36 Hours in Missoula, Mont. from the New York Times

A Carousel for Missoula has 38 handcrafted horses and two chariots pulled to music from a large band organ.

TWO hundred years ago, Lewis and Clark made camp beneath cottonwoods near what would become one of Montana’s most vibrant communities: Missoula.

They called the camp Travelers’ Rest, a name that seems odd given that you’ll find few Missoulians actually resting once July begins. That’s when summer kicks in with the force of a bucking bronco, daylight lasts till 10 p.m., and Missoula’s 63,000 people, who know that winter is never far away, pack in as much fun as they can. They’ll hit the hills, go fly-fishing or otherwise disport themselves. There are hundreds of miles of trails, four mountain ranges and five major rivers, all within an hour’s drive.

So there are plenty of reasons to bring boots and a bike – but none to bring a tie. This onetime logging center, unlike some once-depressed, now-chic Western mountain towns, flaunts its unpolished, industrial edge.

Whatever Missoula lacks in cosmopolitan style can be overcome with a Trout Slayer ale, brewed in town, and a well-earned night’s sleep.

By TIM NEVILLE

Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/15/travel/escapes/15hour.html