Bitterroot's Best 2008

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B�tterroot’s B�st Ar� Ga�ery Thank You for voting us

bitterroot’s Best 2008 published by the Ravalli Republic Newspaper

Publisher Kristen Bounds Editor Perry Backus Art Focus has been on Main Street for fifteen years providing the valley with the best original art and custom framing . As always, we continue to focus on finding you new and innovative ways to bring you the best in quality, design, service and value. Thank you for voting us Bitterroot’s Best Art Gallery 2008

Production & Design Dara Saltzman & Christina Wernikowski Product Sales Kathy Kelleher, Carol Saylor, Tyler Claxton & Christina Wernikowski Cover Photo Will Moss Bitterroot’s Best 2008 is a publication of the Ravalli Republic, a division of Lee Enterprises.

Copyright 2008 by the Ravalli Republic.

To be included in next year’s publication, call the Ravalli Republic at 363-3300

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Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 - Page 3

BITTERROOT’S BEST 2008 RESULTS

By Clint Burson and Georgia Kay

t re

c e s

With the votes all tallied, the results were in on Bitterroot’s Best of 2008. It was our top secret assignment to get out there and check out the best of the valley and report back.

We printed out the list, memorized it, then ate it. Fortunately it was printed on organic paper with soy-based ink. With recorders, pencils and notebooks in hand we set out from the newspaper office.

p to Day One:

We began by looking for Shannon Diaz, reportedly the best bartender in the valley. We had her name, but we had no idea where she worked. There are a lot of bars in the Bitterroot and we knew Shannon was at one of them.

It was a big job, but someone had to do it. We traveled from bar to bar searching for a bartender matching her name and description. Since we didn’t really have a description of what she looked like, our “search” amounted to ordering a drink and asking, “Are you Shannon?”

We got some odd looks along the way, but that might have had something to do with our increasing level of intoxication. After finishing our drinks and determining the person serving us was not Shannon Diaz, the best bartender in the valley, we walked on to the next bar. (We may not have known where Shannon works, but we knew you shouldn’t drink and drive.)

At The Edge in Hamilton we remembered that they were on our list with the Bitterroot’s Best Bloody Mary (plus best outdoor

BEST

BEST

Local Entertainment

Microbrew Selection

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OF BEER 19

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Join Us for Lunch & Dinner Monday - Saturday Live Music Thursdays & Saturdays Tasting Room Open Daily 363-7468

Page 4 - Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008

Doctors MANDY & JACK BARNINGS and Teresa

Wish to thank everyone who voted us the

Bitterroot’s Best Chiropractic Practice

Care you can trust.

406-363-7600

246 Marcus Street, Hamilton

$ 0RQWDQD /LIHVW\OH *DOOHU\ Thank You for voting us Bitterroot’s Best

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301 N. 1st Street, Hamilton 961-1250

www.BitterrootBitAndSpur.com

photo Will Moss

The Edge in Hamilton, home of the Bitterroot’s Best Bloody Mary, Outdoor Dining and Business Lunch

dining and best business lunch) so we bellied up to the bar ordered one and asked, again, “Are you Shannon?” The bartender asked us for ID, gave us our drinks and pointed to her name tag that said “Heather.” Apparently she wasn’t Shannon.

Fortunately though, the Bloody Mary was delicious and eased our embarrassment in not noticing the name tag.

Before our next stop we decided to stop in at the Gold Coin Casino, the Bitterroot’s Best casino. We were running low on cash at this point and figured we’d try

to up our budget with a little wagering. Unfortunately, we were not very lucky and ended up visiting the ATM. Twice. Fortunately, the staff at the Gold Coin was extremely nice and helpful. After a few laughs, they sent us on our way, wishing us luck in our quest to find Shannon.

By the time we got to The Office (where apparently Shannon Diaz pours drinks for happy customers), we had forgotten who we were searching for.

Being disciplined reporters though we ordered drinks and asked “Are you Sharor?” We must have been slurring

Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 - Page 5

and the Bitterroot Microbrew Festival Committee would like to thank the Beer connoisseurs of the Valley for voting us...

The Valley Bar in Darby, the Bitterroot’s Best Cowboy Bar our words, for we never did get an answer.

We did however get our drinks and after downing them, we stepped outside and into the waiting vehicle of a fellow reporter for a ride to Darby. She was on her way to cover the Darby Town Council meeting and had agreed to play chauffeur.

On our list was the best cowboy bar, The Valley Bar in Darby. So in an attempt to blend in we went to Fords, the Bitterroots

photo Will Moss

BITTERROOT’S BEST ANNUAL EVENT See you Saturday, July 26th

Best place for men’s and women’s clothing (followed

3-10PM on Bedford Street bitterrootvalleychamber.com

closely by Bella Boutique), to get decked out before heading for Darby.

Not only does Ford’s have a fantastic selection of men’s and women’s clothing, they have a great western wear department with plenty of hats to choose. We found cowboy bar appropriate clothing and checked out with several more items to add to the newspaper’s expense report and headed south to the Valley Bar, where

363-2400

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US BITTERROOT’S BEST

wine selection photo Dara Saltzman

Ford’s Department Store, Downtown Hamilton, where you will find the best men’s & women’s clothing

VISIT US AT OUR NEW LOCATION

518 N. 1 st Street, Hamilton • 363- 2366

Page 6 - Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 the modern cowboy enjoys cold beer and good company.

Our long night of searching had left us with mysterious aches and pains, so we checked our list and opted for a visit to the Bitterroot’s Best

chiropractor, Barning’s Chiropractic, where Drs. Jack

and Mandy Barnings specialize in treating everything from sports injuries to work comp cases.

Adjusted and feeling better, we continued on our quest to find this valley’s best bartender. We headed over to the Victorian Casino for further questioning as well as the Bit-

terroot’s best Margarita for the at least the second year in a row.

After our visit to the Victorian Casino, we caught a ride across town to the

Bitterroot’s Best sports bar, The Corner Bar. We file photo

Jack & Mandy Barnings, the Bitterroot’s Best Chiropractors

took a break from our search and watched some golf, baseball and a bit of NASCAR. We were there for quite

awhile.

From there, somehow we ended up taking a spin through offices of the

Bitterroot’s Best Veterinarian, Dr. Joe Melnarik, who performed a careful examination and after hearty pat on the head, sent us on our way. We also now have small microchips in our shoulders to help our loved ones find should we ever become lost again. We greatly appreciated the care he gave us.

Our adventures had once again depleted us of cash, so we were off to the Bitterroot’s Best

bank, Ravalli County Bank. We strolled in and checked

our balances before asking to make a withdrawal. We made sure to get a receipt to cover our expense report claims. Hard to beat such service. With our bank accounts emptied, we left.

As the Ravalli County Bank employees waved goodbye, we decided to stop in at the Bitterroot’s Best

dog grooming place, Pam-

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I would like to personally thank you for voting Faces by Laura “Best Place to Be Pampered”

- Laura Pietrowski Licensed Esthetican

Targeted skin care... ...make a change with every treatment.

Wrinkle repair, age correction, redness reduction, environmental protection, sensitivity control, acne correction.

217 N. 3rd Street • Hamilton • 363-0086

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252 W. Main St. • Hamilton

363-5220

Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 - Page 7

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photo Will Moss

Shannon Diaz, the Bitterroot’s Best Bartender, at the Office in Hamilton

pered Pets, to say hello. If we were dogs, this would definitely be a good place to come in for a trim, shampoo and some nice looking nails.

Next stop on our long list was the

Bitterroot’s Best place to meet men, The Office

in Hamilton. Everything looked very familiar and we were pretty sure we’d been there before. Having confirmed The Office did indeed have a large selection of men to be met, we decided we would check out the Bit-

terroot’s Best place to meet women, The Silver Coin Casino.

Fortunately for us the Office and the Silver Coin share a door. They’re also decorated remarkably similar.

The close proximity of the best place to meet men and the best place to meet women must come in handy though for those searching for Mr. or Miss Right. It certainly made our jobs easier.

After confirming the women were in fact available, we introduced them to all the men we’d met earlier. They all had a great time with much dancing and mingling. Our jobs done we had one last stop on our first day, the

Club West 205 WEST MAIN, SUITE A, HAMILTON • 363-1119

Thank you to our wonderful customers for voting us

Bitterroot’s Best Salon!

Bitterroot’s Best Friday Night Spot.

We exited the Silver Coin and went back to The Office. The couples we’d introduced in the Silver Coin had moved back over to The Office. I guess The Office’s reputation

A TOTAL SPA AND SALON EXPERIENCE FOR MEN & WOMEN

Page 8 - Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 as a great Friday Night Spot was already well known.

We said hello again and headed for the bar where we finally found Shannon Diaz, the best bartender at the best Friday Night spot, The Office.

Day Two: After a long and sometimes wobbly day one, it was time to head out again on our search to find Bitterroot’s Best. We decided to start the second day’s quest in search of Jessica

Law, Bitterroot’s Best Salesperson.

We started our search at the location of the best wine selection at the Bitterroot Grocery Emporium and after some sampling, realized it would be a bad idea to continue without food in our stomach.

We picked up the valley’s best breakfast at The Kitchen. It was very tasty. We also headed over to the Bitfile photo

Bitterroot Grocery Emporium, in Hamilton has the Bitterroot’s Best Wine Selection.

terroot’s Best Bakery, Place to Ponder for some freshly baked treats.

Knowing we were in for a full day we also

Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 - Page 5

A Place to Ponder,

the Bitterroot’s Best Bakery, Desserts and Soup. photo Will Moss

picked up some soup to go and a few desserts, both the Bitterroot’s Best.

Then we set off to find Jessica Law. Again, we had no information as to where she works, so we started out at the Bitter Root Brewery, home of the best micro brew and best entertainment.

The Bitterroot’s Best musician, Joan Zen, was playing, no sign of Jessica Law. We did a little dancing, well, a lot of dancing, photo Dara Saltzman and the resulting soreness required a Jitterz, the Bitterroot’s Best Espresso, in the visit to the Bitterroot’s Best Bitterroot’s Best Bookstore, Chapter One. massage therapist,

Denise Rose. We each got a great rub-down and felt relaxed. She has some great hands. Strong too.

To jump start our continued quest, we grabbed a quick coffee at the Bit-

terroot’s Best Espresso, Jitterz.

Fortunately for us, Jitterz shares space with the valley’s best bookstore, Chapter One and we picked up some reading material and marked down a few dates of readings by local authors.

After all the calories we’d consumed in our quest for both Shannon Diaz and

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Tom, Alan, Julie & the staff of Ford’s Department Store thank you for voting us

BEST MENS/WOMENS CLOTHING, 2008.

We look forward to helping you with all your clothing needs.

9

Page 10 - Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008

photo Will Moss

The Canyons, Bitteroot’s Best Gym.

photo Will Moss

Bitterroot Brewing, home of the Bitterroot’s Best Microbrew.

now Jessica Law we decided to stop by the Bitterroot’s Best Gym for a workout. We had to decide between two gyms. We ended up following the people’s advice of The Canyons.

It was a tight race though with the Iron Horse losing out by only one vote.

We started out with a swim class at the

Canyons and had a coach that used to be an Olympian. She was great. Boy did we work up an appetite.

And so we had no choice but to expense yet another meal. From blocks away we could smell the tasty burgers at the famous Naps. They were voted the best burger in the Bitterroot and

Thank you for voting us

Bitterroots Best Produce!

)$50(56 352'8&( We’ve “bean” serving the valley for 6 years!

Our customers are “berry” special to us!

We will continue to bring you the very best produce selection and hope you will “lettuce” “romaine” your #1 produce store.

Monday 12pm - 6pm • Tuesday - Saturday 9am-6pm 906 S. First, Hamilton •363-2569

Thank You for Voting us your

#1 Harware & Home Improvement Store

Our Customers are #1 with us.

714 N. 1st Street, Hamilton

363-3351

Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 - Page 11

305 Main Street Hamilton 363-3605

Naps, where you can get the Bitterroot’s Best Burger. we were not disappointed. The burgers were huge and very tasty. Georgia even went back for a second burger.

Along with some fries and a milk shake we ate more than our share and waddled out the door.

Then we were off again in search of Jessica Law. We hopped in the car but, after sitting for the past couple days, it wouldn’t start and we had to visit the Bit-

file photo

Kids Clothes Educational Toys Books & Gifts Diaper Bags d e t Vo Shoes Bitterroot’s Best!

2008

terroot’s Best mechanic at Bitterroot Valley Transmissions on Highway 93 in Victor. We were in good hands. Dirty hands, but definitely good hands.

They were great and helped us push the car the last 50 feet to their garage since we couldn’t get it started. At least we burned off some of the calories from the Naps burgers and fries.

As it turns out there was nothing

Thank you, Valued Customers, for your votes and your continued support!

Your JC Penny Catalog Store

Our Customers are Jewels!

Thank You for voting us the

Bitterroot Valley’s Favorite Jewelry Store

201 photo Will Moss

Bitterroot Valley Transmission, Bitterroot’s Best Mechanic.

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Bitterroot’s Best 2008

Page 12 - Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008

Nightlife

Bartender Shannon Diaz at the Office Bloody Mary The Edge Casino Gold Coin Cowboy Bar Valley Bar – Darby Friday Night Spot The Office Happy Hour the Edge Margarita Victorian Casino Sports Bar The Corner Bar

Out of doors

Bird watching Camping spot Day hike Horseback riding trail Mountain bike trail Swimming hole

Teller Wildlife Refuge Lake Como campgrounds, Painted Rocks a close 2nd Blodgett Canyon by far Calf creek Lake Como Lake Como

Culture/activities/issues

Annual festival/event Brewfest closely followed by Daly Days Art gallery Art Focus Local issue/problem zoning followed closely by growth Things valley needs things for teens to do, followed by more jobs

Faces

Chiropractor Barning’s Chiropractic Coach Megan Towbridge Dentist Chet Nelson Massage therapis Denise Rose Mechanic Bitterroot Valley Transmissions Musician Joan Zen Reporter/voice Jenny Harris Salesperson Jessica Law Mrs. Woods, Darby music teacher Teacher Dr Joe Melnarik Veterinarian

Places

Anniversary spot Signal Grill First date Pharoahphlex Historical spot Daly mansion Local getaway Skalkaho Falls Outdoor dining The Edge Place to eat alone Spice of Life Place to get married Daly Mansion Local entertainment Bitterroot Brew Pub Place to meet men The Office Place to meet women Silver Coin Romantic Dinner Signal Grill Weekend getaway Jackson Hot Springs

Shops/Business

Windsor Antiques Antique store Ravalli County Bank Bank Barbershop State St Barbershop Bed & breakfast Bitterroot River Lodge Book Store Chapter One Children’s clothing Me & Mom Cool home furnish Madison Creek, Stevensville Dog grooming Pampered Pets Feed/farm/pets Lakeland Feeds Fishing headquarters Bob Wards Florist Flower Happy Fresh produce Farmers Produce Grocery store Super One Hair Salon Club West Hardware/home imp Evans Ace Health/fitness Canyons Interior Design Bit & Spur Jewelry store Mikesell’s Mens/women clothes Ford’s Nursery/garden Bitterroot Nursery Place to pamper Faces by Laura Tack store Quality Supply Unique gifts Robbins on Main Video rental Crazy Mike’s Curb Traders 2nd Hand/pawn

Bitterroot’s best day hike Blodgett Canyon

Food

Atmosphere/view Skalkaho Steakhouse Bakery Place to Ponder The Kitchen Breakfast Naps by a landslide Burger The Edge Business lunch a Place to Ponder Dessert Jitterz Espresso Coffee Cup Hospitable restaurant Greek Gyros Lunch under $5 Fiesta En Jalisco Mexican Bitterroot Brewery Micro brew selection Oriental Bamboo Garden Pizza Papa Murphy’s Prime rib Rocky Knob Restaurant service Coffee Cup Cafe Spice of Life Salad Subway Sandwich A Place to Ponder Soup Skalkaho Steakhouse Steak Bitterroot Grocery Emporium Wine Selection

Bitterroot’s best dentist Chet Nelson

Bitterroot’s best art gallery Bitterroot’s best birdwatching Art Focus Teller Wildlife Refuge

Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 - Page 13

Page 14 - Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 wrong with our car, we were trying to use the wrong key. Apparently our master keys did not work on everything. So we headed over to the Bitterroot’s Best hardware store, Evans Ace, and had a new key made. The helpful staff at Evans Ace helped us with our keys and the new patio furniture and paint for the newsroom.

We still hadn’t found Jessica Law. We continued our quest at the Bitter-

root’s Best antique shop, Windsor Antiques. If you’re looking

for antique décor for your new home, you can’t beat Windsor Antiques. If you’re looking for new decor for your antique home, Windsor Antiques isn’t a bad place to go either.

Our next stop was the Bitterroot’s

Best home furnishings store, Madison Creek Furnishings just off Highway 93 in Stevensville where owner Tim Shonkwiler had us all try the very comfortable furnishings that filled his store.

Then, we thought we’d take a look at the

Bitterroot’s Best Jewelry Store, Mikesell’s. We’d been run-

photo Will Moss

Mikesell’s Fine Jewelry, the Bitterroot’s Best Jewelry Store.

Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 - Page 15

T he Staff & Owners want to thank everyone who voted us

Bitterroot’s Best Pizza! we will continue to serve the Best Pizza in the Valley! photo Will Moss

Lakeland Feed & Supply, the Bitterroot’s Best Feed, Farm & Pet Store.

Dennis & Sharon Hedding OWNERS

ning up a pretty big expense tab and thought a gift for the publisher might smooth things over. Mikesell’s had so many beautiful pieces of jewelry that we ended up buying gifts for everyone. Their downtown location made for a quick, easy walk back over to the office to deliver our gifts Next stop was Bitterroot’s

Best kids clothing store, Me & Mom. They had

quite a selection and we spent some time selecting some outfits. We found so many different styles and colors and all of the clothes were excellent quality. Owner Patti Martin was very friendly and we had a great time.

We continued down Main Street to the

Bitterroot Best art gallery at Art Focus. There

were paintings, sculpture, jewelry, prints, ceramics and more. Every piece was unique and beautiful. We picked up a couple paintings to cover the holes in the wall that might be created when we submitted our expense report.

After our trip to Art Focus we were in a decorating mood so we headed over to Bitterroot Bit & Spur,

voted the best place for interior design. The shop was an amazing array of furniture, lamps, tableware, rugs and decorator items.

We discussed the best ways to decorate our newsroom and came away with some great suggestions. We really appreciate the fine folks at Bit & Spur for their helpful and creative advice.

By that time we were hungry again so we went to Lakeland Feed only to find it is the Bitterroot’s

Best Feed, Farm and Pet store. The folks at Lakeland Feeds

definitely knew their product and helped us find some great food for all of our critters.

As we were leaving Lakeland Feeds we got into a small debate over what to eat for dinner. We couldn’t decide between steak and prime rib. The

Bitterroot’s Best prime rib is at the Rocky Knob.

It’s hard to beat a good prime rib and it had been a while since we’d had any. The best steak was at the Skalkaho Steakhouse, winner of Bitterroot’s Best Atmo-

sphere & View.

701 N. 1ST, HAMILTON

375-0600

Page 16 - Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 We ended up going with the Bitterroot’s

best Asian food at Bamboo Garden. We made our selections from

their extensive menu and enjoyed their koi pond while we waited for our dinners.

After sampling the Bitterroot’s Best Asian food, we thought we’d try the Bitter-

root’s Best Mexican at Fiesta En Jalisco. We enjoyed chips and salsa followed by delicious fajitas and carne asada. The people at the table next to ours had some sopapillas for desert and offered to share. We were starting to get full though so we politely declined and then paid their tab... with our expense account! Ole! After our huge dinner we were driving through town and saw the editor’s car at the Coffee Cup Café the Bit-

terroot’s most hospitable restaurant. After a full day with the

Rocky Knob, home of the Bitterroot’s Best Prime Rib.

photo Will Moss

crazy reporters at the newspaper, he said he just wanted a place that would treat him well. True to their award the servers at the Coffee Cup Cafe treated Perry like an

Mexican Restaurant

Thank you for voting us the Bitterroot's

Best Margarita We accept competitor's coupons Enjoy our "best" margaritas on the patio!

“Muchas Gracias” for voting us the Best Mexican Restaurant in the Bitterroot Valley Join us for one of our Great Mexican Meals!

1659 N. 1ST ST. • HAMILTON

363-5413

363-4339

Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 - Page 17

DINING • LOUNGE • LODGING

Thank You for voting us

Bitterroot’s Best

PRIME RIB Enjoy our other great weekend specials!

6065 Hwy 93 S. Conner

821-3520 Mon-Sat 5pm-10pm • Sunday 4pm-10pm

photo Will Moss

The Coffee Cup Cafe, the Bitterroot’s most hospitable Restaurant. bershop, State Street old friend. We also stopped in at the Sundance Cheesecake Café, Barbershop, might improve our appearance. I got a great hair cut and home of the best service in considered a shave. the Bitterroot. We thought Georgia went over to the Bitterwe saw our graphic designer Dara root’s best hair salon, Saltzman’s car out front, but she was Club West. They gave her a great nowhere to be found. But the service was so great we stayed and ate a cheesecake. Yes, an entire cheesecake. We couldn’t help ourselves.

We were getting some strange looks while eating so we decided a trip to the Bitterroot’s best bar-

new look and made her look a good 10 years younger.

After all the cheesecake we’d eaten we knew we needed a teeth cleaning.

Why not visit the Bitterroot’s

best dentist, Chet Nel-

seafood • steaks • prime rib • pasta Beer & Wine • Serving Brunch Sat and Sun 10-2

Thank you

for voting us the bitterroot's

Most Romantic Dinner Destination Anniversary Spot Try our NEW Brunch: Mimosa with Crab and Asparagus Omlette!

Brunch can be romantic too!

Lunch: Mon-Sat, 11-4 • Dinner: Mon-Sun, 4-Close

131 W.Main • 375-9099

Page 18 - Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008

472 Tammany Lane, Hamilton

“A Premier Fitness Facility for the Bitterroot Valley�

WE OFFER SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE 25-yd. Pool Co-ed Hot Tub on Pool Deck Hot Tub, Sauna & Steam Room in Each Locker Room 2 Indoor Tennis Courts with Professional Instruction 3 Racquetball Courts Martial Arts 6,000 sq. ft. Weight Room Full Juice, Snack & Espresso Bar

Full Pool Schedule Racquetball

Personal Training For more info. call 363-1555

Thank you to all our members for supporting us Pilates Studio Tennis Spinning

Basketball Full Aerobics Schedule

Stretching Studio

“There’s no better investment than your health!� www.thecanyonsathleticclub.com

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photo Will Moss

Farmers Produce, where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find the Bitterrootâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best produce. son. He cheerfully cleaned our teeth and gave us instructions on how to floss properly. We agreed, for the sake of personal hygiene, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d stop in to see Chet Nelson more often.

We also stopped in for a little pampering at Faces by Laura, the

Bitterrootâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best place to get pampered. They defi-

nitely lived up to their reputation. We felt like a million bucks, which coincidentally was close to the total weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d already expensed in our journey. We added Faces by Laura to our list of things to do more often.

Again, we were running out of money.

We stopped in at Curb Traders to sell or trade something to get us back on the road. We walked out of the Bitterrootâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Second Hand/Pawn shop with money in our pockets and lighter one

newsroom camera.

Despite our Bitterrootâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best efforts though, still no Jessica Law. Before we headed to our respective homes for the night, we stopped for some groceries at the Bit-

terrootâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Grocery Store, Super One Foods.

They have just about anything you could possibly need in the grocery department. We bought a weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of groceries and were delighted to let the young bagger carry them out to our car.

We also stopped for the Bitter-

rootâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best fruit and veggies at Farmers Produce. We got some great deals on

excellent produce and assured the owners we would be back, frequently.

Despite recent grocery purchases, we just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like cooking a fancy

Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 - Page 19

2 miles south of Hamilton, left on Skalkaho Pass Rd., 7 mile marker

363-3522 To all our loyal Bitterrooters, thank you so much for voting us BEST STEAKHOUSE AND BEST ATMOSPHERE/VIEW!

root’s Best Pizza is Papa Murphy’s. We phoned in an order and picked up our freshly assembled, ready to bake pizza at their convenient drive-up window. This was easy.

After all we’d eaten this day we could no longer move from the couch. Fortunately we’d stopped in at the Bit-

Come enjoy the humming bird migration!

Your friends at the family owned Skalkaho Steakhouse, John, Sandy, Chelle, Tawnie, Libby, Doc, George & Hannah

ir ons

Bitterroot’s best pizza.

photo Will Moss

meal. Pizza sounded good. The Bitter-

is

terroot’s best video store, Crazy Mike’s. It

Day Three: It was time for a little relaxation and outdoor fun.

We mapped out our day over Greek Gyros for lunch, the Bitter-

root’s Best meal for under $5. We photo Stacey Lishok

were determined not to

Greek Gyros, Bitterroot’s Best Lunch under $5. run out of money for the

ar

was Tuesday, and we picked up a stack of great movies for only 99 cents each!

lH a t

Papa Murphy’s, where you’ll find the

Cong WE ARE PROUD OF OUR STAFF!

u t y a r n Je n

Voted

Best Reporter

Voice of the Valley

Page 20 - Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008

photo Will Moss

Teller Wildlife Refuge, (above)

where you’ll find the Bitterroot’s Best Birdwatching.

Blodgett Canyon, (right) has Bitterroot’s Best Day Hike.

photo Will Moss

third day in a row. It was a delicious lunch, made even better by the great price. Greek Gyros is obviously the choice when you’re short on funds.

We started our day of outdoor activities at the

Bitterroot’s best bird watching spot, Teller Wildlife Refuge where for The Best Views The Best Patio & Pond The Best Menu Variety The Best Bar Variety The Best Family Owned & Operated Bitterroot Restaurant

for The Best Drinks The Most Comfortable Seats The Most TV’s The Best Smiles Your Best Bet

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we spotted a sandhill crane, some mergansers and a couple of pretty little bluebirds.

We needed to work off the food we’d eaten over the last couple of days, so we went on the Bitter-

root’s Best day hike up Blodgett Canyon.

We also wanted to try the Bitterroot’s Best horseback riding trail, but

needed some supplies so we stopped by Quality Supply. If you need something farm or ranch related, that store is definitely the place to go. We played with the baby chicks and ducklings before picking up some saddles and reins for our horseback riding adventures. Quality Supply was definitely the Bitterroot’s Best Tack store.

Properly outfitted we proceeded up Calf Creek, the Bitterroot’s Best horseback riding trail.

After our trail ride, we planned to go fishing and

Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 - Page 21

Lake Como, the Bitterroot’s Best Swimming Hole, Mountain Bike Trail and Campground. made a quick stop at the Bitterroot’s Best Fishing Headquarters, Bob Ward’s.

With new fishing and camping gear in hand, we drove up to the Bitterroot’s Best campground, Lake Como. Painted Rocks was a close second, but a little further and we didn’t have much time. We set up our tent and a hammock.

The scenery was beautiful and the day was perfect for enjoying the Bitterroot’s best swimming hole, which is Lake Como as well.

I unloaded my new mountain bike and rode off on the Bitterroot’s best mountain bike trail, which also begins at Lake Como.

While we were at the lake we ran into the Bit-

photo Will Moss

THANK YOU for voting us the

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terroot’s best coach, Megan Towbridge of Victor and later, the Bitterroot’s Best teacher, Mrs. Mary Wood the Darby music teacher. Both were enjoying their summer vacation.

Then it was back to town for the Bitterroot’s Best annual festival, Brewfest and the runner up, Daly Days (fortunately held on the same weekend).

We were pretty hungry at this point and got into an argument on where to eat so we ate at different

Hamilton • Stevensville

Page 22 - Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008

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tables at the Bitterroot’s Best place to eat alone the Spice of Life. I don’t know what Georgia had, but I enjoyed the Bitterroot’s Best salad immensely.

With our stomachs full again we needed to get to the Bitterroot’s Best place for weddings, the Daly Mansion. The mansion, also the Bitterroot’s Best Historical spot, provided a great backdrop for the wedding photos which we managed to sneak into. We hadn’t actually been invited to the wedding but it was our job to report on the Bitterroot’s Best.

After the ceremony and reception the couple was off to the best romantic dinner at the Signal Grill (also best anniversary spot). They appeared to be having a very romantic meal and kept staring into each other’s eyes. And at us. We decided it was time to go.

We were ready for the best weekend getaway at Jackson Hot Springs. The hot water helped soothe our aching muscles and helped clear our heads.

We ran into the young married couple again at the

best bed and breakfast, Bitterroot River Lodge. The couple got into a

Bitterroot’s Best, Ravalli Republic, July 24 2008 - Page 23 huge argument over where they met, the Silver Coin or The Office.

They later recalled their first date was at the Pharoahplex. That was probably the key to their success as it was voted the Bitterroot’s best place to go on a first date.

There’s nothing better on a first date than sitting in a dark theater bumping hands in a popcorn bucket.

Just beware of the old yawn and stretch move ladies. Guys, you know what we’re talking about.

The newlyweds got into another big argument over what the most important local problem was zoning or growth (zoning won closely followed by growth). The argument probably stemmed from the fact that the husband was from Darby and the wife from Hamilton. Clearly they were passionate about both issues.

The one thing they agreed on was what the valley needs the most is activities for teens and more jobs.

It was time to end our lengthy quest. First, we needed to pick up a few things for our publisher and editor. We started with something from the Bitterroot’s best florist, Flower Happy.

We hoped the gorgeous arrangement might make the news that we spent the next month’s entire budphoto Dara Saltzman get on our quest to find the Bitterroot’s Best easier Robbins on Main, where you’ll find the Bitterroot’s Most Unique Gifts. to take.

We picked up some of the Bitterroot’s Best unique gifts at Robbins on Main. They had a huge selection and we found the perfect paper weights. We also thought it wise to take advantage of the Hallmark card selection and pick up some apology cards.

We finished up our shopping with some beautiful plants at the Bitterroot’s Best nurs-

ery/garden center, Bitterroot Nursery (with Moeller’s a close second).

With our gifts in hand, we returned to the Ravalli Republic newsroom.

We never did find Jessica Law. But we did find that the Bitterroot Valley has a lot of reason to be proud. Nice people, friendly businesses and beautiful vistas – they are all the best.

We’ll get the Bitterroot’s Best reporter, our very own Jenny Harris, to write her next prize winning article on our adventures.

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