Day 77, Missoula, Montana.

Click on the map to enlarge. We are in Missoula, Montana.

This is next weeks elevation profile. We are out of the high county, but this will give you an idea of the climbing we will be doing the next week or so.

Lisa in front of the Adventure Cycling headquarters.

Walking through the city of Missoula. Population, 55,000.

Part of Broadway where our motel is located.

This is one of the bikes that did the original Trans America crossing in 1976.

These are photos of the 2009 Trans America riders that stopped by to have their pictures taken so far. We recognized a number of them that we meet along the way.

Here is a guy who had nothing better to do than to make it seem like he was doing something special by ruining this shot of a classic bike. although I must say he is a pretty darn good looking fellow, don't you think?


Day 77, “Rest Day In Missoula”.

Monday, July 27, 2009. The Bel Aire Motel isn’t the fanciest joint in the city, but it is quite comfortable, and is located close to restaurants and he heart of town. Missoula is a large city with approximately 55,000 people. I Googled Walmart, and found that there are four of them within the city limits.

Since it was our rest day, we woke up late, caught up on some e-mail, and just sort of hung around till we got bored. Not wanting to ride today, we decided to go down to The Adventure Cycling Headquarters not too far from here. We actually took the long way around since we didn’t have a map, and was too lazy to ask directions. We ended up at this outfitter center and got our bearings straight. Adventure Cycling maintains a staff of individuals to meet the needs of touring cyclists the world over. I was surprised at how large the operation really is. They are a non-profit organization with a network of bicycle routes and personal dedicated to the sport of cycle touring. Inside the main office were the core people who made cycle touring the modern day adventure sport that it is today. We signed the guest book, and was planning on getting our pictures taken for the 2009 crossing, but an Adventure Cycling group had just arrived, and the place was busy, so Lisa and I decided to skip that part. On a wall fronting the reception area, were the photos of the riders who had stopped in while on their journey. We recognized a number of them we had met in the previous days. Some of them had already completed their journey, and were probably back home telling of all the experiences they had during the months past. Soon Lisa and I will be rounding the last corner ourselves, and will be flying home as well. As long and as hard as this journey is, I know I will savor the memories for a life time.

After leaving Adventure Cycling, we went over to the bus station where we ate lunch while waiting for the number 2 route bus. That’s the one that would take us to the REI store, and Target. The bus system in Missoula encompasses just about the entire city. And eventually end up here at the main terminal. The route took us through neighborhoods and industrial areas, as well as the many shopping centers spread out through out the city. It looked like it was going to rain at any minute, so I didn’t bother to take too many pictures. After all, if you’ve seen one city, you’ve seem them all.

We bought a few needed items. Lithium batteries for my GPS, camera, and flashlight, as well as tooth paste and energy supplements. We were not sure about the services for the next few days, since we would not be passing through any large towns. After spending a couple of hours shopping, we jumped back on the bus and headed back to our motel. I was thinking about jumping on the bike for a short ride around the area since the sun finally came out, but thought I’d better take advantage of the rest day because of the climbing coming up in the days ahead. We are holding up pretty well, and have joined up with a self supported, guided Adventure Cycling group for a couple of days. We are not on their schedule, but by coincidence are staying at the same places as they are for the last few days. It’s actually nice riding with a group, cause we are more noticeable to traffic, even if we are spread out through out the day.

I would like to take the time to thank all of you who have been following our progress these past two and a half months. It is exciting to relay to you all the things I have seen and experienced. It is impossible to bring all of it to life in such limited time and space as this blog. Of the thousands of pictures I have taken, only a few was I able to share because of limited band width, and time. But one day months from now, I will have gone through them all, and taken the best ones to share with those who would like to see them.

Not sure when I will be able to get Internet again, but will update the first chance I get. Thank you again for all your support. You are what make this journey so special. Aloha, Ted.