellery. Actually bought a hand made bird house with a roof made from a Montana number plate. Don’t ask going in my carry on I think. Quite small!!!! Found a shop selling the biggest collection of craft beers and Montana wine. More items to take home or not... found a thrift shop, second hand to us, bead shop, local arts and crafts, several book shops, record shops, always ice cream... huckleberry for Martin and cardomon for me. Had some rhubarb home made slush.

Returned to hotel after six hours and collapsed as the previous day caught up on us.

Finished the evening at press box sports bar. The sport included boxing girls, UFC championship and American football. Had craft beer. A pint of super fuzz blood orange pale ale brewed in Seattle and Martin a cold smoke scotch ale brewed in Missoula. A burger for Martin and rib pork in a burger bun and tots for me. Tots aka hash browns and jus aka oxo made a reasonable meal.

A lovely start to small town America.