We just returned from a one week road trip through western Montana. One really good week…
We have a long list of places we want to travel and lots of ways to prioritize them since time is precious. The two most weighted prioritization criteria currently are:
- Where do we want to travel in the shoulder seasons to avoid crowds before West is in school?
- Where do we want to travel that will be heavily impacted by climate change.
Glacier National Park topped that list on both counts.
West is now 17 months old and something about this age was magic on this – our great Montana road trip! He’s more adaptable than ever. Long car rides, weird nap times, and all sorts of new places to sleep didn’t phase him.
He’s more curious than ever. Toys seem like wasted resources when a little kid can entertain himself by running around a barn, throwing rocks in a river, watching pronghorn roam in Yellowstone, and learning to howl like a wolf on the road.
The communication channels have also opened up with him. Yes, he learns a new word seemingly every day, my most recent favorite being “wow”, but a lot of the communication comes between the words. A smile, a frown, some dance moves, a finger pointing at an elk. Quieter communication, but seemingly as effective as language.
Montana Road Trip Highlights:
Livingston, Montana:
Livingston maintains a Western charm with an artist beat. A little writers’ haven on the outskirts of the stunning Paradise Valley on the way to Yellowstone.
Yellowstone from the north:
We have been in Yellowstone before, but this was a unique moment in time, where historic flooding meant you could only walk into the north entrance. No cars. In our case, no people. Just us and the pronghorns in one of the country’s most visited national parks. We felt lucky to have West’s first trip to Yellowstone be a wilder one.
The Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness:
This wilderness borders Yellowstone in the north. We went on a twelve mile hike to Pine Creek Lake. West was so darn good on this hike. He slept in the pack for hours. And he ran amuck at the lake. It reminded me that I feel most secure as a parent outside. West can explore fairly limitlessly with the boundaries and limitations of the built and technological environment removed. And I can breathe a little deeper.
The Sonder Montana Farm Airbnb in Bigfork:
We talked a lot on this trip about how accommodations can really set the tone for the whole experience. This stunning airbnb on a little farm with a perfect red barn was the accommodation of my dreams. West loved the space to roam and I can’t remember the last time I was as relaxed as watching the sunset over endless farm acres.
Glacier National Park:
Glacier moves me. The big blocky mountains take up vast expanses in the endless sky. The glaciers give the mountains definition and dynamism. The rivers run turquoise. My favorite moment in Glacier was not at one of the dramatic pullouts, but a lunch spent tucked into the woods a few river bends deep. Just us, some pb&js, and big mountain views.
Bozeman:
We only had a short 2 days in Bozeman before catching our flight, but that is one heck of a town. Open space, charming bungalow filled neighborhoods, good food, good coffee, and good ice cream. What more do you need?
