We’re embarking on our first trip of this next phase of life on the road.  Finally!  We had envisioned things playing out differently, like selling the house in June and being on the road full time no later than August 1.  But we still have the house, so this is a quick out-and-back excursion (2.5 weeks total) to meet our new grandson, spend time with his parents, and explore the Missoula area.

Subaru packed and ready to go

Starting mileage on the Subaru

Although there are more interesting travel routes from Fort Collins to Missoula, we opted for the fastest (a/k/a most boring) – interstate highway (the blue route) from start to finish.

Therefore, not much to report from this leg of the trip.  We did the drive in two easy days, spending the night in Billings, Montana.

We prefer to take food for our lunches on the road and find a city park at an appropriate stopping point for a picnic.  This time around, we were prepared with food, but the weather wasn’t cooperative – unseasonably cool both days (in the 50s midday), with intermittent rain showers and unrelenting and blustery winds, especially in Wyoming.

So we went to the backup plan – checking Trip Advisor for local eateries with good reviews that sound interesting.  Mission accomplished.

On day 1, we ate lunch at Sherrie’s Place in Casper, Wyoming.  Highly rated on Trip Adviser, this small eatery with a loyal local following was named best place for breakfast in the state of Wyoming in 2011 by Food Network Magazine.  Can’t comment on breakfast since we were there for lunch, and I don’t recall exactly what we ordered (some sort of turkey sandwich for me), but the portion sizes were ENORMOUS!  The food was fine, but honestly, nothing special.  However, if you are a fan of huge quantities of OK fare, this could be your place.

We repeated the Trip Advisor drill on Tuesday and landed at Annie’s Café in Butte, Montana.  The food at Annie’s was quite good, but that’s not the most memorable part of the experience.  To say that Annie’s Café is home to a vast collection of Coca-Cola and other Americana memorabilia would be an understatement.  It’s impossible to describe the experience of walking into this establishment!  I snapped a couple of photos just to share the flavor.  It’s worth a visit if you find yourself in need of food in Butte, Montana.  Just make sure you have cash – they don’t accept credit cards.

A couple of hours after leaving Butte, we arrived in Missoula and located the Airbnb that would be our home-away-from-home for the next two weeks.  I always look forward to that moment when you unlock the door of the vacation rental that you have scrutinized on-line for weeks and hope you are not disappointed.  In this case, we were delighted with everything – the basement rental unit itself (with a separate entrance), our hosts Angela and Eric, and the convenient location!

Time to unload, unpack, find a grocery store, and settle in!