The Beauty of Montana’s Landscape

We headed to Apgar Visitor Center to catch the free shuttle to Logan Pass. I’ve read that the Going-to-the-sun road was quite narrow and windy so I thought it’d be best to take the free shuttle so that we all could enjoy the view without the stress. The Going-to-the-sun road kind of reminded us of the Road to Hana on Maui, but a hundred times more grand.

The 2.7 round trip hike to Hidden Lake Overlook behind Logan Pass visitor was just breathtaking. The glaciers had such splendid beauty. It was truly an amazing first-person experience for us.

The following morning we went whitewater rafting on the Middle Fork Flathead River. Our first whitewater rafting experience was perfect. The rapids during August were just right for us novices.

After a fun-filled time on the Middle Fork Flathead River, we went back to our trailer for some lunch before our next adventure – horseback riding.

Our two hour horseback riding adventure was one Taylor couldn't wait for. She has grown to love these amazing animals and it’s been a beautiful sight to see her smile when she’s riding.

Back at camp we ate home cooked dinner and enjoyed some ice cream for dessert around the campfire. We sat under the Montana sky and talked about all the fun we had that day. Life. Is. Good.

Before making our way to East Glacier the next day, we went to check out Lake McDonald a few minutes from our campground. Lake McDonald was one of those places I really wanted to see in person. I have seen pictures of this lake online and just needed to see it in person to believe the beauty of it. And wow...it truly IS a sight to see in person.

Soon after we hitched up and made our way east. St. Mary Glacier KOA was our next destination.

Somehow between making our way from West to East Glacier, we ended up on Montana Highway 49, a really narrow and windy road. Google apparently thought it was the best fastest route to our destination and I had failed to do my research on this road. I have since learned and always now research the routes when planning. Although this route was quite scenic and beautiful, it was quite stressful, especially for my husband since we were towing a 28-foot trailer.

Thankfully, we made it safe and sound to St. Mary’s KOA campground. And remember when I mentioned early on that my husband said the towing didn't feel right? Well take a look at the photo below. Go ahead, you can laugh. We laugh at it, too, every time we talk about our first rving trip. As newbies we didn't know what to expect. The guy mentioned inflating something in the rear but we had no idea what he was referring to because we didn't know we had air bags installed to help with the hitch weight, thus why he assured us our tow vehicle was ok to pull our rental. Fast forward two years, we have since upgraded our tow-vehicle to a Ford F-150 ecoboost and cannot believe the difference in towing experience.

After checking in, setting up and having lunch at our campsite, we headed to Many Glacier to explore the historic Many Glacier Hotel and do a short boat ride across Swiftcurrent Lake.

Afterwards we headed back to camp for dinner and enjoyed the evening at the pool.

The following morning we packed up and headed back to Many Glacier where we did a day hike on the Swiftcurrent Pass Trail. It was absolutely beautiful! We saw crystal clear alpine lakes, beautiful waterfalls, a bear and a moose, all in on one hike.

After a 12 mile round-trip day hike we looked forward to getting back to camp. After dinner we soaked our tired bodies in the hottub and chatted with other fellow campers about the beauty of Montana’s landscape and all the sights we have seen.

Before going to bed that night I remember standing outside of the trailer and looking up at the big clear Montana sky and saw the Milky Way for the first time with my naked eye. I. Could. Not. Believe. It. I stared at it in awe for about five minutes and couldn't stop thinking about how grateful I was to be there at that moment with my family and all of the experiences we have seen thus far. As I entered the trailer, I kissed my children and husband goodnight and hugged them a little longer.

The next morning we packed up and headed out to our next adventure in Idaho - the Wilderness Gateway campground and Jerry Johnson Hotsprings. But that’s another story. This first rving trip was nothing but amazing and gave us more intimate moments on the road as a family. There will definitely be more rving adventures to come. That I know for sure.