#42: Montana

Since leaving to travel last fall, I was always excited to get to Montana. I had traveled to Montana as a child, and I couldn't wait to get back. With Glacier under my belt, I was ready to explore other areas in western Montana. I was craving some solitude.

Whitefish

Whitefish was my first stop after departing Glacier National Park - about 45 minutes away. Many of the places I wanted to visit I didn't know much about from this point on. I had only "heard" of these places for one reason or another. This "unknown" is a fun way to explore new places, though, because I have no expectations.

I loved Whitefish. It took only a few hours to walk around and absorb the vibe, but it was enough to know I dug it. When I return to Glacier one day, I will also return to Whitefish.

Missoula

It’s about a three-hour drive from Whitefish to Missoula. I didn’t have a specific camping location in mind, so I was winging it. Sometimes winging it poses its challenges: I had to resort to staying in a crappy RV park this time. I wanted to be close enough to the city for easy access, and choices were limited. I stumbled upon the place I ended up staying - no hookups, just a place to park it. Sometimes that’s just the way it works out.

The next morning I was out of there. I drove downtown to see what Missoula had to offer. It was Saturday, so the city was active. I witnessed street fairs, farmer’s markets, paddleboard yoga, vintage denim sold in the street, and more. I happily took in the small city I was told was hippy-ish. Hippy-ish or not, I enjoyed it.

In the afternoon, I visited a ghost town called Garnet. I love a good piece of history. Plus, the drive to get here was scenic through the mountains outside of Missoula.

My campsite that night made up for the less-than-ideal place I stayed the night before:

Bozeman

Compared to Missoula, Bozeman felt like a cosmopolitan city. I didn’t take photos here, but I walked around, popped into shops, and hit up a brewery for a beer and veggie burger. Cities are often challenging because camping options are limited, and parking the Airstream is challenging. I was also still interested in getting some solitude…

Big Sky

On the way from Bozeman to Big Sky, I passed through Butte. Butte felt like a quiet, outdated city. Although the buildings looked like they hadn’t been updated since the 1960s, it still had a unique charm.

Big Sky is a mountain town - a new one. The architecture was similar to that in Bend, OR: “mountain modern,” like this:

It is a ski town in the winter, but it is active with mountain bikers and other outdoor enthusiast-types in the summer. The scenery was tremendous, and it’s no wonder Big Sky has been growing in popularity over the last few decades.

Cliff and Wade Lakes

Per a recommendation from a couple I met at a previous campground, I made my way towards Cliff and Wade Lakes. I was going only on this recommendation - I had no clue what to expect.

I followed signs and made my way to Wade Lake Campground. It was later in the day, but luckily there was a spot available to snag. I noticed signs for another campground called Cliff Lake Campground, but the road looked a little rougher.

The next morning I woke up and did a little exploration of Cliff Lake. There was a small campground - only six sites, but Cliff Lake was gorgeous and provided just the solitude I was looking for. The perfect spot, on a little peninsula, was unoccupied. I reserved it with my cooler and headed back to the other campground to pick up the trailer and set it up in my new spot. Check out this gold mine of a site:

I decided to stay here for as long as I needed some peace. Addie and I took advantage of some nearby hikes but mostly happily hung out in our *money* spot, enjoying the serenity.

I loved being here. Before I left to travel for a year, I pictured being in a place like this. It’s like my dream became a reality. That symbolism made this place so much more special. I stayed here for about four days, taking in the solitude and appreciating the risk I took to live in the now.

#41: Spokane-> Idaho-> Glacier National Park

I arrived at Airstream of Spokane around 11 am. I was so relieved to be somewhere with people who could potentially help me. It’s worth noting that my (now) friend, Doug, was the only service manager willing to squeeze me in to his already busy schedule at this Airstream dealer. I was so grateful.

Since I needed a shower, the first thing the Spokane team did for me was to plug the Airstream into electricity, water, and sewer. I took a shower in the trailer, as it was parked in the parking lot.

The team took the day to troubleshoot, and the Truma was working fine. They ran it for hours - the heat and water heater. I was almost disappointed when Doug called to tell me it was working as expected. I wanted it to act up so they could more easily diagnose.

That Thursday night, I made a camping reservation in a regional park - with electrical hookups (I purposely stayed in the area just in case I needed to go back to the dealer the next day). I arrived at the park, hooked up, and turned on the water heater. It worked. The next morning, though...error code. This thing was playing with my mind. I called Doug, and I was back at the shop before breakfast.

Long story short, with George-from-Truma's help, a diagnosis was made: the fan on the unit needed replacing. 

Good news: George sent a new one that would arrive on Monday. 

Bad news: I had to find a place to stay for the weekend. 

Doug so graciously offered me to "camp out" in his driveway while we waited for the park to arrive, and I took him up on his offer. I felt safe, and Doug ended up becoming a trusted confidant and friend. I am so thankful for him.

My third party warranty covered the fan and repair labor - phew. By Tuesday morning, Addie and I were on our way to Montana via northern Idaho. Doug gave us a few places to check out along the way to Glacier National Park, our next destination. We stopped at Kootenai Falls and the Swinging Bridge in Libby, Montana. 

It was getting dark on our drive, so we found a place to stay in Libby. I grabbed a shower, and we hit the road for Glacier the following day.

Glacier National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the country. Even though it was mid-week, I had a hard time finding a place to camp near the west entrance. I settled on an overpriced RV park and called it a night.

At the time of my visit, the eastern side of the park and east entrance was closed (unfortunate). Going-to-the-Sun-Road (main scenic road through the park) closed at Rising Sun, just before the east gate. Some would argue that the east side is the preferred side, but it, unfortunately, would not be an option this time around. When I learned that I wouldn’t explore the park to its fullest, I decided not to stress out about trying to see everything. It wasn’t going to be possible, so I’d have to make it a point to return to Glacier again one day. On this visit, I would drive through the park and take in the iconic views.

The next morning, to beat the crowds, we set out before sunrise. Although the weather was cloudy and on the cusp of raining, I’m glad we got out early. Parking lots were filled by 8 am.

As mentioned, Glacier National Park is on my list of places to return. Something I’m learning throughout this journey is to be okay with not seeing everything. There is just no way to do so. As a frequent FOMO’er (Fear Of Missing Out), this is something that I’m getting more and more comfortable with as each day passes.