Kalispell

In order to acclimate to the elevation, I spent a few days in Kalispell, a town of 20,000 in Montana's northwest corner. Kalispell is the gateway to Glacier National Park; as the plane descended, those peaks were on magnificent display, still dusted with snow even in late June.

Kalispell, founded in 1891, is a typical western railroad town. The streets are straight and square, lined with many fine examples of Craftsman style homes.

The downtown shopping district is small enough to be easily walkable, but large enough for two or three days of exploration. The climate is dry and the weather is changeable. In just two and a half days I needed my coat, scarf and gloves as well as shorts and sandals. When I was shivering, the lush gardens and cherry trees heavy with fruit were welcome reminders that it's summer. The streets are lined with flowering trees that filled the air with a heavy perfume. I have no idea what kind of tree, but the white flowers looked and smelled like privet.

Good food was easy to find in Kalispell. My dinner at Hops was top-rate: delicious burger, the most enormous fries I've ever seen, and a great local IPA to wash it all down.

Wheat Montana, a bakery-café, was another stand-out - the grilled cheddar and provolone on freshly baked sourdough bread was the perfect lunch after a chilly morning of window-shopping.

After lunch, a sudden rainstorm sent me running for cover, and I found it at the Hockaday Museum. This small museum occupies the former Carnegie Library building, and features art of northwest Montana. Some of the paintings on display are quite large - it was surprising to see such magnificent landscapes hanging in a small space. I felt like I was in the landscape, not just looking at a painting on a wall.

One of the fun parts of travel is seeing how everyday life differs from life at home. In Kalispell, every other car is a truck. And I mean full-size 4-wheel drives and duallys, not little Ford Rangers. For a town of 20,000, there are a disproportionate number of casinos and tattoo shops. Every building I walked into was stuffy - no need for air conditioning when winter lasts more than half the year. And people live for the outdoors. Everyone hikes, bikes, fishes, skis, rides horses, and when they aren't out there doing one of those things they're talking about it.

Two thumbs up for the Hampton Inn. Pleasant staff, nicely appointed room, and a quiet but convenient location.