We spent five nights in Glacier National Park. The first two nights were spent at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn in the Many Glacier area of the eastern part of the park. Our first morning we went to the Many Glacier Hotel to catch a boat for a hike. We visited with the horses first.
You can see the Many Glacier Hotel behind us. It is over 100 years old.
We took a short hike before the boat ride.
You could see a glacier in the distance.
Charlie practiced whittling with the pocket knife he got in Yellowstone.
We caught up with cousins/friends before the boat ride.
We first crossed Swiftcurrent Lake, with a view of Grinnell Glacier in the distance.
Then we hiked to Josephine Lake and took a boat across that. Then, we hiked to Grinnell Lake. We crossed a fun bridge that allowed one person at a time. It took a while for our group of 17 to cross.
The view at Grinnell Lake was pretty. The kids took off their socks and shoes and dipped their feet in the cold water. We had a picnic lunch before hiking back.
The boat ride back:
The view of the Many Glacier Hotel from the boat going back across Swiftcurrent Lake.
We went back to the hotel for a rest and then went on another hike. After about a mile, most of the kids wanted to turn back. So, I took the younger 4 back and Jim and Jack continued on. We found a cool tree to climb.
On Jim's and Jack's hike to Red Rock Falls, they encountered a moose close to them in the water.
They said the hike was worth it for the beautiful views.
That evening we went to dinner at the Many Glacier Hotel. After we put the kids to bed, Jim and I tackled the massive amount of dirty clothes we had accumulated. The next morning we left the Many Glacier area and drove the Going to the Sun Road to our campground on the western side of the park. We stopped to get a huckleberry pie at the Park Cafe in St. Mary, as well as at several points along the Going to the Sun Road. The view below is one of the most popular images from Glacier. It is Wild Goose Island in St. Mary Lake.
We hiked from Sun Point to Bering Falls.
We found some snow along the road and let the kids get out to play in it.
The side of the road opposite the snow.
A mountain goat walked nearby.
You can see a waterfall in the lower left.
We set up camp for our final 3 nights at Fish Creek campground near Lake McDonald. Colleen and her family were in a nearby campsite.
The next morning we hiked the Trail of the Cedars Nature Trail. It was beautiful!
We let the kids climb on the fallen trees and were lucky no one fell into the fast-moving water below!
The scenery was incredible!
There were big, beautiful trees all around us.
We are standing in front of the roots of a felled tree!
After lunch, we went to Logan Pass and hiked to the Hidden Lake overlook,
crossing the Continental Divide. It rained on us and was cold at the higher
elevation. The kids were excited again to see snow.
The Hidden Lake Overlook:
That evening we went into Whitefish to have dinner at a restaurant where a friend from college works. He came out to get a picture with us.
On our final full day in Glacier we drove to Whitefish, MT and explored the downtown. We had lunch in
town, played at a playground, and enjoyed ice cream. Then we met the others back at the campsite and grilled dinner together.
We ended the evening at Lake McDonald.
The next day we packed up our campsite and started the journey home.
We stopped at the Little Bighorn Battlefield on our way home.
We spent one night at a terrible hotel in Wyoming. I honestly cannot say one good thing about it. Then we drove to Denver and stayed with Jim's friend Johnny and his family. We were able to get together with a few of Jim's friends from training while we were there. The drive from Denver to St. Louis the next day seemed like nothing!
This trip was Jim's idea, and I am so glad he suggested it. We had a blast and we all will remember it fondly. I look forward to many more trips with this crew!
