Glacier National Park

We did a "quick", long weekend trip up to see Glacier National Park.  It was supposed to be a 7-hour car trip according to Google Maps, but with breaks and meals, it took us more like 9.  Not too bad, and I was impressed with the kids' traveling tolerance.  Mostly, I credit that to lots and lots of snacks.  (Did I mention that Owen is into making funny faces for the camera these days?)

Here's one of our en-route breaks at a park in Missoula.  Don't you just love this daddy-daughter pic?

We stayed in a cabin west of Whitefish, Montana.  It was at the end of a mountain road off a dirt road off a road off the highway.  I think our greatest wildlife sighting was right outside our door when J spotted this great grey owl in the tree.  It was huge!

The cabin setting was great, but with in-town construction the drive to GNP was about an hour, which was not great after being in the car all day the day before.  Owen enjoyed the cabin so much though, that as we were leaving he pleaded that we move to the woods.

I think that was due to some of the "amenities" we had:

The next morning after a hearty breakfast, we ventured out to Glacier.

The morning was overcast and a bit chilly, but we stopped at Lake McDonald to stretch our legs before finding a good hiking trail.

It was past tourist season, which was nice, so we opted for a short hike around Johns Lake.  The hiking book touted it as a magical fairyland-type forest, and it did not disappoint.  The first picture is Owen telling me how spooky the forest is.  :)

Lunch time!  Man, these kids seem to eat all the time...

After lunch, Owen got very tired and asked to ride in the carrier that we borrowed from some friends.  I think he was at the upper weight limit, but it was definitely better than having no carrier!  The second half of the trail followed McDonald Creek by some waterfalls.  Very lovely, and the sun came out in the afternoon!

After the hike, we got back in the car to see what the Going-To-The-Sun Road was all about, hoping the kids might nap on the way.  (No dice there!)  Gorgeous scenery and motion-sickness-inducing views from the edge.  Gulp!

At Logan Pass, we exited the car and tested the kids' stamina sans carriers on the Hidden Lake Trail.  The first 1/2 mile is up but either paved or boardwalk, and we made it just past the boardwalk section before we decided to head back.  

We had a 2-hour car trip back through the park to our cabin, and both kids slept soundly nearly the whole time. Therefore, the drive was even more serene on the way out!

The second day we decided to minimize car time, so we tried out part of the Whitefish Trail nearby.  It was a nice hike, but we didn't see any views or wildlife.  Owen's limit is about a mile of hiking before he wants to be carried, so we had to turn back early on this hike too, as we were cutting into lunch time!  We made it back to the cabin for naps and some college football.  :)

In a nutshell, I could have used another day at Glacier.  With all the car travel and kid-carrying, I'd like to return in a few years when the kids can hike longer because there is so much more to see!  We have to go back before the glaciers are gone, supposedly in 20 years.