On Thursday, we got up early (although not as early as the day before!) and flew to Kalispell, Montana. I was relieved to find that our backpacking packs fit in the overhead bins with lots of room to spare, and we didn't even have to wrestle anyone to the ground for the space. We had one layover in Minneapolis--not too bad, especially considering we were going on frequent flier miles.
We arrived in Kalispell about noon, and went and picked up our priceline-bid-for Mustang convertible. I was soooo excited to get that car--I bid just a little higher than an economy car would have been, and the bid was accepted--yay! It was a pretty sweet ride, I must say--and SO great for taking in all those mountains!
Anyways, we immediately put the top down and drove the 30 minutes or so to Columbia Falls, where were staying at a Bed and Breakfast called the Bad Rock B&B. We stopped along the way and had some incredible sandwiches at Montana Coffee Traders (but no coffee, don't worry).
The owner of our B&B was a retired nuclear chemist with a Southern accent and a humorous disposition. Their B&B was outstanding--highly recommended if any of you all are ever looking for a place to stay in Columbia Falls, Montana. :) We chatted with the owner a bit, unpacked our stuff, and then headed off for our first foray into the park.
We hiked to Avalanche lake, which was a nice easy hike to start out with. It's four miles, round trip, with just 500 ft elevation gain. Most of the hike was through some lush wooded areas, along a rushing river and deep gorge. Then at the end, the landscape opens up to this gorgeous lake surrounded by cliffs with numerous waterfalls streaming down them. We thought the hike was beautiful and we were very impressed by the scenery.
After the hike, we drove back to Columbia Falls, stuffed ourselves with ribs and fry bread from a restaurant called the Back Room, picked up some groceries at the Super One grocery store nearby, and then turned in for the night. What a great day! One of my strongest memories from that day is just how GOOD everything smelled. All that crisp mountain air. The area was filled with cedars and pine trees, and driving around with our open aired car was just so invigorating.
2 comments:
AMAZING pictures. Seriously.
I see you gave more details on the food this time, which I am glad for. Sounds yummy!
And WOW, the convertible definitely sounds like the way to go!! Totally awesome! You definitely know how to rock this vacation-planning, Mindy!
I will forever be in awe of your vacation planning skills. For some reason, that is just overwhelming to me. Do you want to plan our Disneyland '12 trip for us?
Just driving a Mustang convertible would be a great vacation for me but then to add that gorgeous scenery!! I'm so glad I get to travel vicariously through you at least!
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