Lolling at Lolo

With a whole day to spend in Missoula, we first walked to the park outside the door of our condo building.

This is a very historic area as Lewis and Clark came through on their exploration of the western half of the country.

They were confused about which river they were following and ended up naming it several times.

Interpretive signs throughout the park by the river tell the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

After an excellent cup of espresso and a yummy orange crescent scone at Cafe Dolce we headed south from Missoula to Lolo Hot Springs.

Water in the main pool is around 85 degrees, which felt warm and nice even with the morning air temp at 58 degrees.  Inside the building in the hot pool, we checked the thermometer to find a temp of 105 degrees.

Perfect for lounging!

The lodge at Lolo - there are also cabins and campgrounds for both RV's and tents.  The hot spring is about 35 miles outside Missoula on Hwy 12.

Back in Missoula for the afternoon.

The Peanuts of Dothan

 The closest city to our winter home is Dothan, Alabama, one of the fastest growing cities in the South.  We can find every major retailer, many options for eating out, recreation, and one of the most artistic cities we have seen anywhere. http://www3.dothan.org/statistics.html

Half of the peanuts grown in the United States are grown within a 100 mile radius of Dothan, so peanuts are very important to the community.  The National Peanut Festival is held the first weekend of November every year.  Businesses have jumped on board with the peanut theme, so throughout the city, peanuts greet customers at the door.  It has probably created a cottage industry for artists designing peanuts.  Here are some examples:

Dothan Eagle

Hooters

 

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