Missoula!

July 4--Missoula, MT

So day before yesterday I got up early--the trains that went right by the campground helped! It was a bit cloudy and rainy, but we got off by 8:10. I stopped to get gas in Post Falls, which was a mistake: the person ahead of me at the diesel pumps didn't follow the rule of gas stations, which is pull up to the first available pump. Since I couldn't pull in ahead of him, I sat and sat and sat while he took his time. Then the pump wouldn't take my credit card, so I took cash in, and then it took the card after all . . . it took a while. The rest of the drive to Wallace was uneventful.

I wanted to go to the Bordello Museum in Wallace, since I hadn't been. Even with all the hassle, I was still early, so I had a chance to walk around Wallace. This town is known for three things, in no particular order: 1. it was the sight of the last stoplight on I-90, which existed until around 1991; 2. they filmed the movie "Dante's Peak" here (of the several "Volcanos wreak havoc" movies that came out around then, it was the one with Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton), and 3. the Bordello Museum. Well, there's also a sign stating that the intersection of 6th street and Bank Street is the Center of the Universe, but that's unofficial.

It was always rumored that prostitution was legal in Wallace; it wasn't, but the sheriff was given enough "donations" that they didn't get busted (in fact, there was a "panic button" in each of the four bordellos that would get the police there quickly). The last whorehouse went out of business in 1988, when the madam was warned that the Feds were coming, and everyone grabbed a few changes of clothing and left. The building (complete with everything that was left, which included a bag of groceries on the counter) was locked up and undisturbed until 1993, when Ginger sold the building and it was made into a museum by simply cleaning out the garbage and rotted food (except for ashtrays, which were covered with saran and left), dressing a few dummies in the clothing left behind, and opening the doors. The place looks just like the inhabitants just left for lunch--there are books out, makeup, toiletries in the one bathroom, food in the kitchen, liquor in the cabinets, everything. I got my own tour, since I was the only person who had signed up, and it was fascinating.

After the tour I stopped at a bakery where I bought a HUGE roast beef sandwich, as well as a pepperoni-and-cheese roll (which I had for breakfast the next day), and headed out. It rained off and on the rest of the drive, which made the narrow twisty sections of I-90 even more fun.

The skies cleared when I hit Missoula, and I headed through the traffic (I think the whole town was trying to get on the Interstate) to the KOA. Believe it or not, I was given the EXACT SAME SPOT I had last JUly! 150 spaces to choose from, and I get the exact same spot! Which was nice, because it was a damn good location. I set the RV up, sat with the cats for a bit, then headed downtown on the bus.

I walked around downtown, glad to be here. I watched the kayakers surfing Brennan's Wave off Caras Park--apparently there was a big competition there that day, but it was cleared by the time I got there. I walked in and out of stores, and then ate a double Mo-burger with pepper cheese. Huge, greasy, and wonderful. I had some time before the bus I needed, so I walked to Safeway to buy groceries, where I discovered a miracle: Friskies Hairball Control treats! I've used those with my cats since I got them, and they work great, much better than any other product I've tried, but I haven't been able to find them for months! I bought enough to last until their expiration date, and hopefully I'll be able to find them after that.

Yesterday I tried to sleep in as much as possible (not much, with these cats), then walked over to catch the other bus (the one that stops at the KOA driveway doesn't run Saturdays). I stopped in the PetSmart and the Barnes and Noble, just browsing, and then headed downtown. I went to the Farmer's Market, then the People's Market, then the Caras Park market (Missoula is such a crunchy granola place that it can support so many markets) and got an organic breakfast burrito, which I ate while listening to a really good guitar player. Then I walked over the Higgins bridge down to University (the Munster House is looking a bit ragged--looks like student housing now), then down University to the campus. There are a LOT of new buildings I haven't seen: the Native American building (which is complete with place for bonfires), the Journalism building, the Education building, lots of new ones. Then over the Clark Fork footbridge (Goldsmith's doesn't have ice cream anymore--the restaurant is a bike shop) to the library, where I bought a tea, then to the Bagels on Broadway for dinner bagels, then back to the bus.

Today I did very little. I watched TV (yay KOA cable!), read the paper (yay KOA again!), took a nap, did some proofreading, and goofed around on the Internet. It's now cloudy (it was sunny earlier), so I might go sit in the hot tub. Ah, relaxation. It's back on the road tomorrow; the weather looks like it will cooperate by not being hotter than hell, which is great. I may not be able to stop for more than one night until I get to Toledo, which will be a haul. We'll see what sort of progress I make.

Hmm. In completely random news, I'm currently watching "Yankee Doodle Dandy" ("1776" was on earlier), and in the "Wow I never thought of it that way", I'm watching James Cagny doing George Cohen doing FDR, dancing away, when FDR could actually barely walk. Hmm. I wonder if Cagney dances on his toes because he has high heels on because he was kinda short?