Porthole

A River Runs Through It

PROMPT March 18th

If you were hired to show tourists what life is really like where you live,
what would you show them or have them do?

Tourists? NEVER! If you mean travelers than you've come to the right person.

Tourists want to visit London, Paris, Rome, want a selfie at Big Ben, Eiffel Tower, Colliseum. Have only 3 days... Travelers are a bit more flexible.

Missoula is a arty college town: Fridays: 1st Friday Art-Walk, street music. Saturdays: markets, football games, street music. Or by season: Spring: UM MFA readings. Summer: Paddleheads baseball. Wednesday and Thursday music in the Park. Autumn: UM football. Festivals, parades. Winter: UM basketball. Quietest time of year.

I'll first need to get to know you... better done in advance to figure something out:

So what food do you like? Thai, Brazilian, Sushi, Mexican, Pasta?
Do you drink coffee? Eat pastries? Hang out?
Do you hike? bike? climb? I have friends who can help.
Do you like local bands? Book/poetry readings?
Do you kayak, tube, fly-fish? A river runs through it. Yes, the book was placed in Missoula.

In other words we'll just find something to do, eat, hang out. When the students are in town there's always something to do. The views of the mountains are lovely all seasons. The kayakers and surfers are in the river by Brennan's Wave except when the river has ice floes or logs in it due to floods. About 10 months of the year it's all good.

The only time to avoid a visit is December 15-January 15. There are much better places to be: Pacific Coast and Highlands of Costa Rica; Tallinn, Estonia; Senegal; Minnesota.

Remember, if you are a tourist then you are asking the wrong person. I travel. I don't tour with tourists. But if you want to meet up anywhere in the world ... Norway, Sweden, Baltics, Balkans, Taiwan, Costa Rica (not April or October please). Even a new-to-me country like Senegal, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Malta, Thailand, Philippines! ... Send me a note.