Exploring Glacier National Park

Let me first say, I’m not really an outdoorsy person. I like to be outside and I like to walk around town, plus I like to see animals and different landscapes, but I am not a hiker, camper (anymore) or someone who enjoys doing too much rigorous exercise to get joy out of life. Sure, I like to go bike riding, but not mountain biking or climbing hills. I want there to be an end point, a purpose to my journey. Like, I’ll gladly go on a 4 mile walk to get to a restaurant or to landmark. I don’t want to be so tired when I get there that I can’t enjoy where I am. Perhaps you are really active and can’t understand it, but maybe you’re like me and can. Basically, I’m mostly lazy until I go on vacation.

I tell you that, because as a visitor to National Parks, I like to drive around, see things from overlooks, walk on trails, hit up the visitor center and check out the gift shop and other things they may have. I don’t see the trail signs that show long hikes up the mountainside and think “I want to do that!” If you do, that’s awesome and you’re likely to get better vantages and photos than me. When I was in Montana and visited Glacier National Park. I didn’t know what to expect. I couldn’t imagine being there for more than an hour or two. And then I got there.

Glacier is beautiful, but there’s also so many things to do there for all levels of visitor, everyone can find (a lot) of cool stuff to enjoy for the whole day or even longer. Even I would like to go back and see things I missed or only saw from the car. If you’re a see-nature-from-inside-your-car kind of person, there are quite a few roads to drive inside the park, including the Going To The Sun Road. Unfortunately, it had flooded right before we arrived and then the night before there was a small avalanche, so much of the road was blocked off and we could only go so far. Nature.

If you’re a get-out-and-see-everything kind of traveler, there are tons of hiking trails along the road (which spans 50 miles) and throughout other parts of the park. Basically, you can hike for days and never see the same thing twice. I was a good sport and indulged in a bit of hiking though. I probably only made it ½ mile up before I had to come back down, but I tried. (Also, that might be an overestimate, but everything feels longer when you struggle to breathe. LOL!)

Sorry this is so blurry.

If you’re an I-like-nature-but-I-also-like-luxury kind of person, you can stay at one of the lodgings in the park and do as much or as little as you like. I’d love to stay lakeside and sit out on the porch in the mornings, get out on a boat and maybe even try out a bit of kayaking. You can do all that in Apgar Village, but seeing as how it’s a “village” there are also shops and eateries, so you don’t have to hike or do any watersports if you don’t feel like it. Just enjoy where you are and the scenery.

You can even get more highbrow and book a room at the Lake McDonald Lodge. This place is multistoried, is a fantastic wooden, clapboard building that is crazy beautiful inside and out. Once you head inside, it takes on the feel of a hunting lodge, with mounted animal heads and a fireplace so big you could stand in it (maybe if you tried hard enough, you could get to the wizarding world by Floo Powder). The warm colors give it a nice cozy feel and make you want to just hang out in the cushy lobby all day long.

If that wasn’t enough, you don’t even have to go broke staying here. Rooms start at just $105/night and keep with the time it was built (1913) and let you unplug. You won’t have a TV or air conditioning in your room (which I doubt you’d need even mid-summer). The lodge doesn’t have an elevator either, so pack light. You won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything, because you have access to an upscale restaurant, an extensive gift shop, a pizzeria and many tours and other activities.

The Red Bus Tour picks you up right outside, which I highly recommend. I had the opportunity to take a tour with a group of ladies in the hospitality field. None of them had ever taken the tour, despite some of them living in Montana for decades. The tours aren’t super affordable, but are totally worth the price. Rates start at $40 for a 3.5 hour tour and you won’t regret your choice.

With the top open

With the top closed

The Red us is actually a 1930s wooden “bus” made by White Motor Company that has a removable canvas top that is taken off when the weather permits it. The park ordered 35 of these amazing vehicles in 1939 and despite having to totally overhaul them at one point, 33 are still in operation. One is on display and the other was beyond help. The drivers, called Jammers, tell you about the history of the cars and explain why they are called Jammers. Glacier has the oldest touring fleet of vehicles in the world with these buses and it’s certainly an honor to ride in one. Each bus can hold 13-17 passengers and they are extremely comfortable.

Your Jammer will explain what you’re seeing throughout the park and gives you the history of the park as well. Being a Jammer is a coveted position and our driver Russ has been doing it for almost two decades. He and his wife live in Florida and come to Montana every summer season to drive the buses and give visitors a very unique tour.

When you stop, you are welcome to stick your head out of the top to take photos (though you can also get out at many places along the tour). This is a really interesting way to view the park and we learned quite a lot while driving around. The view from your seat out the top of the open bus is highly relaxing and beautiful. No matter what your plans are when visiting Glacier, you should definitely include this in your trip.

Whether you like to do inside things on your trip or get out and be one with nature, you’ll definitely want to make a visit to Glacier when visiting Missoula, Kalispell or Whitefish. I was only at Glacier for half a day, so imagine what more you can see on your visit if you have several days to spend. Be aware, that if you don't have a national parks pass, your only choice for a pass to Glacier is to buy a 7-day pass at $30, so make sure you make the most of it. The park is just 30-45 minutes from downtown Kalispell, so you can easily stay in town and make it a day trip if you like.

For more cool ideas on what to do in and around Kalispell, check out my dining experiences, outdoor fun, cultural and historical activities and lodging.

Have you ever visited Glacier National Park?

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

Kids Can Enjoy Vegas Too

It’s called Sin City for a reason, but Las Vegas is not just for grown-ups. You don’t have to bet against the house to be a big winner. Away from the casinos and hotel pools there is a jackpot of family fun just waiting to be had.

Seigfried & Roy Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat

There’s so much kid-friendly fun happening right on The Strip. The Mirage is home to the big cat collection of magic act Seigfried & Roy. Walk through at your own pace, admiring the tigers, panthers and other felines and then watch dolphins frolic and play right next door.

Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame Museum

What kid doesn’t like to play a video game? Bring them down to E. Tropicana where they can both see some of the greatest pinball machines from the 1950s to 1990s and also play with pieces of history. This 10,000 square foot museum is open daily and is totally non-profit. All quarters you pay to play that don’t go toward upkeep go to various charities, like the Salvation Army.

Circus Circus Adventuredome

Among the hopeful thrills of slots and table games are more certain thrills at the Adventuredome amusement park at Circus Circus. Big kids have a choice of roller coasters and other adventure rides, while little ones can ride more tame rides and experience fun 4D movies. And if you’re looking for more affordable activities, Circus Circus holds free circus acts throughout the day.

Fremont Street Experience

Not all the glitz and glamour in Vegas is reserved for the casinos. The Fremont Street Experience downtown is seven blocks of entertainment, lights and more. Fremont Street had the first hotel in Vegas and the first paved street and now features one of the most popular attractions in the city. Live performances compete for attention with a four-block-long lighted canopy that uses 12.5 million LED lights to create patterns and videos to music once the sun goes down. Plus it’s all free!

Ziplining

If the rest of Fremont Street hasn’t quite delighted all their senses, then perhaps ziplining above the crowd will do the trick. Zip 110 feet from the ground, soaring over the heads of the visitors and right under the lighted canopy of the Fremont Street Experience.

Mob Museum

If you’ve ever wondered how Las Vegas got started and it blossomed into the city it is today, you’ll be surprised to know that it never would have happened without the mob. The Mob Museum is located directly across the street from Fremont Street, spans three floors in a former federal courthouse and U.S. Post Office. Kids will learn the history of the mob while also learning fun facts about how the mob works and how they spread across the country. There are some graphic images here and quite a bit of reading, so this may not be suitable for small children.

Shark Reef Aquarium

Just like the zoo, almost everyone enjoys a trip to the aquarium. The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay has over 2,000 underwater creatures, including 1,000 sharks of 15 different species. Come face-to-face with exotic fish, reptiles and the rare golden crocodile. The aquarium has a touch tank – which all kids think is exciting – and two walk-through underwater tunnels to experience marine life all around you.

All cities can be family-friendly if you look for attractions suitable for the different ages in your travel group. With the addition of endless buffets and pools to choose from, there is something to make everyone happy in Las Vegas. You may also want to check out Bonnie Springs Ranch, the Neon Museum, the Hoover Dam and Springs Preserve (this will be on my agenda for my next trip). Also check into getting an Explorer Pass to do more for less.

Do you have a favorite thing to do in or around Vegas with your kids?

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.