Day 64: Missoula (rest day #1)
7/29
We all woke up feeling a little fogged after a late night out with Geo. But we still woke up fairly early, ready to hit the Farmers Market and find some coffee.

The first market we went to (yes, multiple farmers markets here!!) was packed with local summer produce and baked goods. We made a few rounds. I bought some zucchini bread, Aaron and Summer bought some fresh huckleberries.

On our way to the next market (the big one) we stopped by the ACA headquarters to purchase the Lewis and Clark maps- recall that we decided to switch to the Lewis and Clark trail, so that we would have a more direct route to finish in Astoria, OR. Yay! New maps are exciting.
The larger market had a different feel to it. It had less fresh produce, and more food stands selling hot food and sandwiches. We met up with my buddy Joe, then all split up to explore lunch options.
Through our travels, I’ve found that I have a new spot in my heart for Chinese and Mexican food. It’s kind of just…well, the best!! Especially if you’re on the road. So naturally, I found myself standing in line at a Chinese food stand.
After getting grub, we all met up in the grass under the shade of a nearby tree.

There just happened to be a Celtic festival going on that same day. So bagpipe music serenaded us as we ate, and the occasional plaid kilt strolled by.
We ended up sitting in that shade for hours, talking and enjoying the nice weather.
After our food digested a bit, we all walked over to the ice cream shop nearby. I got a milkshake.
On the way back to the car, we saw some surfers out on the river. It’s so neat to see people surf the river waves! I had only seen videos of people doing it before.
Just when you’d think the day couldn’t get any better- we ran into Maeve and Geo in town and they invited us to go tubing with them! I love tubing, and Izzy and Joe had never been. We would all meet back at the house to get ready.
As we got back, Aaron got packed up and ready to hit the road. We had to say our goodbyes again, but we all planed on meeting up at the coast and having a celebration together before heading our separate ways. So the goodbyes weren’t too sad-we’d see him again in a couple of weeks.
After Aaron left we all piled into Maeves car and hit the river. It was a gorgeous stretch of river, and surprisingly not too cold. We had some beers and ciders, saw a golden eagle, and went over a couple of really fun rapids — tube rated, of course.
We made it back to the house just in time to get a bowl of food and take Joe to the airport. He’d be beginning work the next day selling art and driving across county in a van. We said our goodbyes and see-you-soons and headed back to Summers house where we planned out our final days of the trip and went to bed.
Love you guys! — Lila
