Nestled between the mountains in the Clark Fork River Valley the little town of Alberton (population 450)doesn't even have a stoplight. Cell-phones don't work here either. (But you can always use our phone to make calls back home.) It's a quaint, old-fashioned little berg, where kids ride their bikes without fear and local dogs lounge in the middle of the street. You almost expect to see Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife drive by. Alberton offers more for the traveler than most small towns. Right on main street you'll find the Montana Valley Bookstore, an intreguing old building with over 150,000 used books. Further down is the Antique Depot, a refurbished train depot building full of unexpected relics, local art, and a picture framing shop. There are 3 bars in town, where live music, formal and informal happens regularly, including Old-time fiddlers and accordian groups. The Railroad Expresso Shop, the Railroad and Heritage Museum, 3 churches, and 2 restaurants are also on main street, along with the little store/gas station, and the feed store. There's a self-guided nature trail on the side of the mountain, and some unusual rock formations from the giant, prehistoric Lake Missoula make Alberton a regular stop for geologists. And the lush, green town park has a nice new tennis court and picnic tables to tempt folks to stop for awhile. I wonder if Mayberry had as much going for it? Alberton is historically significant as a roundhouse stop for the Milwaukee Road Railway, who also built the Ghost Rails Inn for their crew changes. This was where the electric-powered engine, so good for chugging across the plains, was switched to a stronger steam engine to make it over the mountain passes on the way west. Indeed, the town happened around the railroad. Prior to 1983 most citizens were somehow employed by the Milwaukee Road, which went "belly-up" about then. Now the tracks have been removed and most folks in town work in nearby town of Missoula. But every year on the 3rd weekend of July the town celebrates its railroad heritage with a "Railroad Day" parade, pancake breakfast, street vendors and a general good-time bruha. Before Interstate 90 was built Alberton's current main street was Montana Highway 10. Also known as the "The Yellowstone Trail", this highway was the main route for motorists between Chicago and Seattle. Alot of folks passed right by our front door. Nowadays old Hwy. 10 is a loop off I-90 and one must make a deliberate choice to see our quiet little town, by taking Exit 75 or 77.