It is nice to wake up knowing that it is a day of rest with little to do but casually investigate downtown Missoula, MT. After a large potato-laden breakfast at the hotel and a visit to the Sparkle laundry mat for a much needed wardrobe refresh, I was off to slowly pedal around the city.
My first stop was to Greenough Park, where my sister and her husband got married ever so many decades ago. It is a 50 acre park that stretches nearly a mile along the rattlesnake creek. It was donated by the Greenough family in 1902. Beyond its acclaim as the site of the Cummings Wedding, it is well-known for its bird-watching. Well over 120 species of birds have been spotted in this park alone. With my trusty Bushnell binoculars, I was able to spot of few of the more common or well-known birds. Included in my short list was the pileated wood-pecker, cedar waxwing, kingfisher, dove, dipper and sparrows of variety that I could not identify specifically. There were many other that I could not name, but tried to make mental notes to look them up later. I even saw two bats swooping over the creek. As if to validate the park for its bird-spotting prowess, several organized groups, including school children, were quietly treading through the trails with their binoculars aloft, scanning the trees.
After a slice of spinach, tomato and rosemary pie from Bridge Pizza, it was time to pedal around downtown. It is certainly a bicycle friendly city and is almost dominated by bike traffic. Adventure Cycling, the resource I relied on for maps and trip details, is in downtown Missoula. After perusing a few of the shops, I picked up some needed provisions for the days ahead. While enjoying some afternoon refreshment by the river, it was relaxing to watch small groups float by on a variety of craft and to enviously see an angler land a small trout.
After some afternoon rest, I am off for a little tapas for dinner and then to prep for the ride to Lincoln, MT. On the road again, as they say.
Pandora mix of the day: Willie Nelson
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