To remind your out-of-town relatives and friends of why you love it here, consider the following icons of local fame or notoriety.
People who can’t find Missoula with Google Maps are nevertheless drinking Evening In Missoula tea. This distinctive herbal beverage harks back to 1972, when the Garden City was famous for Aber Day keggers, local Amtrak train service and air inversions so thick you could spread them on toast. Maybe that’s why Montana Tea and Spice Trading LLC founder Bruce Lee developed its blend of 19 aromatics n to push back the funk. It’s available at most places that carry bulk tea, or directly from the makers in their new location at 2600 W. Broadway. Shop manager Beverly Adams said the company turns out about 100 pounds of Evening in Missoula a week, which comes to about 22,400 cups of caffeine-free tea. Among her more regular customers is a sizable unit of U.S. Army soldiers in Baghdad who fell in love with a Missoula member’s care package.
Forget one-size-fits-all gifts. The Ninemile Schoolhouse and Teacherage has doubled the production run of its handmade Snowflake Mobiles, which come in “flurry,” “snowstorm” and “blizzard” models. A western Montana Christmas institution for decades, original Schoolhouse owners Hanneke and Les Ippisch designed and painted heirloom ornaments and decorations. New owners Kurt Cyr and Jay Zaltzman have carried on the tradition, including its three-day-only annual shopping opportunity. Last year, Cyr and Zaltzman introduced the Snowflake Mobile, and saw its inventory vanish in a couple of hours. The five-flake decorations cost $12, $15 and $18 respectively. They’re available Friday through Sunday at the Schoolhouse on Ninemile’s Remount Road from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A few may be available after the weekend on the Schoolhouse’s Web site, www.9mileschoolhouse.com.
The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center regularly invites dignitaries and scholars from around the world to visit the University of Montana. To thank them, center Director Terry Weidner said the most popular parting gifts are photography books of the region. One of the best is Donald Jones’ Montana Wildlife Portfolio, with 147 images of the state’s charismatic megafauna and lesser-known denizens. It’s available in most local bookstores or on line for between $20 and $28.
If you’re looking for the deluxe Montana gift, go on the prowl for a real Yogo sapphire. These cornflower-blue gems are the only sapphires in the world that require no heat-treating or other manipulation to display their brilliant fire, according to Barney Jette Jewelry Design owner Nancy Ball. They’re also getting rare since the only known Yogo mine in Utica closed two years ago. Because they struggled to break into the worldwide jewelry market, local prices and quality can be all over the board. A simple necklace setting at the Jette shop with a 12-point Yogo sapphire starts at about $500.
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