Marooned in Missoula

We're so close to home, now! Here's the current map of our trip so far:

We're currently stuck (or rather, staying, on purpose) in the Missoula area because the road conditions on Lookout Pass between us and Spokane (where we'd planned to be tonight) looked a little iffy. It's been snowing up there, and according to the webcams and road data the roads have just been wet but clear most of the day, but we figure we'd rather not risk it so we'll just wait. (This is where we're getting our minute-by-minute information, if you're curious.)

I cancelled the dinner reservation I'd made in Spokane for Kevin's birthday tomorrow night, and found another place that looks great here in Missoula. Luckily, we're really good at being flexible. We're at a park with good Wi-Fi, all the amenities we need, and so we're set for a few days if need be. 

We went into town to get some groceries and grab lunch (cobb salads and a cup of soup at the Hob Nob Cafe on Higgins). Missola feels a little like Portland. It's a university town and the older buildings combined with the rain and hipsters in knit hats made us feel, well, right at home. The grocery store we found was awesome: The Good Food Store. It's like a cross between a Whole Foods and a small neighborhood organic foods co-op. Love it!

I'm going to cook dinner for Kevin tonight here at the Airstream (shrimp ceviche, homemade crab cakes, veggies, salad, champagne, brownies and vanilla bean ice cream for dessert) and then tomorrow night we'll go out to dinner in town (unless the roads are clear and he'd rather make the trip over the pass, his birthday, his call). After watching the road conditions all day it looks like we could have gotten over the pass just fine today…but whatever. Better safe than stuck. 

Here's what it looks like around here:

I'm pretty sure we're the only temporary residents here. Most of the other campers that are here look like they're hunkered down for the winter.