Kalispell's Culture and History

So many people I've talked to lately have been singing the praises of Glacier National Park and the beauty of Montana. They aren't wrong. In fact, Big Sky Country has a lot going for it and I'm glad I was able to take the time to drive through the country and explore some of it. While you could spend the money to stay in Glacier and totally immerse yourself in nature, I prefer the day trip aspect and being able to do non-outdoorsy stuff too. I mean, staying in Kalispell is like a world away and only a 30-40 minute drive to the Park. Plus, you can get some culture while you're in the city.

Surprisingly, as small as Kalispell is, the downtown area has quite a few options for culture. If you love art, the small, but packed Hockaday Museum of Art will give you your fix. The museum used to be the city library, but when that grew out of the space, it became a place where they display some fantastic works of art.

On the day I visited, a school group was going through on a field trip, so they could learn about the artists on display as well. Hockaday has a permanent exhibit of Glacier and Montana paintings, artifacts and sculptures done by artists around the world and then they have three rotating exhibits. 

Two of these were Native Sons of the American West by Paul Surber, who did very realistic portrait paintings of Native Americans, and Above the Fruited Plain by Dwayne Wilcox, who drew interesting and fun Native American scenes on ledger paper (which you can see a sample of above taken from the Hockaday's museum handout. 

Downstairs were paintings and drawings that were part of Hockaday's personal collection and the third exhibit: Patterns by Jenny Balisle from San Francisco. This was much more modern, using 3D printed geometric forms and pen drawings. The room downstairs has a children's area, both a classroom for teaching, a play area for smaller ones and this space above that is in the exhibit room that gets kids thinking about art in their own way and encourages them to create their own art based on the work they see around them. For those wanting to take a little something home with them, the museum has a great little gift shop.

I'm told that during the summer (Kalispell's busy months) they do a special exhibit and this year they are doing a recurring one that focuses on women artists. In the past, they took women up to different places in the Valley and had them paint what they saw and now they take new artists to those same spots for them to paint what they see and then compare them, which sounds pretty cool to me.

Literally, a block and a half away stood Museum at Central School, which is run by the historical society and is two stories (actually four stories, but you can only explore the ground floor the the second floor) and jam packed full of artifacts from Flathead Valley's history. This museum was actually the old school house and was the first building in the Kalispell to have hot and cold running water, electricity and indoor plumbing. Many of the kids came to school to take showers before classes, because they didn't have the luxury at home.

Inside, you'l find a variety of things to peak your interest. Let's start on the second floor, which holds four rooms, two of which are not used for exhibits, but can actually be rented out for private events. They are large classrooms, one of which is home to a vintage bar. The other two rooms hold the Timber Exhibit, where you'll find a reproduction of a 1900's sawmill and hands-on activities to learn more about the timber industry of the Valley, and the History of Flathead Valley, which has a steamboat model and tells of the life of early settlers.

The main floor has several rooms and has even more to look at than upstairs. One presents the stories of Northwest Montana's early pioneers, one holds their large gift shop that offers a lot of literature, one is dedicated to western Native American culture and includes things like the full-size tipi you see below, as well as clothing, beads and more. Once you head through this room, you'll find the room that celebrates and tells the story of pioneer Frank Bird Linderman and his family.

Through the exhibits at Central School, you'll have a better understanding of the history of the valley and what life was like from the first settlers to the late 1800s. Make sure read the pamphlet that is given to you when you check in, as it has a lot of really interesting information about the building and it's varied uses over the years.

One of the places everyone told me I needed to see before I left was Conrad Mansion and I wasn't disappointed in that suggestion. It's a bit further away from the main street than the other places we visited, but it's still easily walkable. There's no parking, except in the surrounding neighborhood, so I recommend taking the walk if it's not raining. There are no pictures allowed inside the mansion and there are no bathroom facilities available to visitors, so if you need to go, hit up the public restrooms across the street from the front entrance.

If you have time, take a turn around the grounds, because they're beautiful. Tours start on the hour, so don't be late. The mansion is over 100 years old and belonged to Charles Conrad and his family. Charles Conrad settled in the Flathead Valley based on a coin toss with his brother. His brother went in another direction, taking the only coin they had between them and Charles eventually made it to Montana where he had a family, built his fortune, basically created the town of Kalispell and also owned the herd of buffalo that kept them from becoming extinct when they were overhunted. 

The story of Charles Conrad is amazing, but equally, if not more amazing is the house, which has three floors that you can tour. It had tons of modern conveniences that I've never seen in a historical house before, including an automatic dishwasher, an elevator, an automatic washing machine and heated drying racks as well as a very interesting way of calling servants from almost anywhere in the home. 

The mansion fell into disrepair at one point when the family had moved out and was overgrown to the point that you could only see the top of the roof. The city wanted to knock it down, but luckily it was saved and turned into a historical landmark. It's definitely a must-see if you're in town. It's well worth the price and will make you feel like we haven't come very far technologically. Things are just smaller and more affordable now. I'd love to visit again in the future. (Also, don't miss all the cool stuff in the gift shop. This is your chance to get a book with some photos in it that you couldn't take inside.)

Almost all of downtown Kalispell is historical and all the buildings there used to be something else originally. Grab a walking tour map and take a stroll around town to see what each building is and what it used to be. It's totally free and it's fun. You'll also find great public artwork like this one that was put together by school children.

You'll also see these great additions to buildings that were designed by a local artist. It makes walking around the downtown area even cooler.

In the summer, you can head down to Bigfork for a play at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse. Prices are reasonable and they show a variety of performance during the season. We were fortunate enough to get there right as the season opened and got in on the popular Church Basement Ladies, which I believe is originally a Broadway Production.

The building is smallish, which means that all seats are good seats, because you're never far from the stage even if you're in the back. I loved it and the lobby is fantastic as well. If you have to leave at any time during the performance, you can continue watching it on monitors. There is a nice concession stand and the bathrooms are super clean...and they have more stalls than our larger theaters here with multiple stories. 

One of my favorite parts of the lobby is this lovely pressed tin ceiling. The light fixtures are gorgeous as well and there are beautiful costumes from previous performances set up. Bigfork is a cute little town where they hold kayak competitions and other outdoor activities. We didn't get the chance to explore it much, as we had other things planned, but the little downtown area has quite few restaurants and fun little shops and it's even more walkable than Kalispell. 

So, if you're visiting Glacier or Kalispell (or both) during the summer, make sure to make time for some or all of these activities. They are all pretty affordable, as even a performance ticket doesn't cost more than $30, which is excellent for the closeness of every seat. For more cool ideas on what to do in and around Kalispell, check out my dining experiences, outdoor fun and lodging.

Have you ever been to Kalispell?

Disclosure: My visit to Kalispell was sponsored by the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Discovering Outdoor Kalispell

My trip to Kalispell last month was chock full of fun activities, including lots of outdoor fun. I enjoyed my short visit and hope to make it back to see more in the future. Let me help you make the decision to add Kalispell, Montana to your travel wish list. In case you worry that the small town doesn't have much to offer, remember that their motto is "Discovery in every direction." They aren't wrong, as there are plenty of things to do within 10 miles of downtown, so you can easily fill your days with a variety of activities and delicious foods.

Kalispell is surrounded by beautiful landscape and outdoor spaces and we explored just a fraction of them. Head north to Whitefish or south to Bigfork for even more activities, but Glacier is the most popular and just 30 miles away. For somewhere closer and less crowded, put on some walking shoes and pack a picnic to visit Lone Pine State Park. It is one of only two state parks in Kalispell and has a few hiking trails where you can bring your pup. 

Rikka isn't much of a hiker, so she walked along some and then rode in her sling for part. Lone Pine is perfect for those of you who like to get outside, but aren't super outdoorsy, like me. There are short trails and easy uphill hikes to the overlook.

There are a little more than 7 miles of trails, which  vary in length and difficulty. Parking is just $6 per car, which you pay by cash before entering. There's an archery field as well as well as trails for horseback riding and covered tables for enjoying a picnic. We visited in the morning before many people were out and had the park mostly to ourselves.

We parked and headed up to the interpretive/visitor center, which is small, but a great stop. 

Inside you'll find a few activities and exhibits that show how wildlife is affected by people and how we can keep ourselves safe and allow them to not depend on people for survival. They even allowed me to bring Rikka inside on her leash. (You'll also find potty bags and a water dish outside.) We walked around and looked at the exhibits, purchased a few things from their little gift shop (because huckleberries!) and used their clean restroom before taking a map and hiking the short way up to the overlook.

 

Check out this view! You can see all of the Flathead Valley from the viewpoint and it's perfect for getting great pics of where you've been, where you're going and just seeing how spread out things are.  

That's me on Cappy with Diane from the Convention & Visitor Bureau. Look at that view!

Just 5 miles from downtown, and still in Kalispell, is a wonderful place to go horseback riding. While you can do this in Glacier National Park, it can get quite crowded and touristy. Artemis Acres is an easy drive from town and feels like you're far from the city. The ranch is beautiful and serene, plus doesn't get any WiFi, which means you can really unplug and enjoy your ride. If that sounds awesome to you, you can also stay at their lodge to get away from it all just a short ways away from "civilization". Rates start at just $125/night.

Each ride takes you 6 miles in 2 hours and there are multiple trails, so if you want to go for more than one ride, you have a different experience each time. You can tell the horses are happy and well taken care of as they frolic around in their field. They are trained well, too, so you don't have to give them much direction if you're a newbie and worried about being inexperienced. One follows right behind the other on the trail. You'll get a quick tutorial before you head out though. You'll take a quick rest at the top (halfway through) to give the horses a break and you time to take photos of the surrounding area and the magnificent view of the Valley. There are longer rides you can take as well. 

This cutie is Leroy. He is super friendly and loves his horse friends and runs along on all trail rides, finding exciting things of his own along the way. A two-hour ride runs $65, which is a great price for being able to explore the ranch on a happy horse. Our guides were fantastic and very knowledgeable and really easy to talk to. One came all the way from Florida with Leroy and her two rescue horses for a total change of scenery. The other just started this season and was already happily settled into her job. I didn't get to meet the owner, but I could tell he really cared about his animals and their environment. I'd highly recommend splurging on a visit to Artemis Acres. Everything else in Kalispell is super affordable to make up for it.

So, I'm going to talk more about Glacier National Park in another post, but I wanted to show you a few pictures of what you can expect. If you already have a National Parks Pass, you won't need to pay admission, but if you don't, you can expect to shell out $30 at the gate for a 7-day pass, because they don't offer daily passes. Luckily, there's a ton to do there. Here I am on the pier next to the boat dock. In the summer, this place is really hopping, with swimmers, boaters, kayakers and more. Also, look at those mountains! Gorgeous.

There is no shortage of rivers and streams in Glacier and the park has endless hiking opportunities. If you aren't into hiking, you can take a tour in your car as well as taking a Red Bus tour, which I will include in my other post. Unfortunately, there was flooding and a landslide right before my trip, so the Going To The Sun Road was mostly closed, but when it's not, you can enjoy a great drive with incomparable views. Driving the road is the best way to go with your dog, as they are only allowed in certain parts of the park due to wild animals. 

Around every corner is something new and interesting, including this one-lane road and bridge that makes you feel like you're the only one in the park.

Just two blocks from our hotel was Depot Park. This is where you'll find the Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center. It's also pet-friendly and has lots of places to sit. In the summer, they hold free concerts at the gazebo: On Tuesdays at 7pm and on Wednesdays at lunchtime (11:30am). In the future there may be more activities here as well. 

I love the sculpture here and that there are plenty of trees that you can enjoy both the sunny spots and the shade. We spent quite a bit of time here, since it was so close and I could run around with the dog. There are also public restrooms on site (that little building on the left), though I didn't go in to investigate. Another plus: there are tons of trash cans everywhere, so there's no excuse to leave your garbage lying around.

A short drive from Kalispell finds you at Somers Bay. The town of Somers is tiny, but they have just about everything you could need, including the Somers Cafe, which I'm told is quite good. I'll have to check it out next time I'm there, since I didn't seem to have any free breakfasts or lunches. In the summer, you can watch sailboat races and dragonboat races along the shores of Somers Bay, but you can also take your boat out, go swimming or engage in other water activities as well.

Set aside your Tuesday and Friday evenings to watch sailboats (slowly) race across the bay. Races start at dusk and it's a perfect excuse to get outside and relax with a bottle of wine and al fresco dinner. September brings the Dragon Boat Festival to Lakeside, which may actually draw more boaters than the races we have here in Portland for Rose Festival. There's outdoor food stalls and more, so you can make a day of cheering for your favorite teams. 

This is just a small selection of the things that Kalispell (and the surrounding valley) has to offer for outdoor adventurers. Summer is a great time to visit to take advantage of great weather and the visitor season, but winter is also a perfect time to visit, with ski season and super affordable lift tickets at Blacktail Mountail Ski Area. Just $40 all day for adults or free if you can prove it's your birthday! 

There really is Discovery in every direction, so whether you stay two days or two weeks, you're sure to have a jam-packed visit...or really relaxing, depending on the sort of vacation you're looking for. What outdoor activity sounds the best to you?

Disclosure: My visit to Kalispell was sponsored by the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Traveling in the Off Season

Traveling in the off season can save you a lot of money. Each destination has different high seasons and it's not always summertime, like it is here in America, and even here some places differ. With lower hotel rates and airfare comes smaller crowds and shorter lines. Plan your vacation around the more affordable times to visit with the help of this fun infographic.

photo credit

Where will your next vacation be?