Category Archives: Flathead Valley

A Montana Road Trip: Part One

Some weeks are awesome. This past week, my Montana lovin’ friends, was one of them.

Why? Because it was spent road tripping from Missoula north along Highway 93 into the Flathead Valley with a group of lovely ladies.

Our goal for the week: To experience as much Montana goodness as we possibly could within five days. And boy howdy, did we ever.

Here’s a look at the first part of our road trip in Montana’s Glacier Country…

An evening stroll through Missoula’s Caras Park.

Kicking back at Kettlehouse Brewery in Missoula.

The Smokejumper Visitor Center.

The stunning St. Ignatius Mission. (A look inside will reveal 58 hand-painted murals on the walls and ceilings).

The view from Allentown Restaurant at Ninepipes Lodge in Charlo.

Experiencing American Indian culture at The People’s Center in Pablo.

Kerr Dam near Polson. (This was one of my favorite stops on the road trip).

The Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell.

Downtown Whitefish. Adorable.

Our home for the evening: The Garden Wall Inn.

Every once in a while, you just need to get lost (in Montana).

It’s been a lovely week.
TT

PS: Stay tuned for part two of our road trip, coming next week.

Soaking Up Montana Moments

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Ready for some sappiness from your (hopefully) favorite messy-haired blond friend? If not, you better buckle up because it’s coming straight at you.

Here’s the thing. There are moments in life that stop me in my tracks. Little experiences, sites and interactions that snap me back to attention. And while words don’t seem to be coming easily to me today, I will say this: Montana is magic. It feeds my soul.

Lake McDonald on a crisp fall day.

The Rocky Mountain Front. I'm sure there is no fresher air in the world than the wind that sweeps off these mountains.

On a recent trip north, I was stopped for construction. Looking up, this was my view. (I see you Flathead Lake).

Glacier National Park during a late fall storm.

Driving down a country road and not knowing what's around the bend.

Perfection. Mainly because it reminds me of my grandpa.

A perfect morning.

My street.

Love.

Here’s to many more perfect moments.

xo,
TT

Montana Dragon Boat Festival

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September was awesome. “Why?” you may ask. Well, it’s simple. There’s nothing quite like paddling a 46-foot-long dragon boat on the incredibly beautiful waters of Flathead Lake with 20 of your friends.

Let me explain…in early September the inaugural Montana Dragon Boat Festival on Flathead Lake was held. The festival brought more than 56 teams and 1,200 paddlers together for an epic day of racing at Flathead Lake Lodge. And, since the crew around here loves to do fun things and is a TAD bit competitive, we thought it would be fun to enter our own team in the race.

Please meet the “Glacier Country Water Warriors.”

Go Water Warriors!

The day meant blue skies, fun races, plenty of learning how to work together, local food, spectators and an art fair. In other word, it was Montana perfection.

And while we didn’t win the race (for the record we tanked on the first race, but won our second heat!), you better believe we’ll be back next year as we’re officially dragon boating converts.

Our team captain!

The paddle out to the start of our second race...we finally got our groove on.

Apparently something was REALLY funny.

Warrior style, yo.

Water Warriors Forever.

xo,
TT

PS: If you didn’t have a chance to participate in this year’s race, mark your calendar for September 7, 2013 for next year’s festival. To stay connected with the latest event news, head on over and give them a like on their facebook page.

Montana Now Serving: Winter

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Your order is ready.

Oh what’s that, you didn’t order fluffy white powder, sunny blue skies, cute towns, affordable lift tickets and some sweet travel deals? Not to worry, I put the order in for you. (You’re welcome). The catch? You’ve got to come to Western Montana to pick it up.

Here’s what’s waiting for you, RIGHT NOW, in Glacier Country…

Six Ski Areas
With nearly 7,000 acres of terrain between six ski areas (including Whitefish Mountain Resort, Lost Trail Powder Mountain, Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area, Montana Snowbowl, Blacktail Mountain and Turner Mountain), you have plenty of room to roam. Plus, we guarantee there are untracked lines waiting just for you.

Meet your huckleberry at Lookout Pass.

Travel Deals
$99 room rate, Grouse Mountain Lodge
The crew at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish is currently offering $99 room rates. Call the lodge at 406.892.2525 and ask for the “Northern Friends Special.” Sidenote: You don’t have to be Canadian to receive this rate, you just have to say those three magic words.

Soak in Paradise
Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort (literally located in Paradise, Montana) is offering a Ski, Soak & Stay special for $136.50. The package (for two) is good for double occupancy at Quinn’s, use of the hot mineral pools and breakfast at Harwood House Restaurant. Plus, show your lodging confirmation at Lookout Pass and receive 30% off lift tickets.

Winter Fun
Seeley Lake’s Double Arrow Lodge is offering a Winter Fun package that includes lodging (for two), breakfast and dinner, as well as complimentary use of cross-country skis and snowshoes. Plus, snowmobile rentals are available in the town of Seeley Lake with more than 350 miles of accessible groomed trails nearby.

Glacier National Park
While it still seems like kind of an (awesome) secret, Glacier National Park is open year-round. Which means that now is a serene time to explore the park.

My suggestion? Take a drive to Apgar Village inside the park’s west entrance and stand at the southern shore of Lake McDonald. The site is truly spectacular. And if you’ve got time on your hands, drive up the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Lake McDonald Lodge (be sure to pack your snowshoes) and have yourself a walk along the shore. Or, if cross-country skiing is more your style, try one of the trails that parallel the road.

Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park. Photo courtesy: Glacier National Park Fund.

So…see you soon?
TT

Bonus info: The long-term forecast for March is projecting more snow. Good thing this girl is back in the snowboarding saddle.

Back in the Snowboarding Saddle

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Um, I have to tell you something…the last time I was on a snowboard was three years ago.

Which I know is pretty shameful. Especially because I live within easy reach of some pretty stellar winter recreation areas. But before you decide to storm my office and throw snowballs at my head, let’s get one thing straight. I didn’t take an intentional break from boarding some of the best snow on earth…it just kind of happened. Little by little, day by day, season by season until three years rolled by and this girl hadn’t hit the snow.

With that said, I’m happy to tell you that I went snowboarding at not one, but TWO of Western Montana’s ski areas last week. The first one I journeyed to was Lookout Pass on the Montana/Idaho border.

And I must tell you, Lookout is pretty awesome.

I heart Lookout Pass.

It has great terrain, fun snow and it’s super accessible from where I live. My snowboarding, on the other hand, was not awesome. While I (unintentionally) hit a couple of black diamond runs, I also ate it nearly every time I got off of the chairlift. And it’s not like it was a cute, dainty fall. It was more of a hardcore ricochet combined with a solid bounce off of the snow. You get the picture, right?

And while I absolutely loved boarding Lookout for the day and genuinely had an awesome time (it’s now one of my favorite places to ride), by the time I left I had developed an irrational fear of chairlifts.

Later in the week, I took my new found fear with me to Whitefish Mountain Resort.

Moments after meeting up with a couple of girlfriends who work at the resort, I blurted out my fear of chairlifts. In turn they connected me with Kris, my instructor for the afternoon, who was AWESOME. Not only did she teach me how to properly dismount from a chairlift without causing a scene, she also helped me successfully navigate a toe-turn without tumbling down the mountain.

My two Jan's. (If you look closely, you can tell that someone in this photo is being held up).

By the end of the day, I was cruising down the slopes with a regained confidence and love of hitting the snow.

Happy girls.

The point of this story?

I am now happily back in the snowboarding saddle.

Snowboarding happiness.

So…who’s ready to ride?
TT

Montana: We’ve Got Good Eats

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When this messy-haired blond girl was growing up, we lived one mile down the road from my grandparents and our family owned store, where my grandpa was constantly (and boy do I mean constantly) cooking food for whoever happened to be around. And since it was was a store, there were always people around to taste his cooking.

My gramps.

My grandpa had two catch phrases: one was “Have a happy day.” and the other was “Want to taste something good?” And when we heard the latter, we knew there was something delicious simmering on the stove for us in the backroom.

While fine dining may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Montana, we truly have some amazing chefs serving up mouth-watering dishes. And because I love food (thank you for that grandpa) and sharing special places with you, I need to introduce you to Cafe Kandahar (located at Whitefish Mountain Resort) and its delectable dishes. Have a gander.

Louisiana Shrimp.

Alaskan Salmon (so yummy).

The lamb was literally cooked to perfection.

Montana-raised Kobe Beef...it's what's for dinner.

Hello warm chocolate tort cake.

Not to play favorites, but this huckleberry dessert was perfection.

To which I now must ask you, want to taste something good?
TT

Snow Day!

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Happy Friday from Montana! As you may have heard, Western Montana has been being hit with EPIC snowfall. And I don’t use the word epic lightly.

I’m talking about the kind of snowfall that had Lost Trail Powder Mountain receiving 50″ in the last 48 hours, Montana Snowbowl welcoming 26″ in the last 48 hours, Lookout Pass Ski Area garnering 22″ in the last 48 hours, Blacktail Mountain Ski Area welcoming 13″ in the last 48 hours, Whitefish Mountain Resort recording 7″ in the last 48 hours and Turner Mountain Ski Area accumulating 20″ this week.

But instead of telling you, I’d rather show you.

Morning in Missoula.

Fresh powder at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Photo by Brian Schott.

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The morning commute in Missoula. Photo by Taylar Robbins.

The Apgar Lookout webcam in Glacier National Park.

Mike Hardisty riding at Lookout Pass. Photo courtesy Lookout Pass.

Happy winter!
TT

PS: If you’re ready to come play in the snow on your winter toy of choice, check out these travel deals from local Montana businesses.

Montana: This is Winter Country

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Winter arrived late to Western Montana. My guess? She wanted to make an entrance. And that’s fine with me…I’m not going to point fingers, cuss her out or give her the silent treatment. Why? Because she’s here now and let’s face it, she really looks quite lovely.

In the last week, fresh powder has fallen on our ski areas, snowmobile trails and mountain meadows, making everyone around here giddy with excitement, anticipation and a hankering that can only be relieved from playing in the snow.

And play we will.

As part of the Montana experience of winter, several communities host events and activities that showcase this season, and her slightly rambunctious attitude, at its finest. And with so many things to choose from, I’ve compiled some of my suggestions to help ensure that winter treats you like a lady. (Or a gentleman).

Some of my suggestions:

Seeley Lake Winterfest, Seeley Lake
While Seeley Lake is a bootie-kickin’ year-round destination, they do it up right in the winter. Winterfest, held January 20 – 22, features a snow sculpture contest, torchlight parade, bonfire, desserfest (yes, please) and live entertainment. The Seeley Lake Biathlon (featuring skiing and shooting) is also held in conjunction with Winterfest.

A snow sculpture at Seeley Lake's Winterfest.

Chinese New Year, Hot Springs
Celebrate the Chinese New Year in the cute community of Hot Springs on Saturday, January 21, with festivities including a dragon dance parade, drumming and bio-luminesce fire dancers. The bonus? Catching the fireworks from the outdoor hot springs pool at Symes Hot Springs Hotel.

Whitefish Winter Carnival, Whitefish
Held February 3 – 5, Winter Carnival is really winter at its best. The carnival includes a grand parade, fireworks display, torchlight parade and Black Star Beer Barter. And if you’re up in that neck of the woods in January, attend Whitefish Skijorning, January 27 – 29.

Whitefish Skijoring. Photo by Larry Turner.

Winter Storytelling Series, Lolo
Each year Travelers’ Rest State Park hosts a winter series that celebrates the age-old Salish tradition of sharing history through stories. This winter’s series features talks (held every Saturday) by Kootenai Tribal Members, Salish Tribal Elders, historians and authors.

A cozy cabin in the woods. Photo by Donnie Sexton.

Happy winter,
TT

Cozy hat=Ready for winter.

PS: For sweet travel deals, check out the DEALS page on www.glaciermt.com.

Montana’s Small Business Saturday

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It’s cold and snowing in Montana. To which I give a hearty “woo hoo!” because that means winter season is nearly here. Which also means that this girl had to wear her snow boots this week and has been perpetually chilly. But no complaining here! Instead, while I wait for my body to adjust to the stellar winter we’re about to have, I’m going to bundle up and spread the love…in the form of small business shout-outs.

Small businesses have a legacy in Montana…One founded upon hard work, long hours and a mix of blood, sweat and tears. Some have stood the test of time and have been passed along generation to generation, while others may still be gaining their footing in Big Sky Country. But whether they’ve been here for years or are just settling into their own corner of Montana, I love ‘em just the same, as they often bring that extra dose of heart and soul to an area, street corner or town.

Here’s my list of some (please note this is not an all-inclusive list) of my favorite small businesses that call Montana home…and why they sparkle in my eyes.

-The Toggery, Whitefish
It’s the perfect combination of outdoor apparel and cuteness.

-Tupelo Grille, Whitefish
Two words: Bread pudding.

-The Montana House, Glacier National Park
Open year-round, this shop is the ending to my perfect winter day in the park, filling my need for hot tea and treats.

Elk Camp Art Gallery & Showroom, Eureka
A brand new shop, this gallery features artists and craftsmen from the heart of the Tobacco Valley.

-Kettlehouse Brewery, Missoula
They have two locations in Missoula with great beer, but for this girl they sparkle because they work with Big Dipper Ice Cream to create beer-flavored ice cream treats. Yes, please.

-Hidden Legend Winery, Victor
A family owned winery, Tim uses local honey and berries to make their (award-winning) meads. PS: I love local honey.

-Monte Dolack Gallery, Missoula
Monte’s work manages to inspire and calm me, all at once.

-Lincon’s Silver Dollar Bar & Gift Shop, Haugan
A childhood favorite pit stop, there are more than 50,000 silver dollars on display.

To the small businesses, and their stalwart owners, thanks for being a part of Montana.
TT

PS: SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26
Saturday, November 26 marks the second annual Small Business Saturday, with many stores across the United States offering discounts, deals and specials in their shops to encourage consumers to shop locally.

Here are a few deals from around Montana for November 26…
*Whitefish: Purchase a $25 gift card at The Naked Noodle and get 10 percent off meal purchases.
*Augusta: Allen’s Manix Store is offering 15 percent off non-grocery items (excluding guns). Just down the street, Latigo and Lace is offering 15 percent off on T-shirts and additional selected items.
*Missoula: MSO Hub is offering 15 percent off (excluding clearance and non-profit organization items). And just a few doors down, MkLAREN Boutique is offering 20 percent off storewide.

Why Do You Love Montana?

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Oh, hi. First things first, it’s good to see you here. No matter where you’re reading from, I hope you enjoy the adventures we take together each week…thank you for letting me share my little piece of Montana with you. I love it.

A couple of weeks ago, this messy-haired blond wrote a blog about Montana and all of the reasons I love it. See that blog here.

Afterward, I started wondering what your reasons are for loving Montana.

Is it the view of the stars when you’re camping in the Bob Marshall Wilderness? Maybe it’s the incredible history and rich culture of the American Indian tribes? Or is it the unexplainable connection and sense of giddiness you feel when this sign greets you?

Welcome to Montana. Photo courtesy Julia Bennion.

Well, as usual, my curiosity got the best of me. So I asked a few of my friends the big question, “Why do you love Montana?”

And their love for Montana, and willingness to share it with me, was even more than I expected.

Here are some of their responses…

“We love Montana because it’s not easy.”
“The…everything.”
“I love Montana because of the way of life, the freedom, the open spaces and the mountains.”
“It’s home to several local cafes with make the best homemade french fries ever.”
“My heart is there.”
“The sudden view of the Missions when you drive up Highway 93 around the last turn into the valley.”
“The simultaneous warmth and independence of the people. The traditions of the West. The chance to see parts of the natural world as they were intended to be seen.”

Now it’s your turn. What do YOU love about Montana?

Sending you warm Montana-lovin’ hugs,
TT