18. Montana Road Trip.
Having made it all the way to Montana, the plan was always to get out and see some of the countryside and in particular, the national parks. Unfortunately, it was still too early in the year to get into Yelowstone, so instead we headed 150 miles or so north from Missoula towards Glacier National Park.
The scenery was wonderful. Quiet roads with little traffic, lakes, pine trees, mountains, rivers and wildlife....mostly deer...including one extremely close call.
Along the way there was the occasional small settlement, a few gas stations and general stores. Most of these advertised "beer, bait, pizza, supplies", presumably in order of importance. Many of the dirt tracks leading from the main road were unimaginatively named "Mountain view" this or "Pine ridge" that.
We passed Flathead Lake, the largest lake west of the Great Lakes. It looked cold and uninviting, but we found a good spot for lunch overlooking the water.
Pressing on we arrived at Kalispell, our base for the next couple of days. Evidently the town has grown considerably over the last few years and is a popular stopping off point for summer visitors to Glacier. After having had a wander around and buying a small souvenir or two, we drove a few more miles up the road to the town of Whitefish. This too has grown as the nearby ski resorts have developed and it's also one of the few places in the State to have a rail link....the Seattle to Chicago route stops by here....albeit infrequently.
We returned to Kalispell to check in to our hotel. Steve had been extremely generous and booked suites for us, just thankful that he had an opportunity to use up some of his many loyalty points. Our long, busy day finished with a nice Italian meal in town.
Next morning we set off for Glacier National Park proper. Being May 2, many of the Park facilities were either not yet open or were being given a lick of paint ready for the new season's influx of RV's and nature lovers. We had liked to have driven the famous Going to the Sun Road (Google it!), but it was still impassable with winter snows....but we did manage the first six miles.
Some wildlife was up and about including the obligatory deer and also cute little marmots. As the bears were coming out of hibernation, hungry and looking for food, there were many warning signs in evidence.
It goes without saying that the scenery was breathtaking despite the cloud and lack of blue sky. I will let the attached pictures do the talking!
We headed back to Whitefish again for dinner and another tiring but exciting day was complete.
The scenery was wonderful. Quiet roads with little traffic, lakes, pine trees, mountains, rivers and wildlife....mostly deer...including one extremely close call.
Along the way there was the occasional small settlement, a few gas stations and general stores. Most of these advertised "beer, bait, pizza, supplies", presumably in order of importance. Many of the dirt tracks leading from the main road were unimaginatively named "Mountain view" this or "Pine ridge" that.
We passed Flathead Lake, the largest lake west of the Great Lakes. It looked cold and uninviting, but we found a good spot for lunch overlooking the water.
Pressing on we arrived at Kalispell, our base for the next couple of days. Evidently the town has grown considerably over the last few years and is a popular stopping off point for summer visitors to Glacier. After having had a wander around and buying a small souvenir or two, we drove a few more miles up the road to the town of Whitefish. This too has grown as the nearby ski resorts have developed and it's also one of the few places in the State to have a rail link....the Seattle to Chicago route stops by here....albeit infrequently.
We returned to Kalispell to check in to our hotel. Steve had been extremely generous and booked suites for us, just thankful that he had an opportunity to use up some of his many loyalty points. Our long, busy day finished with a nice Italian meal in town.
Next morning we set off for Glacier National Park proper. Being May 2, many of the Park facilities were either not yet open or were being given a lick of paint ready for the new season's influx of RV's and nature lovers. We had liked to have driven the famous Going to the Sun Road (Google it!), but it was still impassable with winter snows....but we did manage the first six miles.
Some wildlife was up and about including the obligatory deer and also cute little marmots. As the bears were coming out of hibernation, hungry and looking for food, there were many warning signs in evidence.
It goes without saying that the scenery was breathtaking despite the cloud and lack of blue sky. I will let the attached pictures do the talking!
We headed back to Whitefish again for dinner and another tiring but exciting day was complete.
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