Coming soon!
Glacier National Park Montana: The Basics
Glacier National Park is one of the most beautiful places in the United States. I was pleasantly surprised at just how beautiful our last-minute vacation destination turned out to be.
In January of 2020 I had booked our second trip to Banff National park in Alberta, Canada. Then, we all know what happened, COVID-19 decided to interrupt the entire world. However, since we were not scheduled to leave for Banff until the last week of September, I was confident that things would be fine by then, and our vacation wouldn’t be interrupted. Little did I know how wrong I was.
As we grew closer to September, I was realizing that we were not going to Banff, and I re-booked our vacation. I scheduled us to visit the coast of Maine. Then, just nine days before we were set to leave for Maine, I had an epiphany and re-booked everything for Glacier National Park! I know, I must sound crazy, and I may even be a little bit!
One good thing that COVID has brought is the ability to change your flights without penalty! I got to work re-booking everything, and in less than two hours I had our flights, rental car, accommodations and even activities booked!
We flew into Glacier International Airport in Kalispell, MT. I can say it is the smallest international airport that we have ever seen, but we were off the plane, baggage in hand, and car rented in less than thirty minutes from landing. So, no complaints from me!
I am extremely glad that I pre-booked everything. I had previously heard stories about how busy GNP gets during the summer, but I never expected there to be so many people still visiting in this off season. Rental car companies and hotels were sold out.
We decided to break our stay up into two different locations. Our first accommodations were located in West Glacier, which is about forty-five minutes from the airport. We found the greatest historical hotel called the Belton Chalet. If you love old places, then this is for you! The 110-year-old hotel had all of the wonderfulness that comes with something this old, the smells, the creaking floors, and just the to think of all that those walls had seen in their 110 years made it all kind of magical. Everyone at the hotel was so accommodating, there was fresh coffee every morning, and the best part was there is no TV in the bedrooms! I’m not sure if this is somewhere that I would bring young children, but for couples traveling this place was amazing. My favorite part was the railroad that was located just across the street from our room. If you would be disturbed by a train passing at 3am, you may not want to stay here, we however love the sound of a passing train.
One thing everyone must do when visiting Glacier National Park is to make the drive up Going-To-The-Sun-Road. By far the most beautiful road I’ve ever driven. The road starts in West Glacier and takes you up the mountain, presenting you with an even more amazing view with each turn and bend in the road. At least every mile or so along the way, there are spaces to pull over and take in the spectacular views. Your drive will peak just over halfway, at the Logan Pass parking lot, and from there you will start to your decent to the last stretch of the road.
Going-To-The-Sun-Road is 50 miles long, but because the last six miles would normally take you through the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, those last six miles were closed due to COVID-19, and reservations nationwide being locked down. We couldn’t pass all the way through to East Glacier when we visited GNP, so be sure you check the status of the road (you can do so by visiting the GNP website) before making the drive. Knowing before you go will ensure that you have plenty of gas, food, and water, to get you through the day. We took a good part of the day to drive this as it was 88 miles round trip.
Because of COVID-19 and because of us visiting Glacier National Park just as they were beginning to shut down for the season, we had difficulty finding places to eat. Most of the restaurants in West Glacier were closed during our visit. We did however discover a hidden gem, a café located in a gas station in West Glacier, Glacier Highland Restaurant. This was the best gas station food we had ever had! We were also just grateful that something nearby was open.
After three nights at the Belton Chalet, we moved to the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Whitefish Kalispell. We truly enjoyed our stay in West Glacier, but we were happy to be back in a more modern environment! This again was a hit. The hotel was extremely clean, everyone very nice and accommodations could not have been better. We were able to wash our clothes, our room had a studio kitchen so we could keep a few groceries, reheat food, and cook if needed. Breakfast was served every morning with coffee, juice, and milk, and there was a heated pool and an amazing hot tub that we took advantage of every night of our stay here!
We fell in love with the small town of Whitefish! We were able to catch the last farmers market of the season on our first night in Whitefish. We grabbed dinner off one of the fantastic food trucks at the market Fork in the Road Eats, and we were not disappointed. We found a local coffee shop, Wild Coffee Company, that we enjoyed every day for the rest of our trip. They had great coffee, delicious breakfast and an amazing juice/smoothie bar. After all the hiking we had been doing the fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies were so refreshing.
The nine days that we spent in Montana were much needed after everything that had happened in our life over the past year. Parting was difficult, but knowing we will be returning soon made it all the better. The best part about the entire trip was being able to disconnect from our phones and internet, and to connect with nature.
Poor Squirrel
This is a story of how a squirrel met his fate in our rental car. There may be some graphic details, so if that bothers you please stop reading now.
We have once again tested Murphy's Law. If it can happen, it will happen to us. On our third day in Montana we hiked a beautiful trail that was about seven miles round trip. Afterwards, we checked-in to our new hotel and decided to head over the local farmers market for dinner.
When we got back into the car I asked my husband if he could smell the horrible smell, and he said no. The whole one and a half mile drive to the farmers market I kept asking him, and he kept saying he couldn't smell it. It was terrible, like someone smoking a bad joint! We grabbed some dinner off of an amazing food truck, walked around the market and then decided it was time to head back to the hotel and let our legs and feet relax.
This time when we got back into the car and turned the a/c on my husband almost threw up the smell was so bad! It finally hit him! We decided to stop at the grocery store on the way back to the hotel and when we got out of the car my husband could tell the smell was coming from under the hood. So, he did what most husbands would do and he popped the hood. As he was leaning over the engine he all of the sudden yelled "oh my God!!!". This is when he realized that a rodent of some kind had died under the hood, and it didn't just die, it met its fate in the fan.
I couldn't help but start laughing. I felt terrible for the critter but of all of the things that can happen, this happens! My husband went and broke a stick off of a tree to try and get the critter out of the fan, unfortunately this wasn't working very well. Due to the heat of the engine it was coming all apart. He even got his hand down in there enough to grab it and instead of pulling the whole thing out he ripped off a leg. At this point I am uncontrollably laughing, my husband doesn't seem to think it's near as funny.
We gave up and just decide we will have to tough it out for the duration of our trip, that is for the next six days!
The next day we just refuse to turn on the a/c and are grateful that it is fall in Montana and not summer in Alabama. We head out to do some sightseeing and just ride with the windows down, the weather is amazing so it's not a problem.
As we are about to leave this little town in the middle of nowhere I turn on the a/c and we both turn about every color of green that you can! It smells so bad you can just smell it walking by the car. My husband asks a young man working at the little store in town if he has a metal coat hanger and much to my surprise he does. When my husband explains why he needs it the young man says "I've seen a lot of things out here but this is a first".
My husband then begins trying to dig the poor thing out of the fan. A few minutes later he emerges with the body of what was once a squirrel. I will spare you the rest of the details, but let's just say it was not pretty.
I'm not sure that the a/c in this rental car will ever smell normal again. I'm just thankful it's not my personal car!
My Amazing Experience in Banff Part 5: Johnston Canyon & Ink Pots Hike
Bow River
We were approaching our final full day in Banff and we were exhausted, but our experience so far was worth the lost sleep. We decided since our lungs had adapted to the altitude we would go hike Johnston Canyon to Ink Pots on our final full day. This hike was nearly eight miles, but we had nothing else we wanted to do that day so we were going for it. If you choose to make this hike do arrive and begin your hike just at or before sunrise. This is probably one of the most popular hikes due to its location and the fact that the lower falls are a very easy hike. I will say this for the parents with young children that want to take a stroller, DON’T!!! The cliff-side extends over the path in a few spots and makes passing with a stroller difficult, especially when it becomes more crowded.
We got up extra early and visited our favorite local coffee shop Good Earth Coffeehouse to prepare for our day. We grabbed coffee, breakfast and a few pastries to enjoy for lunch. I will recommend packing a light lunch to enjoy when you reach Ink Pots. We arrived at the Johnston Canyon parking lot just before 7am to start our journey. The temperature was freezing so I was fairly bundled up.
Upper Falls
As we began our hike we were in awe repeatedly as around every turn it seemed there was another waterfall. I think when it was over I counted seven falls total, big and small, that we came across. There are two big falls, the first of these, the lower falls, being a turnaround point for many. If you want to see the upper falls do know that it is quite steeper than the walk up to the lower falls, but very manageable for those in decent shape. Once you make your way to the upper falls you have a choice to keep going to Ink Pots or this can be your turn around spot.
Ink Pots
If you continue to Ink Pots be sure you have water, a snack, and hiking polls are very helpful as the trail gets fairly steep. You will soon begin your decent down into Ink Pots, yes you go down which means coming back you must go up! Watch your footing and take your time to enjoy the amazing beauty along the trail. There is a lookout spot along the way that is stunning.
We took our time once we arrived at Ink Pots. We sat by the river and enjoyed the views and the pastries that we had packed with us. Be sure you take your trash with you DO NOT leave your trash. Be prepared and even pack a bag to place all kinds of trash that you may produce, like toilet paper. We all use the restroom, but the last thing I want to see is piles of toilet paper in the bushes. There is no cell phone service here so we had to actually talk to one another. I know who does that anymore?! I honestly could have stayed there all night and just left the next day it was so amazingly beautiful. After exploring for several hours we decided to make the trek back to the car. Knowing this was my last day, I was tempted to throw myself onto the ground like a toddler who didn’t get their way and make my husband drag me out. I didn’t want to embarrass myself though, so I went unwillingly-willingly.
View from Ink Pots
The hike back was honestly the hardest part. I was extremely thankful for the hiking polls we had rented from Snowtips-Bactrax in Banff. The trail is fairly steep with rocks and roots so again watch your footing. There were times where I felt like the climb back up would never end. Once we reached the upper falls again the trail began to flatten out and descend (thankfully because I didn’t think I was going to make it much further!).
As we began our descent to the parking lot from the upper falls the crowd began to thicken. I’m talking elbow to elbow, screaming kids and yes strollers. Now I don’t know about you, but this is when my patience starts wearing thin. I couldn’t get to the car fast enough but every time I would pass a group, I was road blocked by another group of people stopping in the middle of the trail to observe the falls and river. MOVE OVER PEOPLE!! We finally made it back to the car and wow was the parking lot full of cars and buses.
The trip took us about six hours round trip, but we took our time and stopped many times to soak in the beauty of it all. This was probably my favorite hike, but if you want to enjoy nature and not be disturbed by crowds be sure to go early!
My Amazing Experience in Banff Part 4: Whitewater Rafting on the Bow River
So far we’ve seen several of the most beautiful lakes. Lakes that are so crisp with the most amazing colors of blue or green that you almost feel like your eyes are deceiving you and your mind is playing tricks on you, and then we saw the grizzlies! Each day I woke thinking that there was no way that this day could top the previous day, but I was wrong. With the exception of the day we left, each day only became more amazing than the day before.
Since I was a teenager I have wanted to take a whitewater rafting trip. If you were born anytime before the early 80’s you may remember a movie called The River Wild staring Meryl Streep. I was fascinated with this movie so much so, that I remember ordering catalogs about whitewater rafting trips. I’m not sure what I was thinking at the grown up age of fifteen years old, like I was going to plan my own vacation with my part-time earnings as a McDonald’s employee. As I grew older I pushed this dream way down to the bottom of my list, for many reasons. I believe the older we get most of us begin to be more cautious in the things we do, and anytime I thought about rafting my anxiety would rise. A month before we left for Canada I called my husband and said, I just booked us a whitewater rafting trip on the Bow River with Chinook Rafting. I figured it was time I branched out of my comfort zone a little.
We woke up semi early on one of our final mornings in Banff, put on our swim suits, then bundled up because it was nearly freezing outside. After arriving and checking in, we sat and listened to all of the instructions about the trip. All I could think about was that I was currently freezing and I didn’t know how I was going to handle getting into this water that was about 39 degrees Fahrenheit, when the temperature outside wasn’t any warmer!
I can’t claim photo credit here since I was in the raft! Chinook provides a photographer to capture these amazing moments.
We were all given a wet suit, booties, a fleece pullover and a splash jacket, then directed to a tent to change. Okay, now it was really cold as I removed everything but my swimsuit and changed into this awkward get-up. Next we were given a helmet and life-jacket and ushered onto a bus to travel about 10 minutes to where our rafts waited at the riverside. The bus could only take us so far before we had to exit and walk about 100 yards down hill to the river. On the walk down my husband kept talking to me but all I could hear was that voice from Charlie Brown, “wah wah wah wah”. This is when my anxiety began to really build, and I was doing my best not to chicken out. When we all finally made our way down to the rivers edge we were split into groups and assigned river guides. All of the guides were amazing, and I’m pretty sure they doubled as comedians in the off season.
The next thirty minutes were filled with some of my most extreme anxiety as the river guides went through all of the safety guidelines. What to do it the raft flips over, what to do if you get trapped under the raft when it flips over, what to do if you fall out, what to do if you fall out and drift away. None of these things I wanted to even imagine, but I know happen. I’m sure I had a look of complete horror on my face by the time we piled into the raft and began the decent down river. After about five minutes on the river and after going through a few mild rapids my anxiety was easing.
The Bow River trip that we booked consisted of level 3-4 rapids, which for a first timer I would say was perfect. Once we made it through the roughest rapid, which was the most fun, we pulled over and exited the rafts so that anyone who wanted to could do a cliff jump into the river. I had been mentally preparing myself for this since I booked the trip. Heights are not my thing, so this was way outside of my comfort zone. You had the option for a 7 ft jump or a nearly 30 ft jump into the glacier river. I got in line for the 7 ft jump and my heart was racing as my time to jump approached. When I got up to the edge of the cliff and looked over at the raging river below. I turned to the river guide standing next to me and said “nope!” I just couldn’t do it. I then waited and watched as my husband took the nearly thirty foot plunge into the ice cold glacier river!
Once everyone had the opportunity to jump we then piled back into our rafts to enjoy the remainder of the trip down the Bow River. At this point I didn’t want it to end, but unfortunately it did and it seemed sooner than later.
If you are an adventure seeker even in the slightest I would highly recommend this trip. Everything was so well organized from start to finish, and the guides were fantastic.
My Amazing Experience in Banff Part 3: Where we explored
We had a 6am flight leaving Texas, which put us in Calgary around lunch. By the time we got our luggage and rental car we were checked into our room in Banff by 4 pm. We stayed at the Delta Hotels Banff Royal Canadian Lodge in Banff and we loved it. We were able to walk to all of the restaurants and shops and the hotel provided parking in an underground garage. We were exhausted from a day of travel and decided to do something relaxing. We opted for the Banff Gondola and were not disappointed, especially when we realized that they have two restaurants at the top of the mountain. If you book both your ride and dinner online at the same time you get a large discount. We ate at the Northern Lights restaurant, which is buffet style, and the food was delicious. After dinner we walked around and just took in the stunning views before returning to the hotel to slip into a mild coma for the night.
For first day we took a trip out to Fairmount Chateau Lake Louise with the plans of having lunch at one of the several restaurants in the hotel. The parking lot was full since we got of to a late start, so we had to back track to the main highway and hop on the shuttle. If you arrive after about 7:30am expect to find the parking lots full at most of the popular spots (Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Johnston Canyon, and the Gondola parking all fill up fast). When we arrived we opted to save our money for a nice dinner and grabbed a drink and a snack from the gift shop. We then just sat and took in the amazing views. Lake Louise is nothing short of stunning.
Half way to the Tea House
We then decided to take a walk. Our walk turned into a 5 mile hike to the Tea House at Lake Agnes, which as a southerner our lungs were not ready for. We almost gave up a few times along the way because we were constantly gasping for air! When we crested the top, Lake Agnes was there just staring us in the face. We stood in awe. The struggle to the top was definitely worth it. If you choose to do this hike and want to stop at the Tea House, you must know they accept only cash and they close at 5 pm. They are seasonal, so make sure they are open before you begin the trek if you are going outside of the summer months.
The next day was fairly rainy, so we decided to explore downtown Banff and prepare ourselves for the busy days to come. We found an amazing local coffee shop, Good Earth Coffeehouse, which became our daily coffee and breakfast stop for the duration of our trip.
The number one thing on my list was to capture a photo at sunrise at Moraine Lake. The sun begins to rise at 4:30 am during the summer here, and the drive from downtown to the lake is nearly an hour. We woke up that particular morning at 3am, yes 3am people! We were running a little behind schedule which paid off in the end. While driving to the lake I told my husband that if I could just see a grizzly in the wild that would make this whole trip for me. As we approached the parking lot to the lake the few cars in front of us came to a stop. We assumed that there were just that many people there at 4:45 am. That was not the case. There was a mother grizzly and her two yearlings strolling down the middle of the oncoming lane headed towards the parking lot! It was too dark and we were too excited for photos, so we just slowed and down and took in this once in a lifetime moment.
We arrived at the lake and made our way to the top of the hill near the parking lot to watch the sun rise. Except there was this thick blanket of fog over the whole lake. I set up my camera and tripod and waited. This was an amazing experience because over the nearly two hours that we sat there the fog slowly came in and out occasionally giving a glimpse at the eight mountain peeks that rise up above the lake. Satisfied, I packed up and we headed back to the car to unload camera gear before hiking around the lake. My husband took all of the gear to the car as I headed towards the lodge at the lake to find us some coffee, it was literally freezing and we needed coffee!
I hadn’t made it 10 yards in the opposite direction of my husband when I heard someone calling my name under their breath. I turned to see him mouthing the word B E A R!!!!!! I knew it was mamma and her cubs and my heart started pounding! He had my camera and bag so I rushed to him to grab my camera and change lenses to I could capture this amazing moment. I tried to contain my excitement as the adrenaline pumped through my veins. I had to prop myself up against a car to prevent my lens from shaking. I was so fortunate to capture a few shots of the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in the wild, before the park rangers pushed her and her cubs into the forest.
Once we caught our breath we took the easy hike around the lake, since the alternative hike went in the same direction as the bears we decided that probably wasn’t the best idea even though we had our bear spray. We didn’t want to disturb her.
Later that day we made our way out to the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary for an interactive tour and meet and greet with a pack of wolfdogs. This was another amazing experience and I highly recommend it of you have any interest in wolves.
After a more that full day were were exhausted and starving. We had asked a few locals about their favorite eateries and the same one came up several times, the Bear Street Tavern. Again, we were not disappointed in our choice. We grabbed a pizza, salad and my husband enjoyed a few beers. We then retreated to our hotel to soak in a hot bath and grab a few hours of sleep before getting up the next morning to go whitewater rafting in the nearly freezing glacier river!
Our next few day consisted of whitewater rafting, eating, visiting another stunning lake, and then the longest and last hike of our trip. There is so much to be said about all of these that we’ll visit that in a separate post!
My Amazing Experience in Banff Part 2: What to pack
After months of anticipation, our departure quickly approached. I soon realized that, as Texans, we probably didn’t have the proper clothing for this trip. Let’s be honest; we don’t have winter in Texas! Our vacations as a couple mostly consisted of beaches and summer heat, where you wore as little clothing as possible to prevent yourself from having a heat stroke. I had read about the necessary clothing items for Banff and set out to hunt down these items. My personal go-to shop for outdoor gear is REI. They offer a great selection, great customer service, and have an amazing return policy.
There are several things that I would consider to be crucial for this trip.
A few of my favorite things
Rain jacket
Be sure your jacket has a hood and is big enough to be added over the top of the layers you may have on beneath. I found a North Face rain jacket that worked great. However, I have since upgraded to a Patagonia rain jacket, which I love.
A good pair of hiking shoes or sneakers with a grip
The trails can be slick between the mud and rocks. I had a pair of Brooks running shoes with a pretty good grip on the sole and a pair of Adidas with a slicker sole. I opted to wear the Brooks on the trails and the Adidas around town. I have since purchased several pairs of hiking boots that I have worn out, and my two favorite brands are Danner and Altra. Both offer different things, so do your research and decide what is best for you.
Gloves and hats
These weren’t worn the whole time, but several mornings, we had freezing temperatures, and these were a lifesaver.
LAYERS!!!
I packed everything from tank tops to thermal base layers, fleece, and hoodies. Every day, I dressed in layers and began pealing those off throughout the day, only to put them back on in the evening.
Comfortable pants
Jeans are okay, but if you plan on hiking, they’re not the most comfortable. Do yourself a favor and invest in at least one pair of hiking pants.
Backpack/hiking day pack & water bottle
We purchased an Osprey day pack and loved it. I highly recommend a backpack with a waist belt and chest straps; this will distribute the weight of your backpack more evenly and prevent your shoulders from being overly stressed.
You may also consider packing an airtight container to store snacks while hiking. They make a bear box, but they can be pricey and bulky.
Bring a refillable water bottle. Stations to refill your bottle are often available, but bottled water may not always be available for purchase.
Trekking poles
If you don’t own these, don’t worry; you can rent them from local outfitters.
Bear Spray
We found a great place in downtown Banff that made renting trekking poles and bear spray a breeze.
Now that we were fully equipped for the Canadian Rockies weather, we were ready!
My Amazing Experience in Banff Part 1: Planning our trip
Breathtaking. If I had to sum up my Banff vacation in one word, that would be it. Until the summer of 2019, I had never traveled outside of the United States. While the United States is beautiful, I craved international travel. Since my hobby is photography, I heavily researched destinations where I knew I would be able to capture some amazing photos. I kept coming back to Banff, Alberta, Canada. I began booking our June 2019 vacation in September of 2018. I have no regrets about this extremely advanced planning either.
I started in September by reserving our hotel, flight, and rental car for the following June. This allowed us to pick the hotel and room that we really wanted, and the round-trip flights were less than $500 from San Antonio, TX, to Calgary, Alberta at that time. Also, any car you could possibly want was available for rent so we selected an all-wheel drive SUV. Once the room, flight, and car were booked, I spent the next 8 months doing research, and I did a lot of research.
Like most popular vacation destinations, there are several ways to experience your vacation. You can jump onto a bus every day, with fifty or more people, their kids, strollers, and all of the other paraphernalia vacationers haul with them. Or you can set out on your own and do a completely self-guided trip. My husband and I are not tour bus, crowds, and schedule-following types of vacationers, so we opted to self-guide for our whole vacation.
Once I started really diving into what there was to do in Banff, I quickly became overwhelmed. We were going to be there for 6 nights and 7 days, and if we did everything I wanted to do, we would need to extend our vacation by about two months! That wasn’t an option, so I began focusing on the top 10 things that appealed to us. We decided to do several days of hiking, followed by whitewater rafting, and then to visit a wolf dog sanctuary. This also gave us a little bit of downtime to explore the town of Banff but also kept us busy taking in everything else.