The final recap of our summer vacation from Salt Lake City all the way to Montana is going down today! It’s about time. I know. I know.
If you missed a recap, you can find them all right here…
Part 1-Bear Lake
Picking up right where we left off, in Kalispell, Montana. Our full final day of vacation was planned to be spent in Glacier National Park. We rented kayaks on Lake McDonald bright and early {minus the grandparents} so my crew headed into the park in order to snag those kayaks. We picked them up in Apgar Village and really-I could have spent my entire day just here. It’s a quaint little village with some spots to eat, a few stores, and access to the gorgeous Lake McDonald.
With the encouragement of my guy in front, our kayak tended to race Nixon’s every chance we got. By the end of our two hours, my arms were sore BUT ask me who won. 😉 #everytime
We kayaked, we played around near the water, we skipped rocks, and we would have swam but it was really chilly.
The lake was pretty. This one is known for having colorful rocks AND because the lake is so clear being able to see them.
Kayaking happened to be the perfect way to check out this gorgeous lake.
Timer picture to prove we were all there.
These two were super intense if they got involved in any race.
Look who we ran into after our kayaking adventure! Gary and Marla met us in the village for a little lunch.
We had scored tickets for the Road to the Sun {which you needed because they were keeping numbers lower} but we began knowing we wouldn’t drive the entire thing. Since we’d had our big Yellowstone day and then driven to Montana, we were kind of over being inside the car. This Glacier Park tour we wanted to be out of the car much more. We used our handy dandy GyPSy Guide app again.
We pulled off when the guide suggested this waterfall stop. Britt looks scared but I promise she wasn’t.
These kinds of spots were my kids favorites. They loved getting to explore.
Or catch butterflies…that was fun too.
The views though.
We’d heard about a good trail {Avalanche Trail} that led to this gorgeous hidden gem of a lake you could only see if you hiked to the top. Our plan was to check it out and if it was too much for the kids we’d turn around. Well, this is where it got tricky due to no cell phone service. Our group was split into two cars…Tab, me, Nixon and Bowen were in one while Gary, Marla, and the girls were in the other. We arrived at Avalanche Trail and pulled off to park but the parking lots surrounding the area were all over, hidden from each other, etc. We got separated and couldn’t find them. It felt like so long that we finally panicked that they’d gone up the trail thinking they’d find us up there. So our crew of four took off practically sprinting up the trail. I was a mess when we made it to the top! But the views were absolutely stunning and well worth it…
Such a cool little spot once we finally arrived!
That backdrop looks so pretty it appears fake, doesn’t it?
On our way down, I’m mentally fretting about what we do at the bottom. We searched bathrooms, walked around the entrances/exits, and had decided we were going to move on to the next stop. We had discussed where we’d stop next so maybe they went ahead. But we miraculously spotted Tab’s dad!
They’d panicked when we’d gotten lost too and looked and looked for us before finally scoping out this cool spot with water and shade to hang for a bit.
So the entire crew then popped over to the Lake McDonald Lodge. This property kind of reminded me of Walt Disney World. Tell me if you see the resemblance…
Isn’t it cute?
I saw a little Disney in that cute lodge.
We decided another stroll around that Apgar Village where we began earlier in the day was where we wanted to spend our early evening so we drove back. Gary’s cousin and his family happened to be walking in the same little village and we bumped into them! WHAT are the odds, right?
We’d heard such good things about the Sacred Waters Brewing Company so we stopped there for dinner.
The live musician was playing some Darius Rucker while we ate french fries after a lot of walking. It was the perfect way to end our stay in Montana.
While packing and preparing for vacations like this always takes some work those amazing memories that will last a lifetime are so worth it! This entire trip was outside of our normal summer vacation and the adventures made us all get out of our comfort zone just a bit which made it even more fun. The Slaughters had the best time heading west!
XO
The National Parks are so beautiful! It looks like you had amazing weather too, which isn’t always guaranteed in that quadrant of the country. I have been to many of the places you recapped and I enjoyed reliving my family’s adventures while reading your posts. Thank you so much for sharing. I am so glad you had such a great trip.
What an incredible trip and great adventure!!! I loved reading and following along!!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
We are headed there next summer and I have so enjoyed and appreciated your posts!
I've enjoyed following along, thank you for sharing!
I've enjoyed reading about your Western Adventure!! Sounds like an amazing trip! Hoping to plan a similar trip at some point.
That water is so CLEAR!!! Every picture was more gorgeous than the last!! I'm so happy you recapped this trip in-depth! I know so many people will want to do the exact itinerary in the future!
I've loved all of these posts!!!!
I have been waiting for this post! I am so glad you enjoyed Glacier. My husband and I live in Memphis, but we got married on the bridge leading up to Avalanche Lake trail. We went back on our 20 year anniversary and took our girls to see where we got married. Looks like a great trip and hope you were able to enjoy some the local huckleberry flavor!
We took a picture at that same spot on Avalanche Trail, several years ago. Every time I look at it, I think the same thing- it’s so gorgeous it totally looks fake!
What incredible views! Sorry you all got separated though.