Glacier National Park, Montana
Let me first start off by saying that Montana is underrated! The state is a dreamy winter wonderland and now looking back at our photos, I miss it so much. Everything I read beforehand mentioned visiting Glacier National Park in the summer but I am glad that we went in cozy December to snuggle in the small town of Whitefish, Montana. The quaint town is adorable with plenty to do as a couple or with a group. Thankfully, it was not very busy so we were able to explore on the last two days of our “out west” engagement road trip. Read all about how we ended up on this last minute adventure trip here!
Bowman Lake- Glacier National Park
Since we live in North Carolina, we were ecstatic by all the snow we encountered. The ice covered trees, inches and inches of soft fluffy snow, and wild animals we saw along the way will always stay with us. So much so that we actually spoke of getting a home here- Ahh! It was the scene out of every Christmas movie and we were lucky enough to enjoy it essentially by ourselves. In the winter, there is no charge to enter the national park so we had hours of land to explore. I recommend doing some research beforehand as a lot of areas are closed off due to heavy and dangerous snowfall. Since there are families that live in the upper part of the park, a lot of the roads are maintained and plowed so road access was pretty easy. I would rent a car with four wheel drive, bringing a physical map as you will lose cellphone service, and plenty of snacks!
From what locals have told us, summers are bumper to bumper traffic but that the views are out of this world. Omar and I took in all of the mountain range views and had photo ops any chance we could. We hope to come back in the summer one day to see what all we missed!
Check out our engagement video below or here!
FireBrand Hotel. Whitefish, MT.
Where we stayed: FireBrand Hotel (pictured above). A dreamy cabin boutique hotel located in walking distance of the downtown.
Where we ate: We enjoyed Tupelo Grille for dinner on our first night. Great atmosphere and even better food- order the bread pudding! For breakfast we picked up Amazing Crepes to go for our 45 minute drive up to Glacier Park. On your way to the park, be sure to stop by Montana Espresso (pictured below!) After a long day, dinner on our second night was a variety of tastes from several spots that we picked up and brought back to our hotel room. We got Jersey Boys Pizzaria and the BEST chicken sandwich we have ever had from Wich Haus! I am telling you, it was absolutely delicious and full of flavor. For dessert, we ordered huckleberry cheesecake and tiramisu from the downstairs hotel restaurant. Come on… we had to try it all before we left so no calories were left behind!
Activities: Other than Glacier National Park, Whitefish Mountain Resort is a top attraction in the area. With Big Mountain as a backdrop of the city, this resort is one of the top ski resorts in Montana. There is a free snow bus that provides easy transportation from the city to the slopes throughout the winter season. You can also explore the charming western town of Kalispell. We had to stop by the Huckleberry Patch which is open year round to try some famous huckleberry pie. It was so good that we had to get some pie filling and preserves to take home- yum!
Travel: You can fly in and out of Glacier International Airport located about 15 minutes from Whitefish, MT.
Montana Espresso- Whitefish, Montana
Downtown Whitefish, Montana in December 2020
Polebridge, Flathead National Forest
Even though it was a quick trip, we squeezed in as much as we could. I can’t wait to visit again and explore more of what Montana has to offer. If you have been, let me know what we missed or give recommendations for next time! Hope you get a chance to head out there one day and create your own amazing memories!
XOXO, LN
