I decided to skip forward to real-time on the blog because we had such an amazing day in Glacier I wanted to write about it while it was fresh so here it goes…
June 6 Back in the USA! We did it, 5 days to get through Canada and we did it! We drove 400+ miles each day which equates to 9-12 hour days. Needless to say as soon as we crossed the border into the Montana we felt a huge sense of relief to be back in the USA. The people we met in Canada were kind and genuinely disagreed with the policy the Canadian government was putting on US travelers. While it was frustrating at times I am glad we were able to get through and are now back in the Lower 48. It took us about 2.5 hours after crossing the border to get to West Glacier KOA. This resort is by far the nicest KOA we have been to to date. We got set up, the kids got a chance to play at the playground for a bit, we ate dinner and then passed out! After 7 total days of one night stays we were so excited to stay out for 3 nights!
June 7 Recuperation Day: We ALL slept in 🙌🏼 I don’t think we got out of bed until after 9, it was amazing and much needed! The kids wanted to immediately go to the playground so took them along with my coffee so Adam could get in his Bible reading in peace and quiet. Adam definitely deserved it after all that driving non stop basically through Alaska and Canada. Getting caught up on laundry was next and then off to town to pick up some RV supplies and groceries. Adam stayed back with the kids while they had quiet time and I went off on a adventure!
Somewhere between Whitehorse and Muncho lake we lost the cap to the fresh water tank drain which meant we did not have water so we could not boondock as we had planned through Canada. Thankfully we were able to find RV parks along the way. Driving into Kalispell, MT I was able to finally get to RV parts to replace the cap. Next stop was the best by far, after 2 years and I’m not sure how many days I finally got to go to my favorite restaurant, Chick-fil-a!!!!! Wahoooo!! I was almost giddy walking inside to order and it tasted as good as I remember. I love Alaska but I have to find a way to get Chick-fil-a up there if we ever get to go back. I grabbed groceries and then more Chick-fil-a for the family and then headed back to camp. That evening we got a visit from our awesome friend/babysitter Rileigh! She just so happened to have moved from Ak to MT a couple weeks before! We all got our bathing suits on and went for a dip in the pool. It was cold🤦🏼♀️ well it was heated but it was still cold. We only lasted about 20 minutes. Davis and Josey lasted about 5 minutes. Anna would have stayed all night but everyone else was ready to leave. We headed back to the camper and all sat around the fire and enjoyed time with Rileigh and her doggies. For all who don’t know Rileigh I coached her in volleyball years ago when we were stationed at Fort Campbell. She went and grew up and has become an amazing woman with a strong faith in God. I’m so happy we got to see her again on this journey❤️
June 8 Glacier National Park Day: Exploration day! We woke up, had a big breakfast, grabbed some snacks and headed out to the Glacier National Park! As we drove into the park we realized that this was going to be unlike our previous National Park adventures. Going into the park we were stopped by a group of Park Rangers asking if we had tickets to the “Going to the sun” road. We did not🤦🏼♀️ Unfortunately I did not realize that it was the only road to get into the park so we had to have special tickets in order to get in from 9am-5pm. Soooooooo we ended up turning around and headed back into the small town of West Glacier right outside the main entrance to the park. From the moment we got into the truck the kids had been whining so we knew it was going to be a rough morning. Thankfully West Glacier had a cute mini golf place, a cafe and gift shop. Instead of exploring the park we played mini golf, ate a yummy lunch, grabbed a few things from the gift shop and headed back for nap time. Adam and l were able to get several things done at the camper so it worked out. The kids definitely needed some naps and a little playground time.
Around 4:30 we decided to venture out again because you didn’t need a ticket after 5pm to get into the park. We picked up some fresh cherries and huckleberry jam on the way and then headed into the park. Thankfully we picked up our Military National Park Pass while we were in Denali so all we had to do was flash that at the gate and head into the park. The “going to the sun road” was only open up to mile 15 because all the snow still hasn’t melted past that. We took it all the way passing Lake McDonald on the way to which Anna pointed out does not look like McDonald’s 🤦🏼♀️. It is though, an absolutely beautiful lake surround by green trees and mountains. We stopped at mile 15 Avalanche Creek. My plan was to take a simple .9 mile hike on the Trails of Cedars. Well we got half way through the trail and came to the start of the Avalanche Lake trail. The picture they had posted at the trailhead was beautiful! It was 2 mile out and 2 mile back trail so the smart thing to do with 3 kids would have been to continue the other half mile on the trail we were on and head back to the truck but we chose the roll the dice and go to the lake! Lots of bribes may have occurred on the 2 mile stretch to the lake. Adam and I eventually agreed to get them ice cream and somehow a stuffed animal got thrown into the deal too if they made it to the lake. Davis CRUSHED it! He got so focused on getting this stuffed animal mountain goat that he didn’t complain or whine the whole 2 miles out to the lake. Anna on my he other hand whined the whole time. Josey, on Adam’s back, sang and entertained all the other hikers on the trail. On the way to the lake was truly an amazing adventure. The views were breathtaking and hard to describe with words. We also had some up close encounters with wildlife. The first animal we saw was a black bear no more then 20 feet off the trail. The kids were being plenty loud enough that the bear was not going to come anywhere near us. Anna and Davis started growling at it🤦🏼♀️. Adam and I were definitely quick to squash that but again the other hikers (there were a bunch) laughed and thanked the kids for keeping them safe. The next animal we saw was a chipmunk. He almost came straight up to Davis looking for food. When we were only a few feet from the lake a doe went right on the path and was not at all scared of the crowd that gathered around her. We finally made it to the lake shortly after that encounter we stepped through some trees into a wide open area, Avalanche lake. We were surrounded by mountains and forest and suddenly this beautiful lake appears! Anna stopped complaining and David immediately started looking for the mountain goat another hiker told us about. We found it way up on a cliff just hanging out. The next 15-20 minutes we spent at the lake was taking pictures, snack time and just taking in the pure beauty the God created. Even the kids were taken aback by how beautiful it was. This hidden lake out in the middle of Glacier National Park was definitely the highlight of our trip thus far. I wish we could have stayed longer but we had to start the 2.5 mile trip back to the truck because it was getting late. We didn’t get back to the campsite until closer to 9:30pm. The ice cream places were closed but sure enough the gift shop was open and we were able to get them reward stuffies, yes Davis got his mountain goat he begged for. What a day?!? Adam said it was the best, most picturesque hike he has ever been on. I have to agree, Avalanche lake was definitely a hidden gem that I’m so happy to have found! That is a wrap for Glacier National Park. Next Stop Yellowstone!
Real Life Adventures with Kids 