With a pure love for all things Montana, Mike and his family happily hang their hats in Kalispell. And while he has traveled the world, the hub of the Flathead Valley is where Mike wanted to call home. A talented and skilled musician, today Mike plays 200+ gigs and is happy to make a living in the place he chooses to call home.
DISCOVERY TIPS
Visit the Northwest Montana History Museum on a Thursday in the summer. That first floor about the Native American history of our area is so fascinating, I could have stayed in there for hours.
For breakfast, visit Montana Coffee Traders and order their breakfast burrito. Or grab a coffee at Maven Coffee Works.
Consider visiting Glacier National Park in the fall. It’s overlooked and you might catch the park at a less busy time.
“This mix of being able to be in the career I want to be in, but also having such great and easy access to all the wonderful outdoor recreational opportunities is what is most satisfying about living here.”
Mike Murray
Of all the places you could call home, why Kalispell?
Outdoor recreation opportunities are a huge priority. The public school system is fantastic. While there are other places with recreation opportunities, I love small towns, Kalispell in particular. You don’t often go out without bumping into someone you know. It’s a very friendly, warm and safe community, and that’s something that keeps me here.
If you have a free afternoon, what do you spend it doing?
If it’s spring, probably mountain biking…we’re spoiled with opportunity for that here. If it’s summer, hiking in the Swan Range – I love hiking the Jewel Basin. If it’s fall, I’m probably archery hunting. Winter, either skiing – we’re very lucky in Kalispell to have Blacktail Mountain Ski Area to the south and Whitefish Mountain Resort to the north – or snowshoeing.
As a musician, are there live music opportunities in Kalispell we should know about?
If you can, catch the Glacier Orchestra and Chorale on a Sunday afternoon. That’s a pretty fantastic thing that makes you forget you’re in a small town. As far as a more casual music experience, any of the breweries would be my recommendation. In the summertime, that outdoor stage at Sacred Waters is hard to beat. ThursdayFest is a great downtown Kalispell experience and the Depot Park Concert Series in the summer is great.
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