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Glacier National Park: driving the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road
If you do a google search for “most scenic roads in the USA,” Going-to-the-Sun will probably be on the list. If you do a google search for “most scenic roads in Montana,” Going-to-the-Sun will definitely be on the list. Out of curiosity, I just googled “most scenic roads in the world,” and Going-to-the-Sun even popped… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: a bucket list hike to Grinnell Glacier
If someone told me they only had one day in the Many Glacier area, my advice would be to hike to Grinnell Glacier. It’s a beautiful hike with a little bit of everything – flowers, lakes, glaciers, views, and most likely some wildlife. I’ve seen both bighorn sheep and mountain goats along this trail, and… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: hiking to Ptarmigan Tunnel
In 1930, workers in Glacier National Park blasted a 250 foot (76 m) tunnel through the sheer rock of Ptarmigan Wall, forming an easily navigable connection between the Many Glacier and Belly River Valleys. Located at about 7200 feet (2195 m) of elevation, Ptarmigan Tunnel is now a popular day hiking destination, as well as… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: a stunning hike to Iceberg Lake
Many years ago, three friends and I embarked upon a three-week Canadian Rockies adventure in which we camped our way through Glacier, up into Waterton Lakes, Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta, and finally over to Vancouver before heading back home. It was on this trip that I hiked to Iceberg Lake for the first… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: a scenic boat ride and a hike to Dawson Pass
When my mom was a teenager, her best friend’s family invited her to join them on a three week cross-country road trip, from the flat expanse of the midwest to the Rocky Mountains of northern Montana. It was her first time ever seeing mountains and, as she tells it, she knew then that she was… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: the lakes and waterfalls of Two Medicine
There are quite a few versions of the origin story of the name Two Medicine, but most of them refer to two medicine lodge ceremonies – a Blackfeet tradition – taking place in the region at approximately the same time. This southeastern region of Glacier National Park now retains the name, as do three lakes… Continue reading
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A comprehensive guide to visiting Glacier National Park
(Updated May 2025) I know some people have a hard time answering the question “what’s your favorite place you’ve ever been?” Not me. Hands down, it’s Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies (and yes, I know those are technically two separate places). In fact, I love Glacier so much that we originally planned to… Continue reading
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A photo a day: Glacier National Park
This past summer, we celebrated our anniversary with a two-week roadtrip to my favorite place: Glacier National Park. It was my husband’s first ever trip to Glacier – though he’s been listening to me rave about it for years now – and I was so excited for him to finally see the park with his… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2023, part IV: the Flathead Valley and Hungry Horse Reservoir
Of our four days camped near Flathead Lake, we actually only spent two of them at the lake itself. The other two were spent visiting three of the main cities in the Flathead Valley: Whitefish, Kalispell, and Columbia Falls. First up was Whitefish, a former railroad town that has become a resort town. The slopes… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2023, part III: Flathead Lake
Located in the northwest corner of Montana, nestled in a large valley between the Salish and Mission Mountains, is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River: Flathead Lake. It was formerly called Salish Lake after the Salish tribe, who were among the original inhabitants of this land (as were the Ksanka (Kootenai) and… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2023, part II: hiking to Leigh Lake
Just a few miles south of Libby, Montana, deep in the Cabinet Mountains, is a (somewhat) hidden gem: Leigh Lake. This is supposedly the most popular hike in the area, but it seems as though its level of popularity depends on your perspective. We hiked this trail on a Monday and encountered probably 10-12 other… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2023, part I: Eureka, Libby, & Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway
I know Minnesota has laid claim to the nickname “land of 10,000 lakes,” but it could just as easily be the slogan for northwestern Montana. Twenty-four hours after arriving home from Minnesota – which, for the record, was way too short a turnaround time – I was on a plane to Montana for our annual… Continue reading
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On top of Minnesota: Eagle Mountain
Back in April, fellow blogger The Travel Architect contacted me with an invitation to join her and The Husband on a trip to northern Minnesota to summit the state’s highest point. Initially it seemed like a long shot, but as the logistics of our summer came into focus, I realized we might actually be able… Continue reading
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Exploring Minnesota’s North Shore
If you look at a map of Lake Superior, you’ll notice that its northern shore is in Ontario. Minnesota actually forms the western(ish) shore of Lake Superior. But for whatever reason, Minnesotans refer to this region as the North Shore, so that’s what I’ll go with as well. After three days in Wisconsin, we were… Continue reading
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Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin (part II): touring the sea caves
Geologically speaking, the Apostle Islands were formed through glaciation and erosion. Over thousands of years during the last ice age, the glaciers advanced and deposited layer upon layer of sediment, and then carved out the enormous bowl that is now Lake Superior as they receded. In the years since, the constant action of the waves… Continue reading
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Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin (part I): cruising Lake Superior
Until this roadtrip, Lake Superior was the one Great Lake I hadn’t seen from the ground. I’d flown over it before, so I had some comprehension of its immensity. But as I stood there on the lakeshore for the first time, I might as well have been gazing out over the vastness of the ocean.… Continue reading
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On top of Wisconsin: Timm’s Hill
As our travel plans for 2023 took shape, it was beginning to seem as though it would be another year in which I maybe, possibly, hopefully squeezed in one single state high point. After only managing one high point in 2022 as well this was a little disappointing. But I had so many other things… Continue reading
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Colorado 14ers #9: Culebra Peak
Some people who set out to climb the Colorado 14ers do it ABC: all but Culebra. Why, you ask? Because the peak is on private land and the owner charges a fee to access it. So when my friend invited me to climb Culebra with her (and another friend, who unfortunately had to cancel) this… Continue reading
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Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes: Bridal Veil Falls
I’m just going to come right out and say it: this might be the most underrated waterfall in Rocky. Given the deluge of rain we received in May and early June this year, I figured it would be an optimal time to hike to a waterfall. And boy, was it ever. Of course, we also… Continue reading
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A whirlwind weekend in Philadelphia (part II) – touring Eastern State Penitentiary
Our final Philadelphia destination (if you missed it, you can read part I of this series here) was the one that actually ended up being my favorite: Eastern State Penitentiary. I learned about this place from Lyssy in the City, and I’m so glad I did because it was fascinating! Eastern State Penitentiary was built… Continue reading
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