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Couple questions about coming out to Montana this fall??

NewGrizFan123

Well-known member
Wellll, we'll be making a couple trips out to Montana this fall to see Ronnie and the Griz. Wanted some of you lifetime GrizFans to tell us what would be good to see while we are there etc...

We've done some intitial checking on airfare etc... Looks like alot of flights from the east coast go to Seattle before they come down to Missoula. Is Seattle a hub for NorthWest Airlines? Have always wanted to get to Seattle...maybe for a day or so, this can be my chance.

By the way, just read where Missoula was named Best Small City in America. Morgantown, West Virginia(where Rodamer is from ) is number 3. I think Morgantown and Missoula must be pretty similar as far as college town, things to do etc..., though you really have to go east or into the mountains SE to find the skiing mountains. He comes out the first week of June to start working out. Graduates from Notre Dame this weekend.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
my 3 cent bout airlines
You have 3-choices
northwest
delta
united
the hub for northwest is minneapolis/st. paul
the hub for delta is salt lake
the hub for united is denver

or if you really want to save some $$ you could fly on southwest to spokane and make the scenic drive (3 hours) to missoula

I hope this helps.
maybe the others will chime in on what to do in the fall
 
Yeah, we saw where Minn/St Paul was a hub for NorthWest, but still most flights still go thru Seattle to get the good rates, so we were just wondering. Hmmmm, the Denver thing might be of interest. Never thought of that. Or the drive down from Washington.
 
the drive from seattle to missoula is about an 8 hour one, through some pretty spectacular country, including the cascades and the rocky mtns, which are seperated by a long, boring stretch of highland desert known as central/eastern washington. later in the fall, you might be looking at driving through snow,t hough. seattle is worth staying in for several days, there's tons to do, and it is a beautiful city (although traffic sucks).
 
No, we won't be driving from Seattle down to Missoula, but if we can get a stopover there before flying out to come home, that would be nice. We aren't planning on driving 8 hours, we will likely fly into Missoula from, say, Seattle or Denver or somewhere that we can get a good rate. Thought maybe we could fly somewhere and then try to get a connecting flight to Missoula...maybe save alittle on the fare.

What's there to see in Missoula? Ronnie will have been there for a couple months by the time we get there in early fall, so maybe by then, he will know of a few things. We want to make the trips worthwhile...see some Griz games and see some of that side of the US. I mean, we are people from the eastern side of the US, so this will be a chance to see some of those wonderful things like Yellowstone etc...
 
Horizon/Alaska is another alternative, but you'd have to get to somewhere to connect to them since they don't go East much.

http://www.alaskaairlines.com/

I hopped on nwa.com and see a couple of direct flights from Minneapolis to Missoula a day so I'd try that again if NW serves your area . . .

Northwest Airlines 1481

Booking Class(es): H
Fare Basis Codes: HE7NR
Ticket Designators:
Wed, May 19
2hr 40min
9:15pm Depart Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)
10:55pm Arrive Missoula (MSO)

Northwest Airlines 566

Booking Class(es): H
Fare Basis Codes: HE7NR
Ticket Designators:
Wed, May 26
2hr 28min
8:45am Depart Missoula (MSO)
12:13pm Arrive Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)

Don't miss destinations in Missoula are a subject of MUCH discussion even amongst us diehards - but I'd shoot for a burger at the Mo club and Naps and a drink up at Shadows Keep for the view.
 
Good timing.
I am new to the program too and plan on coming to Missoula this fall. I plan on catching a game, staying through the week and catching another the following weekend. Which week would be good to spend? I would like to see and do as much as possible between games.
 
Zona, if I were you I'd take Southwest to Spokane and hookup with the some of the Griz parents who travel to every game. They're a good bunch and flying Southwest from AZ to Spokane is a reasonable alternative to flying the Seattle-Missoula route.
 
NewGrizFan123 & Zona

We need to narrow this down.

1: outdoor person? Camping, hiking, biking, boating, skiing?

2: will you have a car to use?

3: Into fine dinning?

4: Beer drinking and bar hopping?

5: Like to see historical areas?

6: sport person?

PS no mater what people tell you driving 1hr south to Butte and jumping into the worlds largest man made crater is not a good idea.
 
Looking forward to meeting you NewGriz. I Know Ochs is pretty excited about working out with Ronnie.
I booked thru hotwire recently for $250. per ticket round trip Missoula - WA DC on NWA, but no frequent flyer miles. Griz4life mentioned SWA and they are typically 30% cheaper, but only fly to Spokane.
Good luck and bring your Marshall boy along some time. Go Griz!!

Jagur asked some good questions because there are several options, and another concern is, when will you be here?
 
I will have a car
Love sports. I will watch anything from pee wee football to shuffleboard.
I will bring a bike. I ride daily.
Not much for beer guzzling...perfer good scotch and good food.
I would love to see historical sites.
 
Back to back home games limit your options. First 2 weekends in Sept. have Maine and Hofstra visiting the Griz. The month of Nov. has Northern Arizona the first weekend, Sacramento State the second weekend, and of course the Brawl of the Wild against the 'Cats on the third weekend. We most likely will have a home game on Thanksgiving Weekend also.
 
griz4life said:
Zona, if I were you I'd take Southwest to Spokane and hookup with the some of the Griz parents who travel to every game. They're a good bunch and flying Southwest from AZ to Spokane is a reasonable alternative to flying the Seattle-Missoula route.

Zona....

You have three choices that you could do the two game thing in a week. You have the week of Sept. 4th through Sept. 11. We play Maine on the 4th and Hofstra the following week.

Then Nov. 6th we play N. Arizona to Nov. 13th we play Sac. State

Or Nov. 13th we play Sac. State to Nov. 20th we play Montana State

The Sept. Games will give you ample opportunity for summer activities.
The Nov. games will be more exciting as the Griz will have found their place in the National rankings and we'll know what's at stake and many things will be on the line. Sometimes in the late season games you don't get to see some stars and key players because they get knocked out for the season along the way. So if you come to the first two games you'll see all the players hopefully. Who knows if Ochs will be around (knock on wood) in November.


NewGrizFan....

Take the flight from Pittsburg to Spokane then use the money you save to get a rental car for the stay. You'll save $150 to $200 a ticket doing it that way vs. flying right into Missoula. You will have a 190 mile drive to Missoula but it is one of the most scenic 190 miles you'll ever see.
 
I'm flexible. A back to back home game situation is not a real issue. I can catch a home game travel to an away game and stay another week. It depends on what I can do during the week.
 
All the input is appreciated. I've heard good things about Missoula.

I'd say this is a good start.

I am going to the SHS game so maybe I should plan on making the first two then heading to Texas.
 
zona.....


Call the ticket office and reserve your tickets now. They have a waiting list they'll put you on. Then tell them not to send the tickets, that you will pick them up at the ticket office. I didn't recieve my Noth Dakota State tickets last year till a couple days before the game. That might be cutting it too close if you were to depend on them sending them to you.

So don't have them send the tickets. It could cause problems.
 
I do a lot of business travelling out of Ronan/Polson area - which many times requires flying. I've found it almost always to be less expensive to drive the extra 2.5 hrs. to Spokane rather than to fly directly out of Missoula. Figure on about a 3.5 hour drive to Missoula, as Geiger is on other end (west) of Spokane, but freeway and quite a pretty drive the entire way.
 
NewGriz I don't know how much time you will have, but here are some things in/close to Missoula where we take friends and relatives:
In Missoula:
Smoke Jumpers Base when tours are in season
Rocky Mtn Elk Foundation
Downtown Missoula

Around Missoula
Bison Range 30 min from Missoula, plan to spend 2 - 4 hours if the upper road is open

Flathead Lake 40 min from Missoula, lots of state parks around the lake to stop at, Cherry orchards when in season are awesome

The West side of Glacier National Park to Logan Pass- 90 - 120 minutes from Missoula to the park, you can do this in a day trip, but it is a long one. Plus a million things to see outside the park.

Lolo Hot Springs - 30 minutes from missoula - not a great resort, but the scenery is great, and it is a historical drive over Lolo Pass on Hwy 12. Plus it is not expensive and you do get to soak in the hot springs pool.

Big Hole Battle Field - 60 - 90 minutes from Missoula, site of Indian Battle with Chief Joseph, includes a nice drive up the Bitterrooot and over the Cont. Divide into the Big Hole Valley.

Saphire Mine in Phillipsburg - 90 minutes from Missoula. Scenic drive on route 1, and we have found some great saphires, plus the Sweet Palace, and a pretty cool western town. If you have time complete the loop on Rte 1 past Georgetown Lake and through Anaconda.

Territorial prison and car museum in Deer Lodge - about 90 minutes from Missoula

Day trip to Butte - lots of history and things to see. Visit the Mueseum of Mining and Berkley Pit, Take the tour to Our Lady of the Rockies for the view if nothing else.

I might be off on some of the driving times, but in my opinion all of these drives are awesome, and the scenery is worth the trip alone.

If you have more time, Yellowstone is a must see. If it is early in the season exit through the NE over Beartooth Pass. Take your time entering from the west, and see Virgina City and Quake Lake before getting to West Yellowstone.

Once you over there by Billings it is a day trip to Custer battlefield. In Billings the pictograph cave is pretty cool.

Other things around the state we like:
The Lewis & Clark museum in Great Falls, and adjacent Giant Springs state park. Also the Charlie Russell Museum is great.

Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman

The Dinosaur museum and Egg Mountain in Choteau

Madison Buffalo Jump

Lewis and Clark Caverns

Gate of the Mountains boat tour

I'm sure there are a million more ideas, I was just trying to think of things we like to do that you probably won't find in West Virgina.
 
zona: If you bring your bike: a ride up Blue mountain is great (if it is still open to the public.) also the old Railroad trail by the University going along the river is great but you need a light for the old tunnels if you want to make it a long ride.
 
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