Day 10: Kalispell to Missoula and back to Lewiston

 
For all its popularity, I was not impressed with Kalispell. The town itself is basically a strip with a bunch of casinos and a few motels. In the morning, however, I first rode north to Whitefish, a town with a charming business district and a world-class ski mountain.

 
I looped back south to Kalispell, then rode US Highway 93 south along the west shore of Flathead Lake toward Missoula. The views across Flathead Lake with the Mission Mountains to the east are striking. I began to understand why people might find this a desirable place to live.

 
I acquired a new friend along US 93. This little stuffed Montana horsie had been discarded on the roadside, perhaps because its noisemaker had given out and it could no longer whinney.

 
I stopped for a late lunch at the Iron Horse Brew Pub in Missoula. I had dinner at the Iron Horse in 1999 on my way home from Sturgis. It's a great place -- good food, good beer selection, friendly atmosphere -- highly recommended. Missoula itself is another lively college town.

 
South of Missoula, in Lolo, I picked up US Highway 12 which took me west along the Lochsa River back to Idaho and Lewiston, as it had in 1999. This is a beautiful ride.