Blue Mountain Bed & Breakfast
I'm not one to go overboard on recommending a place to stay, but I'm compelled to tell you all I can about this wonderful inn. If you ever find yourself near Missoula, you must stay here. Brady and Elaine are the perfect hosts and the standards they have set, others can only hope to achieve. I had chosen the Syringa Suite because of the view it offered, location in the main house, and because it had a king bed. The room is named Syringa after the flowers that are abundant on the property. (A note to my third graders - the syringa is the state flower of Idaho.) The decor was Asian which was a pleasant surprise. Every room is different and you will need to view the website to determine which you would prefer for your stay. 
Brady is an excellent chef and takes great care in preparing each and every breakfast. We had settled on a 9am breakfast time (so I could sleep in) and the aroma greeted us as we walked down the stairs. We sat down to a half grapefruit garnished with an orange. Brady soon served the main course which was absolutely scrumptious. Nothing is plain when it comes to Brady's cooking.The German pancakes were topped with huckleberry and apple, the scrambled eggs were just right and the sausage was flavorful. Huckleberries are like a tiny blueberry, only in my opinion, more tasty. Did I mention the view? Brady had us seated at the table so we could look out the picture windows for the spectacular view of the snow covered valley. Brady sat with us as we discussed plans for the day and past adventures. We truly felt like guests in someone's home and not just customers. This was the perfect beginning to a wonderful day. We prearranged Sunday morning breakfast to be served at 7:30am since we needed to drive back to Spokane for our flights home. The breakfast Sunday morning was just as delicious. The smell of the blueberry scones welcomed us to the dining room. We began with a frozen berry sorbet. The main course was asparagus gratin, blueberry scones, and Montana bacon. "Hmmm... I wonder if I can fit Brady in my carryon so I can take him back to Texas to cook for me?" The Blue Mountain Bed & Breakfast is a wonderful gem. They have it perfected and I can't wait to stay there again. Next time I want to visit during the summer so I can see all the birds and enjoy the gardens on the property.
For dinner on Friday we chose the Lolo Creek Steakhouse which was just a few miles away and we knew the beef from Montana would be excellent. As we walked into the log cabin steakhouse we quickly realized this was a trophy hunter's dream. There were more wild animal trophies then I had ever seen. There were moose, bison, elk, deer, and bear just to name a few hanging on the walls. There was a large grill right out in front for all to see. The cast iron skillet with mushrooms on the grill was already beckoning me. The wait was not long and our waitress, Allison, was extremely helpful. We both chose strips but instead of the normal baked potato, upon Allison's suggestion, I chose the sweet potato as my side. This was a true sweet potato, not, a yam. It was served with honey butter and brown sugar. Yum! The sauteed mushrooms were a pleasant accompaniment to a perfectly cooked steak. It's a god thing we had a small refrigerator in our room since we each needed a to go container. Dennis still saved room for a pit stop at the local DQ. We even made it back up the mountainside without spilling a drop. After the scrumptious breakfast on Saturday morning, we headed to Travelers' Rest State Park. Travelers' Rest State Park is a verified campsite for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. During the winter they offer a storytelling series. It is a Native American age-old tradition to tell stories during the winter since there is much work to be done in spring and summer. The storyteller for this particular Saturday was Allen Pinkham, a Nez Perce tribal elder. There is no way I can spell his Nez Perce name. Coincidentally, he was also staying at the bed and breakfast. His stories ranged from how he was given his English name to how the Nez Perce believe animals were created and given their names. Stories of the coyote were also prevalent. After a much enlightened hour of storytelling we walked around the visitor center and viewed the exhibits of early life in Montana. The rest of the afternoon was spent driving up to the National Bison Range. Part of the range is closed during winter
due to driving conditions but the remaining portions are well worth the trip if you get there right before dusk which is feeding time. We drove for a while on the lookout for any animals and the first animals we saw were deer. Once we drove as far in as we could drive we spotted bison on the hillside. The drive back to the front gate brought us more deer sightings and then elk. The car was so muddy that you couldn't get out of it without getting mud on your clothes. A trip to the car wash once we reached town was on the list. It snowed off and on throughout the day.
We arrived back into Missoula a little early for our dinner reservations but decided to see if they would be able to accommodate us anyway. Brady had made reservations for us at The Red Bird. The Red Bird is located in the lobby of the Florence Building. The Florence Building was once a hotel but is now an office building. The lobby has been refurbished to its original art deco style. Dennis loved the phone booths while I was fascinated with the water fountain. The Red Bird, perfect for a romantic night on the town, offers a wide array of regional gourmet selections. We began with their house made sausage. I am accustomed to a brown or dark meat sausage, but to my surprise the sausage was light in color. The sausage was scallop based with tuna and salmon served on top of a spicy shrimp bisque and served with hushpuppies. It was a mouthwatering combination that I would never have thought of for a sausage. For the main course, I chose the pan seared pork loin with fontina sauce and prosciutto while Dennis selected the New York strip with potato and crab pierogies and caramelized baby carrots. Both were delicious but the sausage made the top of my list. Driving back to the bed and breakfast we made a few stops so Dennis could find one of those hats with ear muffs attached. A new fashion statement for him. Of course no evening would be complete without a stop at the local Dairy Queen. So far, Montana has been one of favorite visits on this adventure. Probably because we took our time and really enjoyed the weekend.
http://www.bluemountainbb.com/
http://www.lolocreeksteakhouse.com/
http://www.redbirdrestaurant.com/
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