On the Road Again - Part 1 to Glacier National Park

We shared food and beverages in many fun locations throughout the trip.

In September we took another fabulous trip with friends from college – Fred & Vicki and Paul & Leslie. This time a road trip through South Dakota to Montana and Glacier National Park, then north into Canada to Banff National Park. The six of us have been planning the trip for about a year – deciding on the locations, booking accommodations (AirBNB, VRBO and hotels), reserving a large vehicle so we can ride in comfort, and researching attractions to see along the way and at the national parks. The SUV this year was a Jeep Wagoneer we nicknamed Ruby. She was roomy enough for all our luggage and the third seat passengers! We’re getting pretty good at planning the itinerary, so we have plenty to see and do, plus down time as needed!!

We pulled out of Northfield/Dundas on a Monday morning and headed West. We spent a day in western South Dakota which is a destination on its own. Below are the attractions we saw along the way and our day in the Black Hills:

• Drove to the Corn Palace in Mitchell SD. We had places to reach that day, so we didn’t go inside the palace, but we did find a nice city park to eat our packed lunch.
• Stopped at the Chamberlain SD rest area to see the impressive statue of an indigenous woman made of stainless steel, “Dignity of Earth & Sky”. It was a beautiful tribute.
• Drove through Badlands National Park, stopping at overlooks for pictures in the late afternoon. Saw wildlife including prairie dogs (so cute), pronghorn sheep and bison (many were hanging out at the west entrance).
• At Mount Rushmore National Monument we walked the Presidential Trail that went by the sculptor’s studio and under the massive stone presidential heads.
• Drove through Custer State Park, including the Needles Highway. The Needles Eye tunnel is extremely narrow. Steve, our primary driver, inched through it so Ruby didn’t get scratched. On the Wildlife Loop Road we saw pronghorn sheep, bison, and burros. The burros are so tame! One would have poked its nose in the car looking for snacks if Paul hadn’t closed the window.
• Drove by Crazy Horse Monument. Steve and I had been there years ago, and there has been a lot of progress made on it but still a lot to go.
• On our way to Deadwood for the night, we enjoyed wine and beer on the lawn at Firehouse Winery & Brewery. A great way to wind down the day! We stayed in the historic downtown of Deadwood, wandered along the streets for a bit, then had to search for an open restaurant for a late dinner.  

The Corn Palace in Mitchell SD

Dignity of Earth & Sky, a beautiful tribute to indigenous women.

These bison were having a dual in Badlands National Park

Prong horn sheep hanging out in the Badlands at the end of the day

The Presidents at Mount Rushmore are always impressive

Friendly burros in Custer State Park 

A re-enactment on the historic main street of Deadwood

The next day we stopped at Devils Tower National Monument in Montana. After a long wait to get to the parking lot, we walked around the base of the tower – 1.75 miles. Devil’s Tower is so impressive rising up from the flat arid land! 

Devils Tower is amazing from all directions!

One of the things we enjoy is meeting people along the way. While hiking at Devils Tower we passed a woman wearing a Bike Iowa t-shirt. Of course, we said hello and started chatting. Turns out they live by Lake Panorama, Iowa near my hometown and are good friends with one of my high school classmates! That day we had lunch in Broadus, Montana at a café in the cute Powder River Lanes bowling alley (not much in Broadus!). The owner was from Lawrence, Kansas. He had hunted in this area, loved it, and wanted to get away from the city. So, he bought this bowling alley and café.

The Cafe at Powder Lanes in the small town of Broadus MT was a fun lunch spot.

The next day in Seeley Lake, Montana we had lunch at another local café, Pop’s Place, where we had delicious berry pie!  We met the owner, a lovely lady with a black mohawk who was originally from Las Vegas. She told us about Gus, the largest Larch tree. It lived just down the road, so after lunch we took a detour to see Gus in a grove of trees.

Waiting on our pie and lunches at Pop's Place in Seeley Lake MT

Gus, the largest larch tree was a bit hard to find in this grove of trees

While visiting Glacier we stayed at a VRBO house just outside Martin City, Montana. It was close to the west entrance of Glacier, had a large kitchen and deck, surrounded by woods. But no TV, so we chatted and played cards in the evening.

We spent three beautiful days in Glacier, sunny with temperatures in the 60’s and lower 70’s. Highlights included:

• Driving Going to the Sun Road with stops and overlooks along the way. Near Logan Pass, the road has steep drop offs so those with height fears may not enjoy that section of road. The views are amazing! Several miles of the road near the west entrance are under construction which made for slow going in that section.
• At Logan Pass we hiked the Hidden Lake trail to the overlook of the lake. A lot of uphill hiking on the way up, but so beautiful! We saw a white mountain goat mama and her kid near the top of the trail.
• Day 2 we drove around the south end of the park and back north to the Many Glaciers area on the east side. The Many Glaciers Hotel was closed for the season, but we hiked part of the Swiftcurrent Lake Trail along the lake.
• Day 3 we hiked 1.1 miles (one way) to St Mary’s Falls. The trees and foliage were turning a gorgeous gold and yellow. The hike was both beautiful and surreal with the fall colors, and many dead trees from a past fire.
• We stopped at many of the overlooks for beautiful views of the mountains and lakes. St Mary’s Lake was a gorgeous blue nestled in the valley.
• At the West Entrance we stopped to see McDonalds Lodge, an old wooden hotel with massive wooden beams, wildlife heads mounted on the walls and located beside the lake. It would be a wonderful setting to stay in when visiting Glacier.

Steve and I with the mountains in the background.

At Logan Pass, hiking up the many stairs on the Hidden Lakes Trail.

Vicki and I made it to the top at the Hidden Lake Overlook.

Beautiful St. Mary's Lake with the fall foliage turning yellow and gold.

The hikers made it to St. Mary's Falls.

Swiftcurrent Lake with The Many Glaciers Hotel in the distance.

Glacier National Park is a must see, and September was a good time to visit. The temperatures were still fairly warm, and the crowds were less. In the summer from late May until September 10 reservations were required to drive into the park. We visited after September 10, so no reservations needed. Parking lots were full at some overlooks, and we had to wait to find a spot at Logan Pass, but I’m sure it was much easier than in the summer. By mid-September the lodges are closing, so be aware of this if you visit later.

Cocktails at the end of the day at the Stonefly Lounge near our VRBO

After three days at Glacier, we headed north into Canada and Banff. Look for my next blog soon on Banff National Park and our trip home. . .

Leslie also blogs and has written two great blogs on our trip, so check out her perspective at Ponderings of a Small Town GIrl in the City - Cyclones Westward Ho!