Whitefish, MT (Day 1)
Monday, September 16
The kids must have been itching to move to a new location because, goodness, were they up early! I gave them each an iPad to watch until Andi awoke and the sun came up, and then I headed outside our RV at KOA-West Glacier to complete a workout. My back was finally feeling healthy enough to give it a go again. Aden bundled up and joined me outside with his toy bow and arrow. It was a cool 41 degrees outside - we could see our breath!
Andi made everyone breakfast and then packed up the RV. Soon after, we left Glacier National Park for the Flathead Valley in western Montana. We weren’t exactly sure where we’d land for the night when we hit the road.
Our first stop was the nearby town of Hungry Horse, just south of West Glacier. There wasn’t much to this tiny town but a few restaurants (most of which were huckleberry themed!), an antique store, and a convenience store. Andi parked the RV in an empty parking lot and worked to ready our electric bikes while I did school with the kids. We’ve been collecting postcards throughout our travels for Tory to send to friends and family. Andi and I figured it’d be an easy way for her to practice writing and besides, who doesn’t appreciate receiving snail mail?! So, Tory and I worked on writing and addressing a stack of postcards that morning. I helped with spelling, but the words were all her own. I was impressed by the impact Glacier National Park had on her eight-year-old heart.
After we finished school work, the four of us hopped on our electric bikes to explore the area. Our original plan was to ride the 8 miles back to West Glacier Village, but the bike trail alongside the four-lane highway was super loud and not very scenic. Instead, we detoured spur-of-the-moment up the road toward the Hungry Horse Dam. The quiet two-lane road weaved between mountains alongside the Flathead River and was absolutely stunning. It was a great workout, too, pedaling up all those hills!
The Hungry Horse Visitor Center was closed for the season when we arrived — bummer! But, we still rode our bikes across the dam and talked to Tory and Aden about its purpose. We learned that the Hungry Horse Dam provides water storage and hydroelectric power production for the surrounding area including the communities of Columbia Falls, Whitefish and Kalispell.
The kids thought it was a trip standing on the dam, looking down over the steep side. “Lift me up so I can see it again!” Aden kept saying.
On our ride back to the RV, we stopped for a quick break by the shores of Lion Lake. The water was glassy calm and the warm sunshine felt amazing on all of our faces.
We were all pretty hungry by this point, so we pedaled back toward the RV. Andi suggested it’d be faster if we ate at one of the restaurants in Hungry Horse vs. driving to another bigger town to grab lunch. (We didn’t have much left for groceries in the RV.) The few restaurants still open in Hungry Horse didn’t look very appealing, so we picked the one we were parked closest to — Elkhorn Deli.
Inside, the woman running the counter said that all the convenience goods were 50% off because they were closing for the season later that week. We sensed this theme for every establishment in and around Glacier National Park in September. Aden had a meltdown while Andi ordered our food because we wouldn’t buy him the pre-packaged cotton candy on the rack. He was reaching hangry status quickly, so I took him back to the RV to calm him down while Andi and Tory waited for our food at an outside patio table. Andi ordered a bison burger with a cup of soup, Tory ordered a beef burger with fries and I had a pastrami sandwich. Aden ate a hot dog that I cooked for him in the RV because I knew he wouldn’t eat any of the restaurant options. More tears ensured during lunch because Aden spilled his drink and lost his chance for any more treats that day after hitting Tory. All of this drama reminded me why we rarely eat in restaurants — one of our children is usually crying about something and it’s never enjoyable for the rest of us.
After lunch, we drove through the town of Columbia Falls before deciding to stay in Whitefish, Montana for the night. Andi had a few work calls in the coming days in which he needed good phone/internet reception so we figured Whitefish was our best bet. We drove by a few campgrounds to see which we liked best and settled on one right in town called Whitefish RV Park. The site itself wasn’t anything fancy, but we liked the idea of being a bike-able distance to restaurants and activities in downtown Whitefish.
After we selected our campsite, we threw in a few loads of laundry at the campground laundromat, and then the kids and I walked/scootered to Baker Park while Andi stayed back at the RV to work. The sun was finally shining and it felt so good to be outside in the fresh air.
It’s funny how the simple act of scootering down the sidewalk instantly felt like “home,” reminding me of the countless afternoons we scootered down to the local park near our condo in Minnesota. Only now, the kids and I were moving along on a new sidewalk in a new-to-us town with mountains in the distance.
The park was packed on a warm, sunny afternoon with lots of kids playing and their moms chatting together around the perimeter. Same scene, different town. Andi and I always say you can instantly pick up the vibe of a town by visiting a playground, the grocery store, or a farmer’s market. The Whitefish vibe reminded me of some of the upscale neighborhoods in Minneapolis.
After Tory and Aden played for an hour, we scootered/walked back to the RV. It was nearing dinnertime and I could tell Aden was tired after waking up so early. I pulled him home on his scooter for most of the way which also reminded me of the old days walking Tory to & from school!
We still hadn’t restocked the RV with groceries, so we decided to go out to eat again for dinner. I wasn’t sure Aden would last an hour in a restaurant, so the four of us rode our electric bikes to Wrap & Roll in downtown Whitefish and picked up wraps to-go for Andi and I. Then, I put both kids on my bike and rode back to the RV while Andi made a pit-stop at McDonalds for cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets. Together, we ate dinner in the RV and then I folded the massive pile of clean laundry while Andi and the kids laid on Aden’s bed watching American Ninja Warrior on T.V.
Aden fell asleep before the television show was over, and Andi wasn’t far behind him. I read to Tory for a while in her bed and then called it a night myself. Tomorrow, we were excited to explore more of the adorable town of Whitefish, Montana.
