I will be in Missoula this February for business and am curious about the city. I am 22 and know that it is a college town. Is the town socially liberal? Is feb really cold? Is there good skiing nearby? I am also a vegeterian and wonder about the food options there. I will probably be in town for a few weeks. Thanks

The two ski resorts I know about are Black Tail (near kalispell--about two hours) and Big Mountain (probably about 3 or four). Big Mountain is great ski resort, but expensive. Black Tail is smaller, but less crowds. Hope that helps a little.

The normal max. temp. in Missoula in February is about 38 F; the normal low is about 20 F. This makes it a little warmer, on average, than Chicago and a few degrees colder than New York City. Of course extreme cold is possible because of location and altitude. (Temperatures significantly below 0 F are possible.)Closest skiing: look at the websites marshallmtn.com and missoulasnowbowl.com. Socially liberal? Depends on who you meet, but this is not a diverse, big city so I think that should tell you something. Almost, but not all, of the vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, etc. than you can get in a big city are available in Missoula. You may have to search the grocery stores to find the best variety and quality but even in the winter the road is open to California and Mexico so there is food.

Hi Sam,

I passed through Missoula a few years ago on my way to Glacier. We had lunch at a fabulous vegetarian restaurant-sorry I can't remember the name. It was in a guide book though that I used for the area, which I gave to someone so I can't even look up the name for you. Browse the guide books and pick one that you like to tell you all about the town and surrounding area. We thought it was a great little college town-everything that you would need seemed to be there.

Have lived in Missoula most of my 46 years. It's cold in February but not too bad. The last couple years it's been warmer than usual. We have some fine vegitarian entrees at local eateries. Yes for Montana, Missoula is liberal..we got rednecks to dreadlocks, bikers to yuppies. Most people are just casual friendly. We have 2 ski areas in Missoula mentioned in an earlier post with several great resorts within 3-4 hours Big Sky, Lost Trail, Big Mountain to name some. Most also are near netural hotspring resorts for after skiing fun. You can rent equipment at several local sporting shops that can also give you a good update on conditions and area to match your experience level. You'll have a great time.

My mother moved to Missoula several years ago, and I've really gotten to love it there after a few visits. For a small town, there are some surprisingly good restaurants, funky shops, arthouse cinemas, etc. I am a vegetarian as well, and have never had trouble there. Try the Hob Nob restaurant for great food in a cozy and funky setting. The Black Dog is also a great place for veggie food. And Worden's deli has terrific sandwiches and other food, and an excellent selection of beer and wine. Pick up a copy of the Independent, the alternative weekly (on the web: www.missoulanews.com) for music listings and other events.

I was born and raised in Missoula, but I'm living in NYC now. It's a very liberal town, by Montana standards.

Skiing: You really can't beat Snowbowl on a good year, but Lost Trail is recently expanded, and they always have great snow. Discovery Basin is about 90 minutes away, near Georgetown Lake, and the backside of that hill is killer. Blacktail, frankly, is not worth the drive from Missoula. Not with these other options, anyway.

Veggie: Most places in town have veg items, and the spots already mentioned are good. I'm a big fan of the blackbean chilli at the Dinosaur cafe, too. The Dino is in the back of Charlie B's, on the corner of Space and Time. Get your coffee at the Break, next door. A couple of months ago, I had a microbrew and a veggie burger at the Old Post Pub for $5, total. After living in NYC, this just about brought tears to my eyes. For groceries, hit the Good Food Store and the Orange Street Food Farm (best beer prices, which is very important in MT).

Bring warm clothes in February. If you get to hang around into June, you'll never want to leave. Sigh.