Montana, Sept. 18, 2014

The final day of our Montana vacation. We awoke to clouds, and thought it was going to be rainy and cool. We didn't rush, as we knew we only had a 2 hours drive to Missoula, where we would spend the night.

What we thought was clouds and haze turned out to be smoke, from fires to the north and west. We knew that the mountains were there, as we could just make them out along the sky line. 

Not a lot of color out here, but every now and then, there was a bush or aspen with the leaves changing color. I imagine in another week the hill sides will be ablaze with bushes turning red like this one.

Found this on the map, as we stayed in Whitefish and Kalispell. The David Graham highway, that I am sure was named after our dear friend, David Graham!

 Again, more gorgeous mountains surrounding Polson, at the southern end of Flathead Lake, at least that is what we believe is back there.

We visited Kerr Dam, located on the Flathead River as it leaves Flathead Lake. There is a scenic overlook that we found, that lets you see the dam, and then more of it down river. I took this, because I was amazed at how large the spikes were that held the timbers in place for the walkway. 

Looking down on Kerr Dam. It is actually taller than Niagara Falls, but seems small from this far away. There were steps down to a closer lookout that you could go down. We opted not to, as there was scratched on one of the signs "349 steps!" More than I wanted to risk!

Looking down river, and there is actually another row of mountains beyond what you can make out here, part of the Bitterroot Mountain Range. 

You can see the hairpin turn, or switchback, that was on the road down to the power station below. It was OK, and I told Ken I might be closing my eyes for a few minutes! Didn't need to, but sure was glad he was driving! Again!

A very strange site down below. No sign of rushing water at all. The river was at low volume at this time of year, so not much water going through. This is the power plant on the other side of the dam. In the spring and summer, rafters enjoy the rushing water, much like they do in Maine.

A rock sculpture along the river's edge. Only there until the water rises.

This was the only brewery in Polson, but wasn't open when we went through. Got a nice picture of the sign, though!

Along the streets of many towns, and adorning the entry ways of many motels are these beautiful, huge hanging baskets of flowers, many of them still in full bloom. These are about 3 feet around, and just add so much color to many of the streets we visited. 

We had lunch at a delightful cafe on the Main Street in Polson. We have tried to visit eateries that are not large chains when we can. Fortunately, we have made great choices almost all the time! Today was one of the best. Mrs. Wonderful's Cafe, only opened 2 months ago, served the best lunch we have had! Everything is made from scratch, grown local, no GMO, full of flavor, and full of the nicest people. We were even treated to a homemade cinnamon bun, on the house! I hope they do well. (mrswonderful.net)


More smokey views, but my imagination says it is beautiful, breathtaking, and I am sure, awesome.

Most of the area we traveled through today was part of the Flathead Indian Reservation. We found in spots that the signs along the road had English, Native American, and what it stands for on the signs.

Arrived back in Missoula in time for one more brewery stop. The Kettlehouse Brewery taproom was on our list from our visit last week. It was worth the wait. The brewery is located in an old restored building right next to the trains. As a taproom, they don't serve food, and Montana law only allows 48 ounces a day to be sold to any one person. A good law, I would say.

I had the award winning Double Haul IPA- flavorful, great bitterness, and a long finish. Yum!

Ken had the popular Cold Smoke Scotch Ale- again, not disappointed at all. Nice place, good beers, as we bid Montana good bye.

Some of the other beers they brew and had on tap- some of the names are so funny!

We checked in to our motel, repacked our suitcases, and headed out for a bite to eat, and of course, maybe just one more craft brew. Ken had a Kettlehouse Eddy Out IPA, from the same place we visited earlier in the day. I opted for the Lewis And Clark Crystal Prickly Pear Pale Ale- say that fast 3 times! Lewis and Clark is in Helena, a city we will have to save for another trip! Good beers, good food, and....

....good weather. Yes, that is the correct temperature, around 6pm. It's so different because there is little to no humidity. Can't imagine a better way to end our trip.

That concludes our Montana vacation, 2014. Eleven days of outstanding vistas, amazing little and big towns, and such a great variety of good, craft beers. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have seen, done, and consumed such incredible things. There is so much, right here in the USA, that I want to see and experience. However, the best part of the whole trip, was having my best friend by my side! We are lucky to have each other, and most importantly, after 11 days of 24/7 togetherness, we are still happy, and love each other. Good bye Montana! Til we meet again!

Montana, Sept. 17, 2014

We decided to explore a bit more of Kalispell today. The Conrad Mansion Museum won out. Again, it was a great choice. Conrad made his money being involved with shipping into Fort Benton, and then in the railroad. At one point he owned over 70 acres as his homestead. He also was concerned about the killing off of the buffalo, and had a small herd brought to this area. Many of the existing buffalo today are from that herd.

Photography was not allowed in the home, so we took advantage of the time we had before the tour started to get some shots of the outside. This was an interesting light fixture on the porch.

A lovely gazebo, still being used today for weddings, is still on the property. There are several trees planted through out the gardens, with identifying plaques. Some of the trees are huge, so they have been there a while. The mansion was abandoned and empty for many years, as the daughter could not afford the upkeep. It was never updated, left unheated, yet survived with remarkable hope. It was given to the city of Kalispell in 1974, and volunteers have brought it back to it's original state, with 90% of the contents being original. Gorgeous antiques, in beautiful condition, still in the original places. A remarkable estate, for sure.

Even saw this wild guy on the road. Guess they are as prevalent in Montana as they are in Maine.

We decided to have lunch in town, and happened upon this fascinating cafe, located in an old building that was once the Kalispell Mercantile center. This was an old bar, or ice cream counter, that adorned one wall. Extending out of the picture, were counters about six more feet. Gorgeous. 

The old ladder that ran along a rail to reach items high on shelves was still in use. Notice the tin ceilings, and the old brick wall. They really have worked hard to restore and keep the old usable. 

Ken had a Slow Elk, from Big Sky brewery, a nice chocolaty stout. I had a Clothing Optional IPA, and as the name says, I can't post the results. :-) Good beers, great food, and an interesting place.

This was hanging on the wall in the cafe, showing the mercantile business booming. Same ceilings, and product stacked to the ceilings. It must have been a busy place with 7 men poised at their counters. Of course if the women had the jobs, there would only bu three, I am sure!

A few more pictures of some of the old buildings in town. It is remarkable that they are in such great condition, and the buildings are still being used. 

We have worked hard to try new places, with new beers. Kalispell has one microbrewery that has only been opened 3 months, lucky for us. It was an old car dealership, and the painted ad on the wall is still there. Ken had a sampler, Winter at Noon dunkel, Two Ski Brewski pilsner, Rope Tow pale ale, and Snowslip stout. All good, and different. I had a Rope Tow IPA. And as usual, great.

Man, it seems like we eat and drink, over and over, well, I guess we do. We weren't that hungry so a light supper, and a Yard Sale. Not the best one I have had, but very tasty.

Another sculpture of old metal parts. Just amazes me that someone can see a moose with those spare parts. 

Winding down on the vacation. One more day, then heading home. It's been an amazing time with my amazing man, in an amazing state. 

Montana, Sept. 16, 2104

Ken has done just about all of the driving. I knew I would have difficult time going through Glacier Park, so he was rewarded with a token of my deep appreciation of doing all the driving and getting us to the other side of the mountains.

 Left Whitefish at a leisurely time, knowing we only had a short distance to our next check in. We decided to go to Bigfork, and not take the highway. Good choice. Again, the scenery is just incredible. We have watched these mountains for days, first on one side and then on the other. The west side has a lot more humidity, so it looked hazy today. It got up in the mid 70's and was just a perfect day for Bigfork.

We parked on Electric Avenue (yes that is the name of the main street in Bigfork) and headed down this little alley. Found it very interesting that there are almost as many businesses in these alleys as there are on the street. We chatted with a couple of guys in the real estate office, and had a wonderful conversation about the area. Granted, they were from the area, and had a business in the area, but Bigfork would be a wonderful place to live.

They have a beautiful Performing Arts Center that draws many famous entertainers and actors. Next week, the Children's theater is putting on Peter Pan. Would love to have seen it.  I also got a big kick out of the gator parked in front of the theater. Kind of made me feel like we were home.

They have great signs for their town, and we were invited to return at Christmas town to see the Norman Rockwell setting. They have garland, and lights, and lots of spirit for a small town. At the visitors center we were told that year round residents is around 2400, but swells to over 10,000 in the summer.

Nice main street, lots of artists, and apparently a place that famous people like to visit, as it is quiet but has it all.

Ken might have a job here?

Julie might have found a patient that needs some advice?

After stopping at the visitors' center, we headed down the east shore of Flathead Lake, the largest fresh water lake west of the Mississippi. It even has it's own brewery, and of course, we visited that, too. Ken had the Centennial IPA, and I had a nitro infused Imperial IPA. Awesome! No other words are needed.

They do the brewing right behind the window and also serve up a great lunch. I had a fantastic fresh green salad that was delicious.

Tried to capture the size of the lake, but you can see it was hazy, so can't really grasp the depth of the shot. The lake is 30 miles long by 16 miles wide. The lake covers over 190 square miles! I dare say it is bigger than some of our little towns.

As we left out hotel to head into Kalispell to find some supper, this is the view as we leave the parking lot. I jut don't know what it is, but these mountains pull me. I am in awe as I look, in just about every direction, and see them. We follow them, day after day, thinking we are catching up to them, only to find that is not possible. Guess I will just have to keep chasing.

Brannigan's for dinner, and some fairly local brews. I had a Blackfoot IPA that was brewed in Washington. Very flavorful, and I would say, unfiltered. Ken had and Irish red that was specially brewed for Brannigans. Good beer, good food, got to eat on the patio. It is a warm evening here, still in the 60's, just doesn't get much better than this.

We noticed as we entered Kalispell, and again when we left, driving on the main street, Sunset Blvd, that instead of a round about, they have the court house. Yup, right in the middle of the street, so you have to go around it not matter which way you are traveling. Interesting.

Back in our room, tired from exploring. We grabbed a couple of fresh cookies from the lobby and will celebrate with a glass of milk. Another wonderful day traveling in Montana. Bigfork would be a wonderful place to relocate to, but it doesn't have the friends and family of home. However, I think it would be a wonderful place to visit again.