Foreign is not a bad thing around here. Not at all. In face, we actively seek it out and adore it. However, when the most foreign place you’ve ever visited turns out to be in your own country — that’s saying something. That’s what I found walking from the bus station to the hotel. It gave me pause. Made me sit with what that actually means for me. (Especially with the world as it is and America at 250 and Pluto in Aquarius for the next 19 years, lol and ooof.)
And also — how amazing is that? Travel is so illuminating.
Below you’ll find my Missoula travel tips, because this place absolutely deserves them.
What Shocked Me Most About Missoula — And Why I’m Still Processing It
What shocked me was finding myself in the middle of the United States — and I have traveled both this country and the world extensively — and feeling more foreign there than almost anywhere else I’ve ever been.
More foreign than places that are governmentally and linguistically actually foreign. Greece and Ukraine felt strange because of the lettering — that’s one thing, and it makes sense. But a place where I supposedly share language, nationality, and culture feeling more distant to me than most other countries? That genuinely stopped me in my tracks.
And delighted me. Both things simultaneously. Dang I love travel!
The challenges of this world often frame foreign as bad or scary, and always as distant. It isn’t. It’s unfamiliar and unknown — and those are completely different things. Unknown doesn’t mean unwelcoming. Unfamiliar doesn’t mean hostile. What it requires is listening. Looking at what’s underneath the surface of a place rather than reacting to what’s on top of it. Remember what we say around here, especially at The Eye News: borders are arbitrary and no person is illegal.
Because of course amazing people are people everywhere. And there is so much more good than the headlines and current main media sources suggest (it’s also why I quit those.) I found kindness and like-minded souls all over Missoula — in the shops, on the bus, at the airport, at the bars, over food. But the foreign aspect of this place is something I am still struggling to fully put into context. It’s like everything seemed like dial turned one knob over from what I know. (It was almost like movie Americana and the midwest and also another Germanic country all melded into one? Kinda.)
For now what I can do is notice it, point it out, and invite you to do the same when something surprises you. Acknowledge the surprise. Talk about it. Sit with it instead of explaining it away.
Because that’s what travel is actually for.
Arriving in Missoula — More Beautiful Than I Expected
I have to say, arriving in Missoula was gorgeous. The plane landed and it was all mountains and greenery and blue sky. I stepped into the new, small airport and was genuinely wowed — it was full of wood and huge windows that brought the nature inside in a way that felt like the landscape was hugging you on arrival. Amazing.
I also spotted a bear in the airport as a welcome display — life-size, bigger than me — and thought: okay, not in Kansas anymore, lol.
I’d read that Missoula has a free zero-emissions bus, and since I was staying a block from the drop-off and I’m all about living like locals when I travel, I was excited to roll my carry-on onto it. A kind airport worker pointed me to where to wait, which felt slightly strange — I thought, surely lots of people take this, so where’s the signage?
That would be a no.
I was the only one boarding from the airport, and despite the kind driver who waited as I ran to catch it, the bus already had passengers. What I quickly understood was that it loops around town, and that mostly students, young people, senior citizens, and those with fewer options use it. Such a shame. I get that most people who come to Missoula want a rental car to get into nature, but if more visitors took the bus it wouldn’t feel quite so uncertain in the middle of the day.
The advantage was that I got to see a Missoula my friends’ wedding weekend never showed me. Neighborhoods with houses, a Target, government services — the actual texture of how people live here. Nice neighborhoods, well-kept houses, a real town underneath the visitor-facing surface.
And then something else happened on that ride, and on my walk from the bus depot through the charming old town that’s currently being developed.
I realized this was the most foreign place I had ever been. Somewhere between the landing in heavenly greenery to the bus ride arriving in a town with a different sensibility than I’d know I felt foreign.
The Most Foreign Place I’ve Ever Visited — In My Own Country
Lots of my friends were already in town, people I knew. Had that not been the case, I think I would have felt very, very out of place.
This is only about the look and feel of the place, mind you — because people everywhere were so kind. From the nice guy at the airport to the bus driver who helped me, local kindness showed up immediately. But the architecture, the way of life, the stores, the signage, the pace of things — more foreign to me than Peru, or southern Italy, or Israel.
Strange, non?
The middle northern part of America felt more distant from anything I recognized than places far away with different languages and completely different social norms. Because the social norms here were not like Brookline, Massachusetts, or the West Village in New York, or LA, or Paris, or Milan — all the places I’d lived. There were cowboy hats and a rough-hewn way of being that was genuinely foreign to me. The building materials and architecture — I’d seen them in magazines and movies and could recognize them as American — but they were not at all like the charming Massachusetts towns I grew up around.
I felt like a foreigner. In my own country. Wow. Did not expect that. Noted.
And also — Missoula had my heart completely.
It was more beautiful than I could have imagined. More delicious too. Full of truly lovely people and cool spaces of all kinds — new cute cafes, old dive bars, signs for Pride Month and local flea markets and upcoming music festivals, cool American small-town architecture, and oh my God the mountains all around. A river runs through it. Are you kidding me.
I say all that to make clear: I will be going back. A lot. That nature, that food, that sheer wow of the landscape — not far from LA and other places I’ve spent time — it’s a gem. I’m also firmly in the camp of: please do not develop the hell out of it. It should stay small and nature-focused and huckleberry-based. The place has my heart, and I’m excited to spend more time in such a foreign corner of my own home.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, as my fellow Sagittarius Mark Twain said. It’s also the doorway to learning things you never thought you’d learn about the world and yourself.
Here are some of my favorite Missoula spots. Some have online shops so support them from wherever you are. And if you go — try the public transport. We want that nature to continue, and more cars when they’re not needed are not it.
My Favorite Missoula Spots
Restyle My thrift pro friend told me this was the first stop for serious thrifting in Missoula — and it did not disappoint. Outdoor gear heaven: all the fleece, all the top brands, all the things you didn’t know you needed until they were right in front of you. Clothes, t-shirts, jewelry, and more, at prices that will genuinely make you gasp. The cute blue chair on the walk in sets the tone perfectly — charming, welcoming, already telling you this place gets it. My new flannel shirt — purchased in the heat of summer because apparently that’s who I am now everywhere I go lol — was an absolute must. Dollars. For quality pieces. LA and Paris could never.
Betty Venom Vintage You guys. The curated gems in this vintage shop are unreal. Why didn’t I buy those gloves — seriously bad call! From 60s jeans to gorgeous vintage dresses, jackets, and accessories, every piece is fantastic. There’s art too. Honestly, LA wishes. One of the highest quality vintage shops I’ve ever been in — Paris and NYC included. The owner does an extraordinary job at curation and genuinely cares, and it shows. She’s also lovely. A gem of an American shopping experience exactly as you’d wish to have it. We need more shops like these.
Union Club That delicious Philly cheesesteak made by a guy in a mohawk wearing a kilt. Need I say more? No and yet I can. Did you know there’s gambling in bars here? There is. But it’s all the amazing old signage and stool and space that tells you people have been coming here for decades to seek solace and escape and fun and it’s been doing that for all. Peak America bar in a town of many. Amazing.
Red Bar You must go for fun and charm. It feels like the quintessential local bar that’s actually a great time. And Missoula has a few of these, which tells you everything about how fun this town is.
The Rhino Another great local bar with pool tables and an easy vibe. The Schlitz mirror is something I genuinely want for my home, lol. Incredible Bar Americana.
Top Hat One of the best chicken sandwiches I’ve had anywhere. I’m dreaming of it right now. Also, lovely staff. Yum.
The Residence Inn I’m going to say it: the nicest Residence Inn in America. Charming, warm new architecture, delicious beds, great staff. The bartender at the wedding event made me the best Old Fashioneds ever — and I’ve had Colin at the Ritz make me drinks, so that’s saying something. The breakfast buffet was also a chef’s kiss (the daily biscuits and gravy after my Atlanta discovery was a kiss from the gods lol) Haven’t had a solid one like that in decades. Make-your-own Belgian waffles with strawberry compote AND an oatmeal bar with toppings? Cold brew? Yes please. Always yes. The view outside added to the experience.
Missoula Town Gift Shop Great t-shirts and such lovely staff. One of those shops where you actually want to buy things because the people selling them make you feel good about being there.
Missoula Tourism Office Next door – I mean literally across the hall – to the above and absolutely worth a stop. The woman working there was so genuinely excited to share walking tours via QR code, nature tours, and historical sites both in town and outside of it. If only more people were that sincere in their joy to share the gems of their hometown. A rare and wonderful thing. If you’re looking for more things to do here don’t miss it!
The Montana Scene Great gifts — t-shirts, hats, stickers, all of it. Good energy in there.
The Carousel You must visit. A charming century-old carousel along the water. A lovely reminder of life at a speed that is humane and unhurried. Go slow here on purpose.
The Florence An old building that looks like what 30 Rock wants to look and feel like but doesn’t — and I worked there for years, so I know, lol. Art deco charm at its finest, with what I will argue is America’s most beautiful coffee shop inside. New York, LA, San Francisco, Miami — could never. Grab a coffee or a drink and just sit in that lobby. If you want gorgeous photos and old-school glamour, this is your spot. Bonnie and Clyde would have had their best photoshoot here.
The Keep Delicious food, charming space, and genuinely the kindest staff. A must.
And please — try the local huckleberry jam. You’re welcome.
Do I want a cowboy hat after all this? Yes. Yes I do.
Bisous mes stars. 💎
Loved this? You might also enjoy my guides to Cannes beyond the Croisette and Milan’s spiritual travel gems — more of the world through eyes that don’t do ordinary tourism.
Wants to know. Has some questions. Very Sag. Always up for pizza. Planning several trips. Big fan of joy. Wants to talk about it. All of them. Is sure we can figure out this whole living thing. Is rooting for you.
