Best B&B Ever>Whitefish Bar Crawl

What to do when one's tent is irreparably bent by wind overnight?  Hike out and get the hell out of there is what we thought.  The hike out was exciting - we saw a moose and a marmot, and talked about all the things we'd rather be eating than dehydrated backpacker food.  We arrived back at the car at the Many Glacier Hotel in one piece, and just in time to catch the spray off of while caps on Lake Sherburne.  2 hours later off Highway 2 we called the owner of the Bad Rock Bed and Breakfast in Columbia Falls to confirm they could accommodate us for an unexpected early check in.  Not only was Mark accommodating, he recommended a phenomenal place to stop on the way in - Perfect Cuts.

Bad Rock Bed and Breakfast, Columbia Falls MT

Perfect Cuts

With fantasies of dry aged Montana beef in our heads, we picked up speed to try and beat the clock to their door before closing time.  Couldn't have been a better experience - two gorgeous rib eyes and a rub suggested by the proprietor and we were on our way to the most comfortable stay of our lives.  A word about Bad Rock B&B - they have thought of EVERYTHING.  Literally, everything.  Need to know how the beautiful place was built?  Check your binder in your room.  Need to know where to eat?  In the binder.  Need hiking suggestions?  In the binder.  Need a razor or bear spray?  Check the basket by the mantle in the big house.  And the breakfast?  PHENOMENAL!  Need entertainment?  There's a pool table, fire pit, even magnetic poetry, for your enjoyment.  Here is someone who truly takes pride in what they do.  I find that to be somewhat rare in the hospitality business.


So, what to do with our extra day that was originally intended for hiking in and around Logan Pass?  We toyed with paying a fly fishing guide about 375 bucks for a half day on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, but when it was raining when we woke up, we decided instead to head up to Whitefish which we had heard was a cool little ski town with a lot of great places to watch Saturday afternoon football.

We began at The Bulldog and made our way to the Great Northern Bar and Grill and Caseys before the day was finished.  Met a couple of guys traveling up from San Francisco, as well as a local who informed us that in 15 years living and hiking around Glacier Park, he had never seen a single bear.  That made us feel particularly special.  Also met the head of sound for The Bachelor - tough life for her, traveling the globe and all.  Now if we could just get our own show...

We had originally planned to dine at Tupelo - had heard great things - but alas the afternoon got away from us and we returned to Bad Rock for our final night in Montana.

Reflecting on this trip, were we to do it again, I think an early September arrival would have made more sense.  We would have been able to do Going to the Sun Road which we missed, and hopefully had better weather.  But all in all, as far as our adventures go thus far, this trip beat all we have experienced to date.  Though we aspire to see all of the nation's National Parks before we die, we know Glacier National Park will always hold a special place in our hearts for its rough natural beauty, sense of mystique and danger, and raw wilderness.