Monthly Archives: June 2012

Sunday evening sunset.

Rodeo Time: Boots, Chaps & Cowboy Hats

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For this girl, summer is always kicked off with the rodeo (held annually on the last full weekend in June since 1936) in my hometown of Augusta, Montana. The rodeo is a long-established tradition in this little town nestled on the Rocky Mountain Front. It’s a place where old friends reconnect, families gather and long-lost loves rekindle old flames or meet new ones. It’s a time for traditions, smiles and a fair share of good-natured (for the most part) rambunctiousness.

This year was no exception.

I headed home, saw old friends, kissed lots of babies and gave out countless hugs. I also saw cowboys try their luck and test their skill in roping, steer wrestling, bareback bronc riding and bull riding.

Cowboys gather in a pre-rodeo prayer circle.

Behind the chute action.

Bronc riding.

It was a good weekend.

As for the Sunday night drive home…it was perfectly peaceful.

Sunday evening sunset.

TT

Hello beautiful forest.

Dear Summer: Bring It On

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It’s official. With the opening of the Going-to-the-Sun Road (June 19) and the official first day of summer (June 20), summer is here. And this girl is STOKED. Like hardcore, can hardly wait, super excited for each and every thing that summer has to offer stoked.

Bugs? They don’t bother me. (Okay, they do a little which is why someone invented bug spray). Hot days? Love ‘em. (It’s a dry heat after all). Long daylight hours? Don’t mind if I do. (This blondie loves the sunshine. And yes, I lather up with SPF).

To kick off summer, I wanted to share some of the most epic summer activities and events that can be found in Montana during the next few months. May I present to you “Tia’s Terrific Montana Travel Summer List of Pure Fun” or “TTMTSLPF.”

Glacier National Park
Some of my earliest memories are of visiting and exploring Glacier National Park with my family. Back then, it was a magical place filled with bears, waterfalls, giant lodges and ice cold lakes. Today, I’m really happy to tell you that it’s still a magical place. If you haven’t been, it’s a destination that should definitely be on your list of places to explore. My recommendations? Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road, take a Sun Tour (where you’ll learn about the park from the perspective of the Blackfeet Indians), hike to Running Eagle Falls in Two Medicine and sit by the fire at Many Glacier Hotel. And most importantly, just get lost in the nature, beauty, power and history of the park.

Hiking to Avalanche Lake with the baby sister.

Clearwater Canoe Trail
Hands down, this is one of my favorite activities for summertime. Located a short drive north (about four miles) of Seeley Lake, this trail meanders its way through a willow marsh before flowing into the north end of Seeley Lake. My recommendation? Paddle this in the early morning hours and soak in the stillness and peacefulness of the trail.

Ah...

River City Roots Festival
This festival is Missoula at its best. It’s a two-day FREE festival with incredible art and live music in the heart of downtown Missoula. Plus, if you have little ones there is plenty of entertainment and activities to keep everyone in your family entertained.

Zip Lining at Whitefish Mountain Resort
A visit to the zip lines at Whitefish Mountain Resort is a MUST. It combines beautiful views with short hikes and speed with giggles and shrieks. Two words to describe it: Pure fun.

Families that zip line together, stay together. (Or something like that).

Lake and River Lounging
In the summer, you have to lounge. And there are plenty of river and lakes in Western Montana that provide prime lounging opportunities. My recommendations? Get your lounge on at Whitefish Lake, Noxon Rapids Reservoir, Lake Como, Seeley Lake, Johnsrud State Park on the Blackfoot River and Flathead Lake.

Bike the Hiawatha
Last summer, my brother and I headed to the Route of the Hiawatha to ride its 15-mile trail through tunnels and across steel trestles. And it was awesome.

Hello beautiful forest.

Eat Ice Cream
This is perhaps the golden rule of summer. Best places to get a scoop (or seven): Big Dipper in Missoula; Sweet Peaks in Whitefish, Bigfork and Kalispell; Eddy’s Cafe in Apgar Village; and St. Mary Cafe in St. Mary (best paired with their pie). My recommendation? Be sure to try the huckleberry ice cream.

Big Dipper in Missoula.

Happy, happy summer.
TT

PS: For more summertime fun, check out these 101 Things To Do.

As our biking gang journeyed to Montana from near and far, the boys at Great Northern Cycles took good care of our bike needs.

Going-to-the-Sun: A Montana Adventure

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We had it planned for weeks. It was time for an adventure, a journey, a trip into the undiscovered…it was time to bike Western Montana in the spring.

You see, while I’d enjoyed a bit of biking in my life, I’d never ridden the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park and neither had several of my friends. It was high time to get ‘er done. And while we knew that rain was in the forecast, there’s no way we were going to let a little moisture deter us from our goal.

So we rode.

And during the days, the rain fell…and fell…and fell, leaving us soaked to the core. But each evening, along with the rising of the moon, we were met with absolute beauty and peacefulness in one of the loveliest places in the world.

Here’s a look at our rain-filled, bike-filled and fun-filled week…

We started our journey in Whitefish, where we warmed up our legs on The Whitefish Trail.

As our biking gang journeyed to Montana from near and far, the boys at Great Northern Cycles took good care of our bike needs.

Before heading to Glacier National Park, we filled up on huckleberry pancakes from Hidden Moose Lodge. (My mouth is watering just thinking about them).

Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park.

An evening boat tour on Lake McDonald with Glacier Park Boat Company.

Between pancakes, daiquiris and ice cream, I'm quite sure I ate my weight in huckleberries.

The rivers and streams were rocking.

The highlight of the week: riding down the Going-to-the-Sun Road. (Thanks to Debbie Olsen for the photo).

The perfect ending to a day of biking: a huckleberry foot soak at Remedies Day Spa in West Glacier.

And after a full three and a half days (the majority of which were rain-filled) this was the view on the drive home.

Blue skies, sunshine and a calm Flathead Lake.

And you know what? I wouldn’t change a thing. I loved those rain-filled days, happy companies and am still relishing in the genuine fun that we had on our trip. After all, if you want the rainbow, you’ve gotta put up with the rain.

Here’s to loving the rainbows and the rain,
TT