Missoula, MT

The Crown of the Continent Geotourism Council partnered with the National Geographic Society on the Crown of the Continent MapGuide and the development of a website promoting the area - http://www.crownofthecontinent.net/ and GeoTourism.

According to National Geographic, Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place-its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.

The website is amazing as it lines out a wonderful trip through Glacier, Waterton, Canada and Western Montana. It provides information on the local area and:

The Crown of the Continent is a regional network of communities, tourism bureaus, conservation and business groups, educators, First Nations, government agencies, and others working together in the region that includes and surrounds Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in southwestern Alberta, southeastern British Columbia, and northwestern Montana.

AARP recently came out with a study of the Skinniest US towns. Missoula, Montana ranked #7 of the top ten. They gathered information from the National Center for Chronic Disease BRFSS ('05-06) and looked at the average BMI for each city. Those with the lowest Body Mass Index (BMI) made the list.

Now keep inmind that they consider those with a BMI of 25 are still considered overweight. Thirty or above means obese. It's interesting to me that all but one of the "Skinniest" cities still had a BMI average of "overweight"

The top 10 is as follows:

1. Boulder, CO ...24.94

2. Santa Fe, NM ...25.50

3. Prescott, AZ ... 25.75

4. Palm Bay - Melbourne - Titusville, FL ... 25.79

5. Bend, OR ... 25.87

6. Barnstable Town, MA ... 25.95

7. Missoula, MT ... 25.97

8. Sarasota - Bradenton - Venice, FL ... 25.98

9. San Francisco Bay Area ... 25.98

10. Ft. Collins - Loveland, CO ... 25.99

U.S. Average ... 27.4

Missoula was also recently rated one of the Greenest Commuter towns by the same publication for our biking and walking to work.

Missoulians love their pets and there are many places that are pet friendly in Missoula.

Missoula and its surrounding areas have abundant recreational opportunities for you and your pet, including 2 dog parks - Jacob's Island and Fort Missoula's Canine Campus where you can let your pooch run without a leash. There are many other great places to walk your dog in Missoula, but you must comply with the city's leash laws. Our favorite places in the city limits are the Clark Fork River Walking Trail and the Kim Williams Trail. For a really good workout with your dog, you could also Hike the "M" trail on Mount Sentinel.

• Go Fetch! Bring your leashed pet and enjoy Go Fetch!'s Pet Bakery, Self-Grooming Pet Center, Dog Hikes, Toys & Accessories.
• Petsmart - Of course PetSmart is a great place to take your pet. It's one of my Beagle's favorite words!
• Dog Logic - Cageless Doggie Daycare, Boarding, and "Social Club".
• Pet Friendly Hotels & Camping/RV Areas

There are also some wonderful Pet Groups in and around Missoula:

• Animeals - provides food for hungry animals.
• Rolling Dog Ranch - an amazing sanctuary that rescues disabled animals. Also - A great place to visit and spend the day when you're in Western Montana. If you're an animal lover, you will enjoy their blog about life on the Ranch.
• MontanaPets.org - helps you find pets that need a home.

If you're want to keep an eye on Missoula, Montana, here are the best local web cams to help:

Downtown Missoula & View of the "M" on Mount Sentinel - Missoula County Webcam

The Univeristy of Montana's GRIZ CAM - GRIZ CAM

The Missoula International Airport also has a webcam at FLYMISSOULA

The Missoulian's webcam & weather forecast - Missoulian Cam

Here's a list of other Montana webcams.

Want to see your favorite webcam quickly? Add iGoogle as your internet browser's homepage. One of the free tools on iGoogle is that you can add your favorite webcam and it will appear on your homepage. We have the webcam from our favorite vacation spot, Oceanside, Oregon on our page.

If you want to learn about the Missoula Real Estate market, contact Kevin & Monica Ray with Streamside Realty at 406-207-1185 or visit us online at www.YourMT.com.

Winter can start to seem a little long this time of year. Take a break for fun and enjoy some of Missoula's favorite family activities.

A Carousel for Missoula & Dragon Hollow - is located downtown along the river and is built and maintained by volunteers. According to the Carousel website, "If magic can happen anywhere, it can happen in Missoula, where dreams are followed and promises are kept, and where people believe in making a life as well as making a living."

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Visitor's Center - features hands-on conservation and hunting heritage exhibits for all ages. Our exhibits invite you to learn more about elk, elk country and the role the Elk Foundation plays in conservation.

Currents Aquatic Park - Current's four pools feature engaging water features for every age. Currents is also home to Parks and Recreation headquarters and "Headwaters," a state-of-art community meeting room available for public use.

Smokejumper Visitor's Center - the largest active smokejumper base in the nation, it provides a unique opportunity to learn about this unusual, demanding, and dramatic occupation.

Children's Museum of Missoula - The Children's Museum, Missoula offers fun, interactive learning opportunities that allow children to explore their interests and abilities through play.

For more great Montana family fun destinations, visit Montanakids.com.