Whitefish had more of a “western” feel to it and we were starving once we arrived, so we decided to pay for parking and explore. We enjoyed bison burgers that Clint thought might be seasoned beef. Who knows. The sweet potato fries were cold so that tainted my attitude. The best part of the lunch was my handsome hubby, pictured below. We walked around the arts district and perused a few shops. We aren’t boutique shoppers, so that element was lost on us, but there was an extremely upscale art gallery with original works of art in several different mediums and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. We took lots of photos but I can’t locate them. Apologies!

At this point we were at a crossroads- return to our cabin for a home cooked meal and an early night before the 4:00 am wake up call on Wednesday morning or enter Glacier’s west entrance since we were so close. Clint could not stand the temptation to see Glacier, so he headed for the entrance.  

  When you enter Glacier National Park on the west side, the main attractions are Apgar Village and Lake McDonald. We drove to Lake McDonald lodge and asked for the best place to view the lake privately. If you ever get a chance to go, start at the paved trail behind the lodge, walk to cabin number 12, and then turn into the timber on a little dirt path toward the lake. You will be rewarded with these beautiful views on a private little beach.    

Mesmerized by the views, Clint couldn’t be persuaded to turn back. Traffic was light and the weather was perfect, so we began the drive up the Going to the Sun Road. Our first stop was the Cascade Falls, a 60 foot wide waterfall located around 12 miles north of the west entrance.  You can tell from the video below that the altitude has already affected my breathing.  I sound like an emphysema patient who needs her oxygen tank. 

  We continued from there to The Loop which is the only switchback on the Going to the Sun Road and that was the point where Clint folded in his mirrors and began white knuckling the steering wheel. Enjoy the videos. I’m sorry that some of them are crazy because of the foliage and trees, but I hope you can get a glimpse of the grandeur of this beautiful part of God’s creation. It is not for the faint of heart to lean out the window! 

This is a picture of Heaven's Peak, part of the Livingston Range. It is has an elevation of 8, 991 feet. It was breathtaking in person.      

The picture below is taken at the S curve before approaching Logan's Pass.  You can look at the righthand side of the photograph and see the Going to the Sun Road that we traveled. The view from this vantage point contains the mountains and valleys recorded in the posted videos.  Again, I apologize for not editing the videos to make them more enjoyable.  It is what it is!    

  The top of the road is called Logan’s Pass and there is a parking lot there with a visitor’s center and trailheads for experienced hikers. Unfortunately, it was closed due to an emergency, which we learned is a daily occurrence. We drove half a mile past the pass, parked along the road, and took these photos and videos. 

They tell you about people like this guy at the vistitor's center.  They say, "Don't be this guy.  Stay on the trail. Bears will grab you, drag you into the back country, and we'll have to piece you back together like a jig saw puzzle in order to identify your remains and notify your loved ones." But every year, people like "this guy" leave the trail. Some people. 

We heard of one family from Asia who were terrified of the wildlife.  The father, who did not speak good English, wanted to protect his family at all cost.  He did his very best to shield them from harm.  He lined them all up and sprayed them head to toe with bear spray.  He even turned the can on himself.  They spent their vacation in the local hospital, and they became the park ranger's most memorable "do not do this" story.  This would be the number one reason the Campbell family does not travel internationally.   

I love this picture of us at Lunch Creek.  We've traveled a lot of places together, mostly for work, sometimes for leisure; and he's built us a beautiful home and farm that is everything I asked for. But my favorite place in the world is right here, tucked under his arm and next to his chest. 

Sunset was quickly approaching and he did not want to drive down the moutain passes in the dark, so we drove back to Logan’s Pass. It was still not open, so we retraced our path back down the west side of the Going to the Sun Road. We were not able to snap a picture, but we saw some mountain goats. 

As we drove down the west side, Clint saw the views he had missed while nagivating the narrow road and oncoming traffic.  My favorite memory of the day was spontanesouly singing this together,   
“Your love O Lord, reaches to the heavens.  
Your faithfulness, stretches to the sky.  
Your righteousness is like the mighty moutains.  
Your justice flows like the ocean’s tide.  
And I will lift my voice to worship You, my King.  
And I will find my strength in the shadow of Your wings.”  

The magnificence of the scenery was overwhelming. We began our day focusing on the “firstborn of all creation” and we ended it marveling at His handiwork as Creator.  If you ever get the chance to take this trip, don’t hesitate; and make the Going to the Sun Road a priority.    

For reference, it took us about an hour to get back to the West entrance from Logan’s Pass. On our way out of the park we stopped at Apgar Village, which is the southernmost tip of McDonald Lake and one of the first stops inside the west entrance.  It was very busy, with lots of people eating huckleberry ice cream,  riding bicycles, and heading to different ranger programming that happens at dusk. We walked down by the shore of McDonald Lake and captured these photos. 

It took an hour to get back to our cabin near Big Fork.  Clint fixed this amazing supper before we turned in for the night.  He purchased Montana beef at the local store and it was delicious.  He's a fantastic cook and I'm a really good eater, so it works out well.  LOL!