Day 15 - St. Regis, MT to Missoula, MT

Today marked the first and last time we rode on an interstate; I-90.  However, there were several frontage roads which parallel the freeway allowing us to spend only about 20 miles on the interstate out of the 82 miles we covered during the day.  There is actually a way we could have avoided the freeway, but it would have been 15 miles longer and not as scenic.  I-90 parallels the Clark Fork river for most of the way to Missoula and, unlike other interstates I've ridden in the southwest, has a shoulder which is relatively clean and the traffic is not heavy.  As we rolled into Missoula our first stop was the Big Sky Brewery, maker of Moose Drool, one of my favorite dark beers.  The brewery also served as a great tire-changing venue since Diana picked up a staple in her tire during the day.  We plan to take a day off in Missoula, our second of the trip, before heading south down the Bitterroot Valley.