We have family that lives in the Seattle area and in Montana. We planned this trip to visit with family and tour the area at the same time. At this point, our children had been to Seattle three times before. It is a place we all love to vacation. With our goal of visiting all the states, we used our regular trips to Seattle to explore the states in that area. I love to plan trips and we love National Parks, so I was excited to fit in fun and family in our travels.
My husband has several family members in the Seattle area. His grandmother’s home is his favorite place on earth. We all immediately felt the same on each of our first visits to her home She has always been the rock of his family.
We headed out the next day for our road trip. Although we had previously been to Idaho to both the Coeur d’Alene area and the Boise area, our kids did not remember the trip. So we stopped in Coeur d’Alene for a great lunch. Hudson’s burger is on the list as one of the best burgers in America. We enjoyed the crowded little dive restaurant and then walked around the lake.
We got back on the road but had a plan for an afternoon snack. I love to find local places to eat and enjoy the foods known in the area. We stopped at the Stage Station restaurant for a slice of huckleberry ice cream pie.
My husband’s father and some of his siblings lived in Montana. We often made the drive over when we were in Seattle. Family time is always so special. The kids enjoyed spending time with their grandpa and uncles and aunt.
They lived out of town in Helena, so there were fun things to do outside such as shooting guns, feeding the horses, and searching for prairie dogs.
We took the kids to the Spring Meadow Lake State Park to swim in a spring-fed lake. The lake is a 30-acre man-made lake fed by natural springs and is known for being clear. It was extremely cold water, but the kids did not seem to mind.
We took a family trip to the Gates of the Mountains Recreation Area in the Helena National Forest. This area of Montana is known for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In 1805 the Lewis and Clark expedition moved down the Missouri river and witnessed towering rock formations from both sides of the river, limestone cliffs that rose to 1200 feet. It looked as though the stone walls seemed to block passage, only to open like giant gates as the expedition drew near. In his journal, Meriwether wrote: “I shall call this place: GATES OF THE MOUNTAINS.” We enjoyed seeing the Gates of the Mountains aboard a tour boat.
We rode on a covered open-air boat and enjoyed the family time, wildlife, wooded slopes, rugged rock formations, and the beauty of the Missouri river.
Summer travel and baseball just go together for our family. There are not many trips where we do not see some baseball. We were able to catch a Helena Brewers game on this trip. The team was a rookie-level team that left Helena in 2018. It was a fun ballpark and a great family night.
The next day we spent some time in downtown Helena. Downtown Helena has lots of activity including a pedestrian walking mall, restaurants, shopping and entertainment. We enjoyed the ExplorationWorks Science Center with many hands-on activities and exhibits focused on all things science, technology, engineering, and math.
The Science Center has three levels of exhibits, classrooms and a community space. It was a fairly new facility when we went and we had a blast.
After the Science Center we went to the Great Northern Carousel in downtown Helena. The indoor carousel is a bright, fun place. We rode on the carousel and got some ice cream.
The carousel is unique because it has 37 hand carved animals such as a bobcat, grey wolf, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, and river otter.
We were back on the road the next day heading to Glacier National Park. We were very excited to head to the land of mountain ranges carved by prehistoric ice rivers. We met my parents for this part of our vacation. We started in the East Glacier village shopping and exploring the town.
Glacier National Park is one of the prettiest parks we have been to. It features alpine meadows, deep forests, waterfalls, about 25 glistening glaciers and 200 sparkling lakes. We started our exploration in the Two Medicine area, one of the lesser-explored regions of Glacier National Park.
We chose to take a boat tour aboard a charming wooden historic vessel across Two Medicine lake. It is approximately 2 miles long and .33 miles wide. Sinopah Mountain dominates the western side of the lake and Rising Wolf Mountain rises over 4,450 feet above the lake to the North. The views were breathtaking.
Upon docking at the head of the lake we got off the boat and went on a 2 mile hike with one of the guides to Twin Falls. The kids enjoyed the hike and were excited to search for wildlife.
Twin Falls is a beautiful set of cascades flowing off the eastern slopes of Pumpelly Pillar. The two falls are separated by roughly 50 feet before converging again near the trail.
One of our bucket list destinations was the “Big Tree Lodge” at Glacier National Park. We were so excited to check in to the historic Glacier Park Lodge. The lodge was the first hotel built by the Great Northern Railway in 1913 to bring visitors to the area.
Glacier Park Lodge was intended to be a signature building and it’s three story lobby is the attraction. The lobby is lined with Douglas-fir columns 40 feet tall. The lodge was loosely styled as a Swiss chalet like other lodges built by the Great Northern during this time period. We enjoyed our stay and liked just sitting in this beautiful lobby.
After checking in, exploring the lobby and getting settled in our room, we hit the golf course. A nine-hole golf course was added in 1928, becoming the first golf course in the state of Montana. It was a fun family activity.
Glacier Park Lodge is on the southeast side of Glacier National Park. With no TV or air conditioning, it is the perfect place to get outside and enjoy the summer weather.
As we headed out to explore the park, we stopped at Goat Lick to see the exposed riverbank where mountain goats and other animals come to lick the mineral-laden cliffs. Glacier National Park goats travel as far as four miles to get to the Goat Lick and there were several there they day we visited.
Next we headed out on a simple 1-mile loop hike on the Trail of Cedars. This is a popular hike that passes through a forest of ancient western red cedars and western hemlocks.
Some of the trees in this area are estimated to be more than 500 years old. We enjoyed the lush green of ferns and mosses and the beautiful river throughout the hike.
One of the highlights of the trail is the Avalanche Gorge and the amazing power of glacially melted water as it cascades through the narrow gorge.
The highlight of a trip to Glacier National Park is driving on the Going to the Sun Road. The road is usually opened July-October. It is one of the most scenic roads in America. It stretches 50 miles from one end of Glacier National Park to the other past lakes, glaciers, forests and mountains.
There are lots of scenic overlooks and points of interest along the way, so don’t think you can rush through it. We stopped at Bird Woman Falls to see one of the largest waterfalls in the park. Bird Woman Falls is named after Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian woman who traveled with Lewis and Clark.
Logan Pass is the highest elevation reachable by car in the park. Logan Pass Visitor Information Center is at the summit at an elevation of 6,700 feet and straddles the Continental Divide. This was a very cold stop for us, but we did get to see snow on the group in July!
There are plenty of pull-outs located along the route so you can stretch your legs and take some great photos.
St. Mary Lake is located on the east side of Glacier National Park along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. We enjoyed the views in this area as we finished the drive.
If you are visiting Glacier National Park, then the Going to the Sun Road should be at the top of your list. Check the website to see if they are requiring reservations for the drive or to find out more about the shuttle.
We were back in Seattle for the 4th of July. We took the ferry over to Kingston to spend the day with family. We always enjoy the scenic ferry rides across the sound.
Our kids have wonderful memories of spending the holiday in this cute town on the Kitsap Peninsula. My husband’s aunt and uncle throw a great party.
We enjoy staying the night in Kingston so that we can walk the beach in the morning when the tide is out. We feel very lucky to have family in such beautiful places.
We try to never visit Seattle without heading to a Seatlle Mariner’s baseball game. This time we were so happy my husband’s Grandma and uncle could go with us. Garlic fries are a Seattle favorite and always a part of our game.
The next day we went to Alki Beach, a long beach strip on Elliott Bay. As we drove to find parking, my daughter kept yelling, “there is the Statue of Liberty!” I kept calming her down and saying “that is in New York Sarah.” When we got out of the car, there was the Statue of Liberty! She was so excited.
I can’t remember a time we visited Seatlle without going to the Pike Place Market, Seattle’s original farmers market and the center of locally sourced, artisan and specialty foods. We normally also stop at the original Starbucks store.
A new stop for us on this trip was the Seattle Bug Safari. I don’t think this is still open, but it was a fun stop for our bug loving little girl.
The next day we went to a children’s program at the Seattle Symphony. I always search for free activities for children when we travel. We all enjoyed the interactive program then stopped for some famous donuts at Top Pot which became a family favorite.
My husband and son fit in one more Seattle Mariners baseball game while the rest of us relaxed.
On our final day, we went to the zoo in Tacoma. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is the only combined zoo and aquarium in the Pacific Northwest. We enjoyed the day at this small easily walkable zoo with a large variety of animals. We were also very impressed with the aquarium.
We are always sad on the last day when we have to say goodbye to great grandma. She and her home is such a special place for us. We were able to visit with her and our other family so many more times over the next years. We value our trips to this area and the time spent with family and most importantly we made memories.
