Cheapness In Seattle (A 2019 PNW Trip Report - 2020 update added on 6/25

Excellent strategy. I do the same thing.
Read your own TR?
On the plus side, you got the poker chip.
But no cobbler. :(
With enough time and money, anything can happen.
I’m usually in short supply of both.
Is that even possible?
No way to go but up!
I can only imagine he ran to Delaware because he figured nobody had ever heard of it, and therefore would not think to look for him here.
:laughing:
 
Caught back up again. That peach cobbler looked amazing! Crater Lake was stunning and so excited to see Glacier. I still haven't been there yet and I've heard it beautiful.

And we are very lucky to live in the West. I grew up in flat, boring Missouri and to see white capped mountains every morning as I drive into work, a herd of elk by the exit to my house, and to be able to be in the middle of nowhere in an hour is truly amazing.

Jill in CO
 
Great report! We are still struggling with long periods of indecisiveness in my family regarding our West Coast National Park trip, so your pics and reports give me hope that we'll eventually pull it together and be able to post similar experiences. And glad to see you were able to get the older version cinnamon rolls. Apparently the new ones are causing manic delirium here on the East Coast. https://6abc.com/1-stabbed-at-holiday-inn-express-in-south-jersey/5872832/
 
Last edited:
Hello, is this thing on?

See the source image


So hey, remember me? I'm trying to catch up around here, but it's been a bit of a struggle, what with surviving the blizzard of the century, digging out from 93 cm (36 inches) of snow, and starting this new job working 12 hour shifts for 31 of the past 38 days (not an exaggeration! good for the bank account though, paid by the day)

Anyway, I've read your last couple updates.
It looks like a beautiful area.
You sound smart when you talk about dissolved minerals in the water.
I was pleased to see very little green on your plates. Well done.
Looks like an awesome steak too.
And that peach cobbler....it almost makes me think about flying to the west cost for it!
 
All right mister. I'm calling you out on this one.
Would you not pay $8 for a double mouthful of whipped cream???
Okay, I'm jumping in for Mark's defense

Well, and putting my two cents in...

I can take or leave whipped cream...except it's an absolute necessity on strawberry shortcake.

A huge peach cobbler with 6 or 7 scoops of ice cream? No contest!!!

Given your love of ice cream, I would think this would be a no brainier for you.
 
Last edited:
Once Drew got his badge (he was especially proud of this one—I guess 5-year-old boys being impressed by volcanoes runs in the family), we made lunch in the parking lot and then backtracked to I-5, turning south when we hit the highway.
Volcanoes and PBJ... the high life for a 5 year old.
Even though it was early afternoon, the traffic around Portland was terrible, so we crawled across the Columbia River. Eventually we got through the bottleneck and were able to reach the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Beautiful scenic drive, but yeah, Portland traffic has been terrible every time I've been there.
Julie had broken her sunglasses somewhere along the way, so she and the big kids walked across the street to a Target to find a replacement pair. They found a shopping cart someone had left in the parking lot and decided to be good citizens and return it to the store. This also provided a chance for Julie to give Dave a ride for old times’ sake, just like when he was a toddler.
Is it wrong that this came to mind when I saw this picture?
Image result for jackass shopping cart gif334 × 251
The bad news was that apparently every Little League, softball, and soccer team in the greater Portland area had also found a good rate on this hotel and had chosen to stay there for the weekend. It took a bit of time to get our breakfast and find a table. But you’ll be happy to know that we persevered through adversity, because we are not quitters. At least, not when it comes to breakfast food.
Well, I admire your persistence!
We’d had PB&J for 3 days straight. It was time for a break. Plus, we had a lunch date who might revolt if we’d tried to serve her our usual lunch.

We drove an hour south of the city to Oregon’s capital, Salem. It was here that we FINALLY got to make a DIS-meet happen that had been overdue for years. We met @Steppesister at a burger joint in town called Bo & Vine.
What? Come on! I'm sure Liesa was totally bummed that she missed out on the classic Oblivious family lunch!
It is my experience that no child will ever turn down a chance to swim in a hotel swimming pool. It could be 3 degrees, with the bodies of other swimmers frozen in the ice below, and they would still expect you to bring out a shovel so you can break the surface and let them swim. Oh, and you will be expected to join them, too.
You speak the truth.
I stopped at a place called Delish Donuts, a humble little place in a strip mall that just happened to be convenient. And while not the cheapest place, everything was freshly made, which counts for a lot. It also had its own Drooling Homer Award already, so I figured Homer’s approval counted for quite a bit as well.
I'm glad it was good. I mean if it had the drooling Homer posted and didn't live up to it, you'd have to retire that award!
I think it was the right call for us not to do the rest of the drive. Your mileage may vary (literally, if you do the drive). We did about half of it and felt like we saw plenty of views of the lake. The scenery certainly made it worthy of a visit.
Crater Lake looks beautiful, but I think that was a good call. I mean water looks the same from all directions.
As we played, my boys and I learned something about this famous golfer and architect.

Jack Nicklaus is a bit of a jerk.

This course was HARD.
:rotfl2: :lmao: :rotfl:
I won’t describe every shot or hole as that would bore most of you to tears, but suffice it to say that we brought 24 golf balls with us on this trip and returned home with 11.
That actually sounds pretty successful to me. I've lost more than that before.
We mostly played lousy. Like we usually do. But we had fun. Like we usually do.
:thumbsup2
You took Scotty here?????? :eek:
That. Was. Amazing. Easily the best peach cobbler I’ve ever had in a restaurant, and maybe the best I’ve had, period. It didn’t last nearly long enough, and I was halfway to ordering a second giant bowl just for myself before Julie knocked me to the floor and restrained me there while hollering for the waitress to bring the check, and quick!

It goes without saying, but Imma say it anyway: Frank’s Diner, Spokane, Washington earns a Drooling Homer Award for Excellence in Unpretentious Dining.
Now I'm craving some peach cobbler.
Those of you who live in the west, you need to understand something—you guys are spoiled. The scenery is better out west—we have mostly flat ground, you guys have mountains. You win. But in this case, I’m referring to the water. It’s just so doggone clear out west. You might look at it and think, well, it’s just water. But don’t take that for granted. When you live in the east, our rivers and lakes and oceans are at best muddy and silty and at worst polluted. Mostly the water is brown or green and murky. So it’s always an endless source of fascination for us when we go out west and see water that is absolutely, perfectly crystal clear. It looks like paradise.
::yes:: It really is a lot of beautiful scenery out there.
So I went to my standard backup plan, pretended we only had two kids, and reserved a cabin for two nights. Worked like a charm.
Sorry, Drew. You're going to have to climb in the suit case until we get into the room!
 


Read your own TR?

Exactly. Helps me fall into a peaceful slumber every time.

But no cobbler. :(

That's just tragic.

I’m usually in short supply of both.

I hear you. I haven't figured out that problem, either.

Caught back up again. That peach cobbler looked amazing! Crater Lake was stunning and so excited to see Glacier. I still haven't been there yet and I've heard it beautiful.

Glacier is definitely worth the effort! I think its scenery can stand up to any of the other parks. More to come.

And we are very lucky to live in the West. I grew up in flat, boring Missouri and to see white capped mountains every morning as I drive into work, a herd of elk by the exit to my house, and to be able to be in the middle of nowhere in an hour is truly amazing.

Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in. :rotfl2:

Seriously, having the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop is pretty amazing. It seems so exotic to us flat-staters.

Great report! We are still struggling with long periods of indecisiveness in my family regarding our West Coast National Park trip, so your pics and reports give me hope that we'll eventually pull it together and be able to post similar experiences. And glad to see you were able to get the older version cinnamon rolls. Apparently the new ones are causing manic delirium here on the East Coast. https://6abc.com/1-stabbed-at-holiday-inn-express-in-south-jersey/5872832/

You can do it! You just have to pull the trigger and go. I keep telling anyone who will listen that the trips we've taken are the best money we've ever spent.

You know...technically, none of us knows where those cinnamon rolls have been. And the new ones are much scarier. I wouldn't put it past them...
 
Hello, is this thing on?

See the source image

Glad you're still here, Jeff! You've certainly had a go of it lately.

So hey, remember me? I'm trying to catch up around here, but it's been a bit of a struggle, what with surviving the blizzard of the century, digging out from 93 cm (36 inches) of snow, and starting this new job working 12 hour shifts for 31 of the past 38 days (not an exaggeration! good for the bank account though, paid by the day)

I'm sure that snow is all going to be sticking around for quite a while. Hope you're holding up on the job front. I'm glad you at least got to work from home a bit. Hope that was a blessing.

Anyway, I've read your last couple updates.
It looks like a beautiful area.

It is! More to come soon.

You sound smart when you talk about dissolved minerals in the water.

Probably the first time that's ever been said about me.

I was pleased to see very little green on your plates. Well done.
Looks like an awesome steak too.

I didn't think I'd be getting any steak on this trip, so it was a nice surprise to be able to eat one. And why would I waste space on green stuff? :crazy2:

And that peach cobbler....it almost makes me think about flying to the west cost for it!

It's worth it! I'm ready to go back for more.

Okay, I'm jumping in for Mark's defense

Well, and putting my two cents in...

I can take or leave whipped cream...except it's an absolute necissity on strawberry shortcake.

A huge peach cobbler with 6 or 7 scoops of ice cream? No contest!!!

Given your love of ice cream, I would think this would be a no brainier for you.

I would think that ice cream >>>>>> whipped cream all day long.

I guess I'm just gonna hafta take your word for it...can't say I've ever done that.

Something you do often, Mark?

Well, sure. Everybody will be doing it in the future.
 
Volcanoes and PBJ... the high life for a 5 year old.

Not to mention a swimming pool. The older kids think the youngest always gets spoiled....and they're right.

Beautiful scenic drive, but yeah, Portland traffic has been terrible every time I've been there.

I was glad to only have to deal with it for one day.

Is it wrong that this came to mind when I saw this picture?
Image result for ******* shopping cart gif334 × 251

If that's wrong, I don't wanna be right! :rotfl2:

Well, I admire your persistence!

We have our priorities.

What? Come on! I'm sure Liesa was totally bummed that she missed out on the classic Oblivious family lunch!

Yes, she sure did seem awfully put out about that. I'm sure she broke down in tears later.

I'm glad it was good. I mean if it had the drooling Homer posted and didn't live up to it, you'd have to retire that award!

I would have called it a forgery.

Crater Lake looks beautiful, but I think that was a good call. I mean water looks the same from all directions.

Pretty much. You're looking at the same lake, same island. It's not like the Grand Canyon, where the views change as you move along.

That actually sounds pretty successful to me. I've lost more than that before.

It's a lot harder to find balls in the desert than we thought it would be. If you left the grass, you were likely gone forever.

You took Scotty here?????? :eek:

Well, it's not like he's a dog.

Now I'm craving some peach cobbler.

Me too. Let's go!

::yes:: It really is a lot of beautiful scenery out there.

::yes::

Sorry, Drew. You're going to have to climb in the suit case until we get into the room!

I bet he'd actually do it!
 
Chapter 7: Do You Think They Will Let Me Live In Montana?

The main reason we made reservations at the Lake McDonald Lodge 13 months in advance and paid a premium to stay there was to take advantage of the location. Glacier National Park is very remote, so staying on property afforded us the chance to maximize our time there. But the location was important for another factor—it gave us a chance to get a head start on all of the summer traffic.

Summer is by far the most popular time to visit Glacier, because the one road that crosses the park (Going-To-The-Sun Road) is only open from July – September (depending on when they finally clear the snow). At all other times of year, you have to drive around the edges of the park and can’t truly explore it. There’s one visitor center up on Going-To-The-Sun Road (that’s a pain to type, by the way) at Logan Pass. There are all sorts of hiking trails through the mountains originating from here, so it’s a popular place to visit. The parking lot typically fills up by 8:30 a.m. on a summer day. Needless to say, I was a bit anxious to get an early start.

We woke up at 5:30 a.m. As it turned out, the “cozy” sleeping arrangements in the cabin hadn’t been too much of a problem, unless your name was Scott. Poor Scotty is susceptible to nosebeeds from time to time, especially in areas of dry air—like, say, up in the mountains. Like, say, Glacier National Park. Most of the time he can handle it with some tissues and occasionally an ice pack on the back of the neck.

On this particular evening, he woke up with a nosebleed and felt like it was a “gusher”. So he army-crawled his way into the shower in the middle of the night.

When we got up that morning to use the bathroom, it looked like he had re-enacted the scene from Psycho in there. So that was gross. We lost some time cleaning up the mess, but hotel maids don’t get paid enough to deal with that.

By the time we had our donuts and Pop Tarts, it was about 6:30 a.m. I figured we still had a good head start on the people who were coming from towns and resorts south of the park boundary.

Going-To-The-Sun Road is recognized as a landmark engineering achievement, and one of the first National Park roads designed specifically to accommodate the advent of automobile tourism. Before it was constructed, the only roads in the area ran around the boundaries and edges of the park. Visitors desiring to explore the interior of the northern Rocky Mountains were forced to travel on foot or by horseback. The road was designed to minimize switchbacks and blend into the scenery as much as possible, so as not to distract from the stunning views in every direction. It’s 50 miles (80 km) from the east entrance to the west entrance. The road climbs sharply up the mountainsides, literally cut into the sides of the slopes with sheer drop-offs and no guardrails to catch you (they kept getting destroyed in avalanches every year). It’s limited to vehicles that are 21 feet (6.4m) long or under (i.e. no driving your RV up the mountain) and you’d be well advised to take it slow. It’s also, mile for mile, one of the most beautiful drives in the United States.

Here’s a good example of a typical stretch of road. You can just see the edge of it running along the mountainside, and special care was taken to build small bridges over the various streams and waterfalls running down the mountain slopes. It’s about as close to a work of art as a road gets. But like the best roads, you don’t notice it much because it doesn’t draw attention to itself. It’s there so you can enjoy the majesty around you.

DSC_3472.JPG

We made it to Logan Pass, the highest point on the road at 6,646 ft (2,026 m). We arrived somewhere in the neighborhood of 7:15 or 7:20 a.m. The parking lot was already over half full.

471439

The visitor center wasn’t even open yet, but park rangers were out in full force directing traffic. Word to the wise—make sure you get up there early enough for a parking space. Later in the day, I saw several people being ticketed for illegally “inventing” parking spaces.

We started on a hike, 1.5 miles to the Hidden Lake Overlook. This trail starts right at the Logan Pass visitor center and is generally uphill the entire way. So it builds character.

Actually, I’d much prefer that. It means the return trip is all downhill. And the scenery all around is gorgeous.

471440

It was good to get an early start—that and the elevation meant we were hiking in cooler temperatures. We also had some company along the trail.

471441

The hike itself wasn’t too bad. We stopped a couple of times to rest for a few minutes, but it wasn’t overly taxing. The ultimate reward was a spectacular view of Hidden Lake.

471442

And then we were blessed once more with some company. A mama goat and her two kids made their way up the hillside and shared the hiking trail with us for a bit.

dsc_3536-jpg.471443


They weren’t in a rush at all, and didn’t seem troubled in the least by the people on the trail. They moseyed all over the hill and we were content just to stand and watch, and of course take lots of photos.

DSC_3543.JPG

DSC_3560.JPG

DSC_3579.JPG

One of the other great things about being there in late July was the fact that all of the wildflowers were in full bloom at upper elevations. There were pops of color everywhere we looked.

DSC_3597.JPG

We finished the hike mid-morning and returned to explore the visitor center, which was now open. The parking lot was now completely full, and people were trying to find parking spaces at overlooks as much as a half-mile away on the road, then walking down to the visitor center. There is a free shuttle that the park runs on Going-To-The-Sun Road, and we would have taken it if that was the only part of the park we’d wanted to visit. But you know us, we wanted to cover as much ground as possible.

We got back into our van and navigated our way out of the parking lot, leaving at least 3 different cars fighting for our parking space behind us. I kind of wanted to stick around and watch the death match, but Julie said we needed to get moving.

Continued Next Post
 

Attachments

  • DSC_3536.JPG
    DSC_3536.JPG
    91.5 KB · Views: 276
Chapter 7 continued...

IMG_2281.JPG

We began descending towards the east side of the park, and along the way stopped at an overlook for Jackson Glacier, just so we could say we actually saw a glacier in Glacier Natiional Park.

DSC_3602.JPG

Just a couple of miles down the road was a turnoff for a small parking area. There was a short trail here to an overlook of St. Mary’s Lake. This was definitely worth getting out of the van to see.

DSC_3604.JPG

After that stop, we drove out of the park to the east. Then we turned north, then eventually turned west, and drove back into the park. Hey, I didn’t build the roads, I can only follow them.

We were driving back towards the “Many Glacier” area of the park, site of the aptly-named Many Glacier Hotel. Almost immediately after turning onto the road, we wondered if we’d made a mistake. The road was in such bad shape that we had to slow down and follow a line of cars for about 15 miles back into the park. In some sections, the pavement had been pulverized so badly that we were driving on a dirt road for all intents and purposes. When we finally got to the park entrance, we were informed that there were not going to be any parking spaces available. So we had that going for us, which was nice.

We basically ended up driving around the hotel. I dropped off Julie for a pit stop and circled the parking lot while she went. Then we left. Here ends our tour of the Many Glacier area. Supposedly the old hotel is cool, but we never got to go inside.

We did see two more glaciers, so there’s that. This is Salamander Glacier (the big one) and Grinnell Glacier (the small one).

DSC_3614.JPG

We bounced our way back on the washboard road and turned north again. We hung a left on route 17, which is only open during the summer and skirts the edge of Glacier National Park. Since we were about to invade a foreign country, we figured it was best to take a little-used route. After several miles of winding mountain roads, we reached the Canadian border.

DSC_3618.JPG

The security guard manning the border gate was all business as she checked our passports. It seemed like she was stalling, trying to come up with some good reason not to let us into her country, but eventually she just couldn’t create an excuse on the spot and let us in. Canada has never been the same since.

Once across the border, we immediately planted a U.S. flag in the ground and proclaimed that we were now claiming new territory for our country. A guard calmly walked over and said she had to be home by 5 p.m., so could we please move on before then? Oh, and take the flag with us, eh? Thank you for your consideration.

Since she was so polite about it, we did as she asked. It’s hard to pick a fight with someone who’s so darn nice.

Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada borders the U.S. Glacier National Park to the south, and together they form Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. We’d come up north to explore the Canadian section of the park.

DSC_3622.JPG

And on that front, we were a bit disappointed. As it turned out, a massive forest fire the year before had closed the only road that went deep into the park, to Cameron Lake. We could only drive a few miles in and stop at the town of Waterton. It was a bit strange to see a fully developed town in the middle of a national park.

We stopped at a visitor center in town, which basically consisted of a double-wide trailer with a few signs tacked to bulletin boards as the “exhibits”. Clearly this place had a different vibe than the U.S. parks. Just a bit down the road, we were able to stop at a viewing area for Cameron Falls, which was a nice spot.

IMG_2288.JPG

With nowhere else to go, we went into town and found a parking space. Then we explored a bit on foot. Our Canadian invasion seemed to be going very slowly at this point. We went into a couple of shops but were able to resist the temptation of overpriced t-shirts. There’s something our nations have in common.

We were now a couple of hours into our mission with only a few waterfall photos to show for it, so we made a field decision to step into an ice cream shop. There, the locals were caught completely unawares as we bought ice cream at a favorable exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian dollars. Ha! Take that, Canada!

Also, the ice cream was pretty good.

At that point, we decided we had nothing else to do. There are boat trips available that leave from Waterton to explore the more remote parts of the park, but we unfortunately did not have the time to do that. So we piled into the van and left.

As we were driving out of the park, we saw a brown bear up on the hillside. We didn’t get a very good photo, though. But he was there, I promise.

We also had a nice view of the park’s most famous feature, the Prince of Wales Hotel. It’s perched on a bluff overlooking the lake and has a very regal look to it.

IMG_2292.JPG

And that was it for Canada. We crossed the border, spent a few hours on foreign soil, and ate their ice cream. We re-crossed the border where the guard welcomed us back as conquering heroes. Or she patiently listened to my Delaware jokes and then told us to have a nice day. One of those.

We backtracked all the way to Going-To-The Sun Road again and started driving it in reverse. None of us minded since it’s such a beautiful drive. We made one more stop near the west end of St. Mary’s Lake for a final hike on the day. A parking lot there led to the trail for St. Mary Falls, just under a mile away. Unfortunately, this hike featured most of the downhill portion on the way to the falls. But it wasn’t terribly strenuous.

Again, there were many wildflowers in bloom on the way.

DSC_3663.JPG

And the payoff was worth it—a double-decker waterfall, viewed from a bridge over the river.

IMG_2293.JPG

We did our best to get a good photo, as people were climbing all over the rocks everywhere. One guy had stripped down to his skivvies and was jumping into the pool from the rocks. He was inviting people to go with him, but we made the call to stay where we were, thank you very much. You do you, buddy.

When we’d finished gawking at the waterfall, we hiked back to the van and drove the rest of the way back to the Lake McDonald Lodge. There’s a pizzeria there onsite where we split a couple of pizzas and a chicken parm sub for dinner. Most food available from the concession services in U.S. national parks is thoroughly mediocre, and this was no exception. I’m not even going to bother posting photos of it. But, we were hungry before and satisfied after, so it did its job well enough. We got back to our cabin and enjoyed a quiet evening relaxing by the lake. You could do worse.

I was really captivated by the beauty of Glacier during our day there. It’s extremely remote, but I felt it was worth the effort to see the place, especially with the glaciers in retreat. You could probably make the case that the more famous parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite are more spectacular, but in terms of scenery and beauty I think Glacier holds up with any of them.

Coming Up Next: Another long drive that I’ll fast-forward through as quickly as possible.
 
But the location was important for another factor—it gave us a chance to get a head start on all of the summer traffic.
Gotta work that rope drop angle!
oor Scotty is susceptible to nosebeeds from time to time, especially in areas of dry air—like, say, up in the mountains. Like, say, Glacier National Park. Most of the time he can handle it with some tissues and occasionally an ice pack on the back of the neck.
Oh, no. I can relate. I used to have that same problem. Still do, time to time, but FAR less frequently.
When we got up that morning to use the bathroom, it looked like he had re-enacted the scene from Psycho in there. So that was gross. We lost some time cleaning up the mess, but hotel maids don’t get paid enough to deal with that.
Poor guy. I feel his pain and know what a mess it can make. My mom tells a story that I don't even remember happening. I guess this is when we first discovered my nose bleed issue. She came in to wake me up one morning and my bed looked like a murder scene. Apparently I had a nose bleed and slept through it. My bed and I were covered in blood, complete with a bloody handprint on the wall. Kind of scared the crap out of her, I think,
The visitor center wasn’t even open yet, but park rangers were out in full force directing traffic. Word to the wise—make sure you get up there early enough for a parking space. Later in the day, I saw several people being ticketed for illegally “inventing” parking spaces.
You mean they actually enforced those lines that people like to ignore? Such a novel concept. Too bad they don't have more of them.
The hike itself wasn’t too bad. We stopped a couple of times to rest for a few minutes, but it wasn’t overly taxing. The ultimate reward was a spectacular view of Hidden Lake.
A spectacular view, indeed!
They weren’t in a rush at all, and didn’t seem troubled in the least by the people on the trail. They moseyed all over the hill and we were content just to stand and watch, and of course take lots of photos.
That's awesome. I love getting to watch wild animals in their element, especially when they're comfortable being watched and just do their thing. Even if it is an animal that you can find domesticated in other forms.
There was a short trail here to an overlook of St. Mary’s Lake. This was definitely worth getting out of the van to see.
::yes::
It seemed like she was stalling, trying to come up with some good reason not to let us into her country, but eventually she just couldn’t create an excuse on the spot and let us in. Canada has never been the same since.
So you finally get to put a pin in the 51st state!!!
We were now a couple of hours into our mission with only a few waterfall photos to show for it, so we made a field decision to step into an ice cream shop. There, the locals were caught completely unawares as we bought ice cream at a favorable exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian dollars. Ha! Take that, Canada!
Stolen ice cream. Tastes like Liberty!
Also, the ice cream was pretty good.
I mean, that's like saying a glacier is cold... :rolleyes1
One guy had stripped down to his skivvies and was jumping into the pool from the rocks. He was inviting people to go with him, but we made the call to stay where we were, thank you very much. You do you, buddy.
Um yeah... cold water, strong currents, rocky formations under the surface. This is going to end well.
Most food available from the concession services in U.S. national parks is thoroughly mediocre, and this was no exception. I’m not even going to bother posting photos of it. But, we were hungry before and satisfied after, so it did its job well enough
So, better or worse than PB&J?
 
I haven’t started reading this trip report yet...I can’t wait! But I just wanted to say thank you for taking time to write and share your adventures. I believe it was your family that took a trip through several states including a stop at the Badlands a few years ago. It was an inspiration and we are taking our five kids on a big road trip adventure this summer to Badlands, Yellowstone, Tetons, and RMNP. The Pacific Northwest is the next big road trip we want to do, so I’m excited to read this.
 
Glacier is towards the top of my bucket list! I can't believe you went international on this trip! So fancy!

Jill in CO
 
There are all sorts of hiking trails through the mountains originating from here, so it’s a popular place to visit. The parking lot typically fills up by 8:30 a.m. on a summer day. Needless to say, I was a bit anxious to get an early start.

I bet. I'm not sure this is a place Fran and I would do well at.

When we got up that morning to use the bathroom, it looked like he had re-enacted the scene from Psycho in there. So that was gross. We lost some time cleaning up the mess, but hotel maids don’t get paid enough to deal with that.

:scared1:

Here’s a good example of a typical stretch of road. You can just see the edge of it running along the mountainside, and special care was taken to build small bridges over the various streams and waterfalls running down the mountain slopes. It’s about as close to a work of art as a road gets. But like the best roads, you don’t notice it much because it doesn’t draw attention to itself. It’s there so you can enjoy the majesty around you.

I need to take a look at this update from my computer. The phone screen doesnt do it justice.

Actually, I’d much prefer that. It means the return trip is all downhill. And the scenery all around is gorgeous.

I can see that. I'd prefer the last half to be downhill rather than uphill!

We could only drive a few miles in and stop at the town of Waterton. It was a bit strange to see a fully developed town in the middle of a national park.

Huh. That is kind of weird. Silly Canadians! Not to be confused with the silky ones! :laughing:

We were now a couple of hours into our mission with only a few waterfall photos to show for it, so we made a field decision to step into an ice cream shop.

That can't be a bad decision!

And that was it for Canada. We crossed the border, spent a few hours on foreign soil, and ate their ice cream. We re-crossed the border where the guard welcomed us back as conquering heroes. Or she patiently listened to my Delaware jokes and then told us to have a nice day. One of those.

:laughing:

We did our best to get a good photo, as people were climbing all over the rocks everywhere. One guy had stripped down to his skivvies and was jumping into the pool from the rocks.

Nice. You gotta love classy people.

Most food available from the concession services in U.S. national parks is thoroughly mediocre, and this was no exception. I’m not even going to bother posting photos of it. But, we were hungry before and satisfied after, so it did its job well enough. We got back to our cabin and enjoyed a quiet evening relaxing by the lake. You could do worse.

Yes you could certainly do worse.
 
I'm way late to this party but loved looking at your pics...amazing wildlife especially!!
 
What? Come on! I'm sure Liesa was totally bummed that she missed out on the classic Oblivious family lunch!

Totally.


I'd have even brought the jam, ya know.

Yes, she sure did seem awfully put out about that. I'm sure she broke down in tears later.

No.

I had a PB&J when I got home.

because the one road that crosses the park (Going-To-The-Sun Road) is only open from July – September (depending on when they finally clear the snow).

And even then, the snow can be 15-20 feet high on either side of the road after they do.

When we got up that morning to use the bathroom, it looked like he had re-enacted the scene from Psycho in there. So that was gross. We lost some time cleaning up the mess, but hotel maids don’t get paid enough to deal with that.

Yikes! Glad he could take care of it without waking everyone up, but still. :( Poor kiddo.

Going-To-The-Sun Road is recognized as a landmark engineering achievement, and one of the first National Park roads designed specifically to accommodate the advent of automobile tourism.

I didn't know that! Great factoid!


Gorgeous!!

Does Mama have a collar on? What is that brown thing around her neck?

There, the locals were caught completely unawares as we bought ice cream at a favorable exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian dollars. Ha! Take that, Canada!

:lmao:
We also had a nice view of the park’s most famous feature, the Prince of Wales Hotel. It’s perched on a bluff overlooking the lake and has a very regal look to it.

That is the one most vivid memory of the trip I've taken to that neck of the woods.

We backtracked all the way to Going-To-The Sun Road again and started driving it in reverse.

I'll bet that rearview mirror was a real blessing!

So you finally get to put a pin in the 51st state!!!
:rotfl2::rotfl::lmao:
 
Gotta work that rope drop angle!

Darn right. It works all the time, every time!

Oh, no. I can relate. I used to have that same problem. Still do, time to time, but FAR less frequently.

He seems to go in spurts (no pun intended). Usually when it's dry, like in winter.

Poor guy. I feel his pain and know what a mess it can make. My mom tells a story that I don't even remember happening. I guess this is when we first discovered my nose bleed issue. She came in to wake me up one morning and my bed looked like a murder scene. Apparently I had a nose bleed and slept through it. My bed and I were covered in blood, complete with a bloody handprint on the wall. Kind of scared the crap out of her, I think,

The first time it happened it was the same for us. His bedroom was covered in blood. Freaked us out, too. We didn't think all that blood could come from a simple nosebleed.

You mean they actually enforced those lines that people like to ignore? Such a novel concept. Too bad they don't have more of them.

Amazing idea, isn't it?

A spectacular view, indeed!

That was such a great view.

That's awesome. I love getting to watch wild animals in their element, especially when they're comfortable being watched and just do their thing. Even if it is an animal that you can find domesticated in other forms.

It's kind of mesmerizing to watch. With bighorn sheep and mountain goats, it's animals we don't see very often. So it feels like a special moment.

So you finally get to put a pin in the 51st state!!!

:rotfl: :rotfl2: :lmao:

Stolen ice cream. Tastes like Liberty!

:lmao::rotfl2::rotfl:

I mean, that's like saying a glacier is cold... :rolleyes1

I've had bad ice cream before. I think. Maybe once.

Um yeah... cold water, strong currents, rocky formations under the surface. This is going to end well.

Darwin at work!

So, better or worse than PB&J?

I think most of the time, crappy pizza is still edible. So I'd probably choose crappy pizza over PB&J. Unless it's Chuck E Cheese. :crazy2:

I haven’t started reading this trip report yet...I can’t wait! But I just wanted to say thank you for taking time to write and share your adventures. I believe it was your family that took a trip through several states including a stop at the Badlands a few years ago. It was an inspiration and we are taking our five kids on a big road trip adventure this summer to Badlands, Yellowstone, Tetons, and RMNP. The Pacific Northwest is the next big road trip we want to do, so I’m excited to read this.

:welcome: Thanks for joining in! How was that big road trip for you?

Glacier is towards the top of my bucket list! I can't believe you went international on this trip! So fancy!

It's worth the effort! Go see it!

That's us, the fancy family. :rotfl:
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Latest posts

Top