Hello you Montana lovers. While this is something I don’t normally do, today I’m doing it. I’m asking for your help.

You see, the lovely Western Montana community of Missoula is competing to host this year’s Social Media Tourism Symposium–one of the leading social media conference’s in the tourism industry. As part of the bid, the top cities are now facing each other in the Elite Eight–a tournament style bracket showdown, with each winning city advancing to the next round of competition.

This week–as in Wednesday, March 20–Missoula is facing off against Grand Rapids, Michigan. And boy howdy, they need your vote! Voting is open from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Wednesday and is open to all facebook users. All you have to do, my lovely, handsome, charming, beautiful friends, is log into your facebook account, click here and give the Garden City a vote.

Basically we’re enlisting all Missoulians, Missoula lovers, Montanans and Montana lovers to log in and vote. Because as people who love Montana with all of our Montana-lovin’ guts, we know that there is no better location to host a tourism conference than the lovely city of Missoula and the Big Sky State of Montana.

Here are some reasons why Missoula and Montana would be the ideal location for #SoMeT13US…
Location: Missoula is lovely. It’s surrounded by a bevy of mountain ranges, a wilderness area, unspoiled nature and it has a river running through the heart of downtown.

Overlooking the Missoula Valley.
Overlooking the Missoula Valley.

-Downtown: Missoula’s downtown is perhaps best described as one of the hippest and coolest of any Montana city. Plus, it’s completely walkable, historic, quaint and charming.

Downtown Missoula and two of its cute residents.
Downtown Missoula and two of its cute residents.

-Wide-open spaces: Montana isn’t called Big Sky Country for nothin’. Within 10 minutes of downtown Missoula, you can be in the Rattlesnake Wilderness or casting a fishing line on three blue-ribbon trout rivers. And in another 30 minutes, you’ll be knocking on the door of the Bob Marshall Wilderness (know around here as “The Bob”) and its more than one million acres.

Brennan's Wave in downtown Missoula.
Brennan’s Wave in downtown Missoula.

-Music: Missoula is a small city, but you better believe it packs a big punch. Within the downtown core, there are 14 live music venues that host a variety of music acts.

-Beer: While we know that there are plenty of local breweries around the nation, Montana is ranked second in the country for breweries per capita, which means there is one brewery for every 30,919 Montanans. Plus, when your beer goes by names like Moose Drool, Trout Slayer, Slow Elk and Cold Smoke, you know it’s gotta be good.

Local libations at Kettlehouse Brewing Co.
Local libations at Kettlehouse Brewing Co.

-406: Montana is home to one area code and around one million residents. And while our population may be small, the pride of being a Montana lover is large. Chances are, if you spend much time in our state you’ll see 406-adorned goodness in the form of hats, bumper stickers and sweatshirts. After all, the 406 is something that is worn with pride.

Again, please vote and help us show everyone how magical Montana really is.

Many thanks and happy trails,
TT

March 19, 2013

Related: Missoula

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