Helena, MT

Helena seems like a really large town for such a small population. It is the state capital. It has an airport that is serviced by several airlines. Jean used Northwest Airlines. The downtown has an old preserved section from the 1800's & its a nice walking area. We had a great breakfast at the No Sweat Cafe on Last Chance Gulch St. in the historic district. Organically grown food. One block over on Fuller St. we discovered the Sweetgrass Bakery. Fabulous bread and sweets! There is a Super Walmart out toward the airport and D&S Tire & Battery on N. Montana St. if you are having car issues. Great Divide Cyclery on N. Jackson Stree,t which is also a block over from the No Sweat Cafe. We had dinner at Sara's Blue Ribbon Porkies on Cedar St. - west of the airport. Excellent BBQ pork sanwiches! There are lots of motels on Hwy 12. Some have their own laundry facilities, but there is also a laundromat. There is a large mall in the center of town that has Montana t-shirts and gifts. If you have extra time, the State Historical Museum and the State Capital bldg (across the street from one another) are well worth the time!!
BETH writes -Today was my first day off! It was weird to not be on my bike but I think my body much appreciated the day off. Helena is a very fun town! It is not very populated but the valley is filled with lights at night. We walked the walking mile in downtown Helena and looked in some of the local shops, stopped at a bakery (WOW!) and packed up Jean's bike to ship it home. Jean left early this morning and I was unsuccessful at convincing her to quit her job and stay for the summer. Thanks Jean for a fabulous 8 days - you will be missed greatly. Mom, Ann and I spent the day touring the Montana History Museum. Montana has quite a history from the native people to the explorers, gold rush, timber and copper industries. We also went to the state capitol building - very beautiful with painted walls and tiled floors. Finally, we had the great repacking game and planning for the next week. For all of those riders following me, Helena is a mecca for single track. They have a huge parcel trusted to the city of Helena with over 70 miles of single track - sounds like there may be a trip back to Helena in the future
:o)