Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Just a quick blast tonite, as most of the day was spent driving. I ended yesterday's blog questioning whether I would drive to Billings or Bozeman today, and the final decision was Bozeman! Although I arrived in Billings with plenty of time left in the day, it reminded me too much of Casper (largely industrial, much of the town looking like the roadstop that it is) so I decided to proceed on to Bozeman - an additional 2 hours or so.

Arrived in Bozeman a bit after four, checked into the motel for the nite, and was on an immediate quest for grub. A long day on the road is always cause for hunger and thirst, and they were both quickly satiated. I headed to the downtown area of Bozeman, a quaint little area, that reminded me of the downtown in Telluride,CO. The rain that had followed my drive all day (again causing a slower drive than expected) finally broke as if to reward me for my patience. The dry spell allowed me to grab a couple good pics of the downtown area, mostly of the local artists pieces that were scattered up and down the drag.

Dinner tonite was at the McKenzie Pizza Company, a chain in Montana and Idaho, that regularly features fresh farm to table entrees. First order of business though, was a cold microbrew: I had expected to get a Montana favortie, Moose Drool (a gross name, but a delicious beer!) but instead opted for a local IPA which was ice cold and delicious -- hit the spot like nothing else could!

After a quick look over the menu, I asked about the daily specials, which is always a good bet at a farm to table restaurant. My server mentioned a 'rollini', a sort of half pizza, half calzone hybrid stuffed with locally sourced spicy italian sausage and basil. It was absoulutely delicious! The pizza dough was nice and crispy, topped with a nice salty parmesan cheese. The spicy sausage was flavorful and had a nice bite to it, while the basil tasted fresh and was an excellent complement. It was served with their homemade pizza sauce which was a bit spicy as well, and had a tangy finish. Yum!

Thats all for tonite blogosphere -- I have another somewhat lengthy drive to Yellowstone tomorrow, and need to rest up so I can get a run in with the beautiful mountain scenery before I head for the day. Probably won't have an update tomorrow, as I hope to be camping (weather permitting), so again, expect a double dose on Monday!

A.S. Bloom

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