Whitefish, Montana
First full day here. Due to catching up on sleep, I missed breakfast in the hotel so sauntered along the sidewalk to check out the diners.
Whitefish is a clash-culture town. Parts of it are obviously set up for the tourist season; the strip running south on I-93 is an endless reel of motels, fast food places, gas stations and malls. In the centre of town, about half the businesses are aimed at visitors who apparently pack the place in summer. So you see signs like this hyping up the western aspect:
But, there’s also quite a few genuine places for locals. Casinos, bars, hang-outs, diners; there’s enough to choose from. And there’s an easy rule of thumb here. Instead of a “genuinly local” star rating, just count the number of pick-up trucks with a dog in the back outside a particular place:
That seems to correlate to how “local” the place is, which is confirmed by looking at the prices. In a 4-pickup truck place, where I appeared to be the only person not wearing a check shirt, faded hat or moustache, I picked up breakfast for 8 dollars:
Underneath the poached eggs and layer of onions, I discovered a very thick slice of ham. Couldn’t finish it.
Right, apart from the Buffalo steak I’m having one evening, it’s healthy food from now on in Montana plus plenty of exercise. Of which, it’s time to do a little mountain exploration.
Good luck with the healthy eating. You’re in Montana. I hope you consider ham healthy.
Looks delish! Thank you for your reports from the States
Do you ski? Whitefish has an excellent ski hill but you’re just a month too early!
I expect that you weigh fifty stone by now.