[Missoula to Philipsburgh, MT; 75 miles]
A friend of mine who crewed JOH in 2008 told me that the little city of Philipsburgh stood above the rest as his favorite stop along the route. When we initially rolled into town (after passing an uncomfortable amount of billboards discouraging meth usage), I wondered if there was enough around to even constitute as a city! Philipsburgh is a small town, with a small population. It even holds the distinction of being an authentic ghost town. This smallness, however, gives it an inherent charm that is impossible to deny.
After settling into the local high school gym (which apparently is haunted by the ghost of former custodian “Old Man Crowley”… yeesh), we found ourselves immersed in numerous local shops. I was sure to hit up the local antique shop to purchase some items for my dear friends Kelly Nealon and Alex Baker, whom I promised to buy the tackiest items America has to offer. Then we discovered Doe Brothers soda shop, which is a fantastic old fashioned establishment that feels out of a movie. Actually it apparently was in a movie – “Call of the Wild 3D!” Tight.
We were fortunate to have rolled into town on just the right day, as the talk of the town was all about the annual cooking competition that night. This shindig brought together the entire town of Philipsburgh, as well as those from neighboring counties. We were awkwardly seated in a roped off area away from the masses, but we still made time to chat up some of the locals and observe some truly awesome cowboy attire. I don’t think I’ve ever consumed so many ribs in one sitting and the cook-off most certainly rocked my world. Small town + big appetite = happy team. On to Butte!
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