A Trip Worth Waiting For
If you remember a few years ago, my friend Kinzie and I hit up Yellowstone for the weekend.
Well, originally, we weren't supposed to go to Yellowstone. Instead, we were supposed to go to Glacier National Park. Well one thing lead to another and we went to Yellowstone instead. But Glacier was always in the back of our minds.
One day talking about my favorite week in June, I brought up the idea we should try to go again to Glacier. And like that, it was scheduled. Kinzie and I were heading to Glacier the third week of June. But even better, our friend Holly would be joining.
We set off with Kinzie driving and I as passenger princess so both of us could motion sickness. Poor Holly was squeezed in the back with all our belongings. We took the scenic route instead of the highway, winding through valleys which turned to farmland which eventually turned to forest. We didn't make it long before our trip was stalled. Construction in the middle of nowhere was holding up miles long traffic. But it didn't matter as the sun was shinning through the trees and butterflies danced across the windshield as we waited for our turn. Kinzie asked if I would take over to which I did. After what seemed like hours(it was maybe 30 minutes) we were off and I was scared for my life. Kinzie’s car felt like a death trap! Her brakes were awful and having to go at least 60mph through the windy roads didn’t help. Especially when deer were popping out to say hello every couple of miles.
It didn’t stop me from keeping my eyes peeled to the trees where I spotted a baby bear galloping to safety. Eventually, and to my happiness, we arrived to our hotel. According to the website it was super nice but to our dismay the walls were paper thin leaving us to listen to babies crying and men slamming their doors unaware of their strength.
We didn’t stay long due to hunger so we stopped at one of only a few restaurants in town for a burger and fries. Along the way we spotted an art market where Holly and I spent some time buying stickers and prints while Kinzie lounged back at the hotel.
Taking the car, this time with Holly driving, we made our way to the next town over enjoying ice cream and a nice beach view were swallows swooped the shoreline amongst the breeze.
The next morning we set off early through construction and a misty morning fog as we made our way passed the entrance and into the national park. Dirt roads were lined by trees were a large buck emerged from the dark to cross over to the waters on the other side. Due to the construction we weren’t able to pull into the lake(the only thing I really wanted to see) but continued on. The further we drove the more we climbed until we finally came around a corner. There we saw one jaw dropping view after another. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Halfway we stopped at a popular hike to walk the board walk. Lounging about were a saw a heard of mountain goats along with some wildflowers. I had a wonderful conversation with a couple of women from Texas. We couldn’t hike all the way as the trail was cut off due to bear activity. None the less it was worth the minor trek.
After we left the crowded area we quickly pulled over so I could take photos of the popular arch while we had a small picnic. It couldn’t have been a more perfect place to do just that. A chipmunk even joined us, I’m sure used to fellow travelers leaving bits of food to stuff in his cheeks for later.
Eventually we continued making our way to the other side of the park where we saw a spec of a moose swimming amongst the lake(everyone knows I want to see a moose but I’m still not counting it).
After another quick bite we turned around ready to head to the hotel where once again we left Kinzie to her relaxation time amongst her endless supply of goldfish. We hit the town finding a wine tasting company where each wine was designed and called after a breed of dog. We didn’t stay long as we hit up a bar to grab dinner where I got hit on by an old man. A group of young men sat down with us to only puke on our table(nice right…). It was an interesting night to say the least.
What was more interesting was getting woken up around 4 am to Kinzie snacking on some more goldfish and reading Reddit. It was fine though because it was our last day to which we entered the park once more to find an entrance point to Lake McDonald. We got lucky and ended up being the only ones on the beach. It was a peaceful morning with a light drizzle of rain surrounded by a multitude of colored rocks to pick from as well as get some cool photos. It didn’t last long though when an older gentleman decided to ruin the moment with his morning hacking and spitting. Insert eye roll...
Before we decided to leave we went on a small jaunt to see some final sights including the bluest water I’ve ever seen!
Once again as passenger princess we made our way home. Overall it was a great trip and I’m so glad I was able to go with Kinzie and Holly to see the sites. Definitely worth the wait and hopefully I can go back soon.
Have you seen Glacier National Park before? If so, tell me which part of the park was your favorite. If you would like to hear about some other adventures clink the links below! Keep scrolling to see some extra photos!
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