July 6, 2021 Atlanta to Phoenix
Normally, I only publish posts that involve travel with my husband, but this trip was so special, I wanted it to be on my blog. Actually, this trip was originally planned for our daughter-in-law's, Rachelle Kleimon's, 50th birthday, but a new job, and then Covid, caused this trip to be postponed until 2021. So, I set off on a sunny Atlanta day for my flight to Phoenix. While waiting at my gate for the plane, I met the coolest guy! He asked me to watch his luggage and guard his seat while he went to the restroom. Once he returned, during the course of our conversation, I discovered that he's a VERY successful film producer working on a new movie featuring diplomats who risked their lives to protect Jews during World War II. Meeting Michael King was the kick-off for our perfect Montana Girls Trip!
The trip from Atlanta to Phoenix went by quickly, and in no time, Rich was meeting me curbside to head out to their home. Shortly after arriving, Connor got home from work, followed by Rachelle. Off we went to Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant for the BEST Mexican food I've ever had.
July 7, 2021 Phoenix to Salt Lake City, Utah to Great Falls, and Glacier National Park, Montana
We were up super early for our 0615 hrs flight. Thanks, Delta, for upgrading Rachelle and me on the first leg of our trip.
We landed in Salt Lake City with a very short window to board our next flight. We arrived at the gate with only enough time for a quick bathroom stop. When the gate agent took our roller board suitcases because they wouldn't fit in the overhead bin we should have realized that we'd be downsizing on planes. As we walk down to the tarmac, we notice buses. Rachelle immediately asked if we'd be riding a bus to Great Falls. Luckily, the bus was there to take us to our next VERY small plane. I was super concerned that the flight would be bumpy, but it was really smooth sailing, Next stop, was the Hertz Rental Car booth where we had the best employee ever - Lara Kline. She was beyond gracious. I only wish that someone had videoed our faces when she handed over a can of Bear Spray for us to take to Glacier National Park! Yikes!
Our drive to Glacier National Park was quite relaxing. Driving in Montana is a pleasure - flat and wide open. We checked into the famous Glacier National Park Lodge and quickly deposited our luggage into Room 352. We had just enough time to enjoy (delicious homemade chips, meat/cheese board) lunch in the Lounge before driving to Two Medicine Lake. On our drive there, we saw a huge group/herd of horses stampeding down the road. Since the lake was only 12 miles from the lodge, we had a few minutes to explore the lake before boarding our Glacier Boat Tour piloted by Evan. The tour was simply magical...perfect weather, lake smooth as glass, and immediately we spot a moose grazing on the lakeshore.
We opted to spend some time on the dock while our captain took some hikers back to the other shore. While there, we took several pictures of the gorgeous rocks spotted through the crystal clear water, dipped our toes in the 45 degrees water, and posed for pictures.
On our ride back, we spotted another moose swimming across the lake. Incredible!
Once back at the lodge, we did a little shopping in the gift shops, and then enjoyed drinks on the porch, rocking in the comfy rockers, anticipating a sunset that didn't happen until 10:15 PM. Finally, we decided to have dinner in the dining room. We split burgers and awesome strawberry salads. After showers, we crashed into bed. Unfortunately, the lodge does not have air conditioning, and it was quite warm. Rachelle thought she was turning on the air conditioner, but instead, it was the heat. She was so hot! I, on the other hand, slept through the entire event. Hopefully, tomorrow night will be more comfortable.
July 8, 2021
Our alarm was set for 5:45 AM, and sunrise was 5:15 AM. Well, we won't have to worry about driving during the dark in Montana! Rachelle picked up coffee, while I picked up the lunches from the kitchen. We're on the road by 6:30 AM (a few rain sprinkles, oh no!) to Many Glacier for our second Glacier Boat Tour. We accidentally missed our turn, due to NO markings, but discovered the little town of St. Mary's. A grumpy Park Ranger re-routed us, and we decided that she just needed more coffee. As predicted, we were stuck in construction traffic for 30 minutes, but we used our time wisely to eat our delicious blueberry muffins from Brownies. We arrived at the boat dock with 8 minutes to spare!
Our tour was led by Simon, Givonna, and Linea - BEST employees EVER! We crossed two lakes, Swift Current Lake and Lake Josephine, then took a fabulous one-mile hike guided by Simon to see Grinnel Lake and Hidden Falls.
We learned so much, such as the difference between Fir and Spruce trees. Fir - friendly, flat fir....Spruce - scaly, spiky Spruce.
Our animal sightings today included a scruffy, crazy dog, a skinny, rough-looking fox, and a fish (some sort of trout) being caught by a kid fishing on the lake. We enjoyed our lunch, packed by the Lodge, while sitting at a picnic table on the Many Glacier Lodge grounds. As we traveled back across the road construction, we took advantage of the quiet times to cat nap! Once we arrived back in St. Mary's, there really wasn't too much there, but we did enjoy delicious coffee at Glacier Perk. Back at the lodge, we cleaned up, then went to possibly the worst Mexican food restaurant ever.
July 9, 2021
Today's plan included an all-day tour aboard the Red Bus "Big Sky Circle Tour" with a 9:00 pick up at the Lodge. The Red Bus Company has provided tours for 85 years. Our bus, #90, was built in 1936. This cool bus, a 500 Model 706 Touring Bus, has a canvas canopy top which was great when Andy, our driver/guide called "Prairie Dog" signaling the passengers to pop up and take pictures.
We drove over to the Marias Pass identified by John Stephens and Slippery Bill Morrison (a "glory hound" - according to our wonderful driver/guide - Andy). Next, we went to "Goat Lick" where the goats like to like the mineral on the hills. We learned about Josephine and Dan Doody, known for Josephine's brewed moonshine in their lodge, also known for hunting and fishing. Eventually, they became "In Holders" - people who own property inside the park boundaries. Dan Doody became a park ranger for six years but was subsequently fired due to poaching. Josephine continued to make her moonshine and was quite successful ($90,000 per year) due to Prohibition. In 1921, Dan died of a heart attack, but Josephine continued on. In 1928, the Feds smashed the still. Josephine left in 1931 for Great Falls. Eventually, Josephine, age 82 died in 1936 of pneumonia. In 2012, the National Park acquires the Doody land and homestead. We decided that we'll need to do more research on this couple!
We learned about Lewis Hill, the Great Northern Railroad founder. We also learned about "Lewis Thrust" an unusual phenomenon where old rocks sit on top of the newer rocks. Next, we drove past Soldier Mountain. In1910, soldiers took care of the Park. Buffalo Soldiers (African American soldiers) took over as firefighters when the Park had the worst fires destroying over 100,000 acres, so the residents named it Soldier Mountain. Trivia - Native Americans named the Buffalo Soldiers because of their curly hair. The Park Rangers hats are a legacy of the hats worn by the military. The National Parks were established on August 25 (Happy Birthday, Connor) 1916. Initially, the military worked at the National Parks because there was no budget for employees. Over one-half of the soldiers deserted their posts and probably intended to do that all along, just using the system as a free ride. The parks were a mess, so Steven Mather (Borax owner) was disgusted and called Franklin Lane at the Department of Interior. Finally, he moves to D.C. and hires/pays the staff out of his own pocket. He convinces Congress to pass the Organic Act for National Parks with two priorities - preservation and make accessible to the public.
In 1960 there were no rapids on the Flathead River, but on June 6 - 7, 1964, the Great Flood "Biblical Level Flood" combined with the snow that had melted resulted in 31 deaths when two dams burst.
The McDonald Lodge owner, John Lewis, hosted Charlie and Nancy Russell. Charlie was a painter who would drink in the Lucky Lounge ("lucky" named after Rob Lucky, an "In Holder" and jammer) while his wife, Nancy, sold his paintings. In 1920, Charlie was the most famous painter in the US, perhaps the world. His original art was a postcard, "Waiting for a Chinook - Snow Eater" - warm winds that melt the snow. 
The famous "Going to the Sun Road" was created by George Goodwin, a surveyor, Charles Grable, and Thomas Vant. The road that crosses the park was started in 1920, completed in 1932, and opened in 1933. It has a switchback and The Loop. Famous landmarks include Haystack Falls, Bird Woman Falls, Cannon Mountain, Garden Wall, Weeping Wall, Mt. Reynolds, and Logan's Pass where we saw a mountain goat and seven big horns. Sadly, the glaciers are melting. By 2030, there will be no more glaciers. Some of the visible glaciers include Mt Said, Mt Jackson, Mt Cleveland, Blackfeet Mtn, and the largest - Harrison Glacier. The largest lake is Lake McDonald and the longest lake, at 11 miles long, is Lake Mary. There are approximately 600 - 1,000 Black Bears and 300 - 500 Grizzly Bears.
Stephen Mather and Lewis Hill, Great Northern Railroad, built Many Glacier Lodge in 1913, In 1915, a sawmill used in the construction, which was supposed to be removed was still there. A dispute between the two men ensued, and eventually, Mather dynamited the sawmill. Lewis Hill had the media ruin Mather. Lewis Hill also built Prince of Walls in Canada to avoid Prohibition restrictions.
After our tour, we drove over to Columbia Falls, on the western side of the park to the Cedar Creek Lounge and checked into Room 115. Based on recommendations, we walked over to the Three Forks Grille for dinner. The food was AMAZING!
July 10, 2021
Up before the alarm, breakfast at the hotel, and we're off to GNP. Expecting long lines, we were pleasantly surprised to sail in. The sweet Park Ranger told us we could park at the head of the trail or the campground IF there were any slots left. On our first go-round, a car was pulling out and we took the spot. Off we went to the Trail of Cedars, which was recommended, with very good reason, as it was a beautiful trail.
Barely into our hike, we heard a loud commotion, and some gal had fallen into the swift current, apparently trying to take a selfie. Luckily, she grabbed onto the low-hanging branch and some guys pulled her out. We continued on our hike to Avalance Lake (two miles each way) with animal sightings - deer, squirrels, and absolutely stunning waterfalls.
A sweet gal from Houston took our pictures, and informed us that she saw a bear YESTERDAY! After 6 miles of hiking, we stopped in the adorable town of Hungry Horse for Huckleberry Pie and coffee. We returned to our lodge, showered, rested, and walked back to Three Forks Grille for another delicious dinner.
We decided to walk downtown where we heard live music coming from the Gunsight Saloon. I went up to tip the singer because he kept referring to ATL and GA. Turns out he grew up off of Hembree Road around the corner from us.
Small World!
July 11, 2021
After breakfast, we leave for our very easy drive back to Great Falls. Driving on the highway, we spotted an antelope, and then a crazy coyote darted across all lanes of I-15. Luckily, our sweet Hertz agent, Lara, was working, so we gladly returned our unused bear spray. After a salad, we boarded our flight to Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, Delta did not allow enough time for the mishaps (took forever for the stairs to be connected to the plane, the bus driver struggled to retract the handicap ramp) at SLC, and we had to dash for our next flight. Sometime during the mad run, Rachelle's small luggage fell off her larger luggage. We had to board the flight to Phoenix not knowing where her luggage was. Luckily, Richard had called the SLC airport and started the search via Lost and Found. Rich, Rachelle, Connor, and I enjoyed dinner at Chili's after the flight.
PS - Happy ending to the story - Rachelle's luggage was found with all contents inside. By Thursday, it was delivered to their home.
July 12, 2021
Time to say goodbye to my AZ family - but only for a few weeks when we'll return for Connor's 21st birthday.
I was upgraded on my flight back home - thanks again, Delta! Perfect ending to a perfect trip! Life is good.
