Day 15

When you're in a state as big as Montana, you can drive for hours and only move an inch or two on your Rand McNally Road Atlas. That's what happened to us today, and that's why we ended up staying in Missoula. Same state as Butte, and only a small metric measurement apart - but WORLDS away in terms of culture, ambiance, and vegetarian-friendly cuisine. Right on.

After checking into our motel, we headed downtown in search of an antique carousel that Emily had read about. We found it spinning beside a parking lot that was playing temporary host to an antique car show. Emily wandered around and recited automotive facts while I acted like I understood her mechanic lingo. She knows more about vehicles than I ever will. After we had our fill of Cadillacs and Mustangs, we took a ride on the carousel. It's the fastest spinning carousel in the country, apparently, and the thing really flies.

Note: do not consume kettle corn and red wine before riding the country's fastest carousel. It does not feel good.

Now a bit nauseous, we made our way back to the car and drove a few blocks to the University of Montana. An abundance of flowers, some cool-looking buildings, and a jogging trail up the side of an adjacent mountain make the school pretty charming. Emily showed her love by randomly flossing her teeth, since she apparently carries floss in her purse at all times. The giant Montana skies started to drop rain on us, though, so we set aside the oral hygiene and headed back to the Main Street area in search of food.

Who knew that Montana has its own gourmet pizza chain? Eat at the MacKenzie River Pizza Company if you ever have the chance, and make sure you put their spicy balsamic dressing on everything. It packs a surprisingly sophisticated punch, much like Missoula itself.

- Andrew