Glacier National Park – Part 2

Posted on July 9, 2010 by

The first afternoon I spent in Glacier came with a smattering of rain showers and a lot of people spending their day off in the park.  Day 2 was a lot less crowded and the weather was gorgeous.   However, before I even made it to the park I took a little detour to the Hungry Horse Dam.  At 564 feet high, it is a pretty incredible sight holding back the South Fork of the Flathead River.

After my detour for the morning, I continued on to Glacier National Park and opted for using my own vehicle vs. the park transportation so I could stop when I wanted to and enjoy the many great vistas at the pullouts along the 50 mile Going-to-the-Sun Road.

The view from the site of the construction

The road is under construction and will be for the next 8 years, so be aware of that when you travel.  The road is down to a single lane in multiple locations and traffic is held up while the other direction comes through.  It all is designed quite well to get people through with minimal wait time, except for the mountain goats.  That day, the mountain goats decided they wanted to hang out on the road and as you can expect, everyone wanted to take pictures of them.  So I ended up being the first car stopped in a half hour stall waiting for the traffic to come down the mountain.  All of the other stops were less than 10 minutes.  The good news about getting stopped for that half hour was that it was in a beautiful location and everyone got a chance to get out of  our cars and enjoy the awesome views.

Bridge in Glacier NP

When the Going-to-the-Sun road was first constructed there were two competing designs for the portion going over Logan’s Pass.  The cheaper, quicker option would have been to complete a system of 15 switchbacks to take you to the top.  The second designer proposed a much longer system that hugged the steep mountain terrain and incorporated rock bridges, arches and tunnels to blend in with the natural terrain.  Luckily this design was chosen and even the roadway contributes to the beauty of the park as you can see at left where this bridge allows visitors to drive right next to one of a plethora of waterfalls in the park.

Almost to Logan's Pass

Stay tuned!  More to come on Glacier National Park!

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Glacier National Park – Part 1

Posted on July 7, 2010 by

Cabin at Lake McDonald

Don’t tell Rocky Mountain National Park, but I have a new favorite National Park and it is Glacier NP.  Here’s the coulda, woulda, shoulda for the week.  If you ever plan to visit this stunning park, plan to spend an entire week in the park.  Don’t spend days driving to get here.  Just fly.  Fly into the Glacier International Airport and immediately get yourself to the park.  Stay in the park!  They have multiples lodges, cabins and campgrounds throughout the park to suit anyone’s preferences.  They also run shuttles from 7am to 7pm that take you between all of the great hiking, biking and boating destinations.  There are restaurants in the park and a general store.  Whether your preference is to cook yourself or have someone do the work for you, the options are all there.

Back side of the Lodge at Lake McDonald

I ate dinner on Monday night at the restaurant in the lodge.  The food was divine!  The selection is a bit limited, but what they serve, they serve well.

I also enjoyed a table at a window overlooking the serenity of Lake McDonald.  It was raining, so there weren’t a lot of people out on the lake, but there certainly were the next day!

Lobby of the Lodge at Lake McDonald

Educational cruises around the lake are offered starting at 10am and finishing at 7pm in the evening. You can also rent boats at multiple points around the lake.

I’m running short on time this morning (again) and will have to finish my review of Glacier NP tonight.  So much to do here and so little time!  I’m off to spend the day in Missoula and then I’m going to start making my way back towards Colorado!  I was going to try and squeeze in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons on this trip, but I think I’m going to save those parks for another time!

Boats for Rent on Lake McDonald

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On the Way to Glacier

Posted on July 6, 2010 by

Cabin on Salmon Lake

Wow!  That is what I have to say about yesterday.  Wow!  The drive from Missoula to Glacier National Park was spectacular.  My favorite part was Lake County.  I passed dozens of shimmering lakes with hundreds of cabins along their shorelines.  Were it not for the intermittent rainstorms, I probably would have been stopping along the road at every one to take pictures.

The Barn in Bigfork, MT

I did make one quick side trip to a little store in Bigfork, MT.  The Barn is an Antiques, Consignments and Gifts shop.  They did have some pretty great merchandise and I managed to pull myself away with less than a $20 purchase, but if money were no object….

If you’re in the market for new (old) china, silverware or crystal stemware, this is a great source!  They had a lot of beautiful patterns and even a few complete sets.  The Barn: Antiques, Consignments & Gifts 100 Hill Road, Big Fork, MT Phone – (406) 837-BARN.

I spent all afternoon in Glacier National Park, but I’m headed back there today, so I’ll blog about that in the morning!

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Little Big Horn

Posted on July 5, 2010 by

Yesterday I woke to dark skies and pouring rain.  It was the kind of atmosphere that invites you to move slowly and rest a while, which I did.  When I finally started my trek, the skies were still overcast and at one point in the torrential downpour, I pulled off the road for a while.  The cool thing about leaving late was that the only radio station I got was NPR and they were running a special on the Boston Pops.  One thing I always wanted to do, but never got the chance to, was to see the Boston Pops live for their 4th of July concert when John Williams was conducting.  I like Keith Lockhart as well, but I idolized John Williams.

Custers Last Stand

My stop for the day was the site of the infamous Little Big Horn Battlefield where the remaining Sioux and Cheyenne people took a stand against the U.S. Army in an attempt to preserve their roaming lifestyle and not be forced onto reservations.  The entire battleground is now decorated with red and white markers to show where the Native Americans and the U.S. Army lost troops.  Of course one of the most significant monuments is on the hill where Custer took his last stand.  There are markers there for all of his troops.

Monument for the fallen Native American Warriors

Across from the U.S. Army monument is a relatively new memorial dedicated to the Indian Warriors and their families who lost their lives in this tragic battle.

I took the 5 mile drive along the battlefield grounds and marveled at the beauty of the land there.  It is no wonder that the Native American people wanted to stay here.

After my 3 hour detour I spent 6+ hours driving to Missoula, Montana, my next destination.  I drove through breathtaking country including the verdant spring green mountains surrounding Bozeman and the copper colored hills that jump out at you as you approach Butte.  Finally, just around dusk, I dropped into the Missoula Valley.  The setting is relatively tranquil even today, a century after Norman Maclean’s snapshot of life in the surrounding valley.

View from the DoubleTree

I was a tad disappointed at the DoubleTree Hotel.  Their photo is a bit deceiving.  I decided to spring for more expensive accommodations for the evening so I could enjoy the river view.  While I do have a river view, the hotel itself is a bit dated.  The exterior is worn and fading a bit.  I ventured inside to a fully updated lobby and thought maybe it was just the exterior that was dated.  It wasn’t.  The rooms are a bit drab as well and the river is not nearly as close at it appears in their advertising.  The hotel is decent, but I was expecting something more impressive and actually like their photo.  Unless you’re dead set on a river side stay, save your money and stay at a different hotel.

Patio at the DoubleTree and View

That being said, I did enjoy a lovely evening on my porch watching the fireworks.  I also enjoyed the sound of the river as I was sleeping.  It has been a very relaxing morning listening to the quite rush of the water and watching the fly fishermen walk the banks looking for that perfect spot.

Well today I am off to Kalispell and Glacier National Park.  For those of you that have the day off, enjoy it!

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Buffalo, Wyoming

Posted on July 4, 2010 by

On Monday I decided that next week would be a perfect time for a quick vacation from work.  Wednesday night I decided I didn’t want to sit home for this vacation, so I started looking at the map.  Montana looked like a great destination for a road trip.  Visions of the Missoula, Montana from the early 20th century as described by Norman Maclean in his short stories (which became the movie A River Runs Through It), have enticed me for some time.  The weather is 20 degrees cooler there than in the currently roasting Denver area, and so Missoula, Montana quickly became the front runner for my trip.

So Saturday morning I hit the road headed for my first destination, Buffalo, Wyoming.  After leaving late, I had to cut out my first 250 mile detour, which was going to be Devils Tower National Monument.  That will have to be a different road trip.  I did stop at a great little park five miles off of I-25 southeast of Glenrock, WY.  Ayres Natural Bridge is an arch carved by the LaPrele Creek and it stands 30′ high and 50′ wide.  The park is nestled in a fascinating red rock canyon with chirping birds and shade trees all around.  Overnight camping is allowed and there were many families there playing in the creek.  Normal park hours are 8am to 8pm.

I spent the evening at the newly opened Hampton Inn in Buffalo, Wyoming.  The rooms are beautiful and the staff is very friendly.  There is a limited selection of restaurants in the town, so I sought their advice on a great place for a fish dinner.  Ironically they recommended the Winchester Steakhouse.  They were not wrong!  While it was quite crowded, the hostess was friendly and the wait staff was pleasant and efficient on a very busy night.  There was a 30 minute wait, but I spent most of it on the front porch enjoying the cool breeze and the sounds of summer.  I would definitely recommend this restaurant to wandering spirits.  Winchester Steak House 117 Highway 16 E , Buffalo, WY Phone – (307) 684-8636.

Well it is now late morning on the 4th of July and it is time for me to hit the road for Missoula!  Happy 4th of July everyone!

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Welcome

Posted on July 3, 2010 by

I’ve recently decided that I want to start a new career.  I know that everyone does this multiple times a day when things aren’t going well at your current career, but I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up.  It’s too long and complicated to explain in an opening post, but I think you’ll pick it up along the way.

As part of my gradual transition to a different path, I am going to be blogging about my travels, past and present.  Follow along and feel free to jump in with travel trips, great hotels, good restaurants and road warrior stories of your own!

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