Gripes

  • While at the airport yesterday, I noticed a lot of guys wearing sweatpants (or joggers if you decided to overpay for them.) I find it appalling. I understand you want to feel comfortable, but one doesn’t need to become slovenly. I’m not asking for a three-piece suit or anything, but at the very least some jeans.
  • While going around here in Missoula and Butte, people were talking politics. “Oooh look what they did to Pelosi,” this one guy said while I was waiting for a table at the Lolo Creek Steakhouse. Of all the subjects to talk about in this planet, you’re going to talk about politics? Yuck! Get a fucking life.

Now that I got that off of my chest, I woke up late and got some granola, yogurt and fruit from Catalyst Cafe in downtown Missoula before driving 119 miles to Butte. I wanted to go see the Berkeley Pit, but despite what the Googles said the viewing platform was closed. Boo. But I went into the historic uptown Butte and snapped some photos including the Pekin Noodle Parlor, supposedly the oldest continually open Chinese restaurant in the United States which opened up in 1911. In a seemingly recurring theme, that was also closed but until dinnertime.

Peking Noodle Parlor
The oldest continually running Chinese restaurant in the country, est. 1911.

I also took some photos from the historic uptown area.

Metals Bank Building, built in 1906, just a year after my apartment building in Downtown LA.
A view of the city of Butte, Montana.

After the disappointing stop in Butte, I head back towards Missoula but stopped off in Anaconda first to see the Washoe Smelt Smokestack. The motherfucker sits at the top of a hill and can fit the Empire State Building.

Washoe Smelt Smokestack
The smoke stack is the largest surviving masonry structure at 585 ft. Built in 1918, it was closed in 1981.

That’s a little of what I got up to today. Oh, there was dinner at the Lolo Creek Steakhouse which is arguably the best steakhouse in Montana. You can see the picture and details on Instagram. I won’t bother with that nonsense here.

Since there is going to be some rain (and maybe snow?) tomorrow, I’m going to head to some local shops and do a peekaboo. And maybe get dinner at a French café a couple of blocks away that’s supposed to be pretty good.