Montana Travel Summary: Whitefish & Kalispell

As I am sure you saw on my Instagram, this past week my husband and I got to spend a few glorious days in Big Sky Country, Montana and before it all blurs together as another wonderful memory, I wanted to get our trip details captured here in case you ever make the trek to that part of the country and need some recommendations!

We took off on a Friday morning, flying from San Diego via Seattle and landing in Kalispell just after 6P. I recently purchased a new @wvvy jumpsuit and it was literally the absolute perfect travel outfit. I wasn’t squeezed in any of the wrong places and stayed warm but not too hot the entire trip. Along with my travel wardrobe, we of course used our @away suitcases, which are seriously the best we’ve ever owned and come with a lifetime warranty, which coincidentally, I am in the process of using as we speak since my luggage arrived in Montana with a crack in the outer shell. Not to worry, Away is replacing it no questions asked 😊

In any case, once bags were gathered at baggage claim and our rental car was picked up, we headed to our hotel and checked in. We stayed at the Homewood Suites by Hilton, which is located in the heart of Kalispell, within walking distance to coffee, Walmart, Target, restaurants and more. The hotel was super cozy, with a big 2-way fireplace in the lobby and the included breakfast was perfect for getting the day started. Our room was clean and came with a small kitchen and the gym was fully stocked with free weights up to 50lbs, treadmills, bosu balls and more! Although Lexi didn’t make the trip with us this time around, this hotel is actually pet friendly so your furry ones are welcome to tag along.

On our first evening in town, we decided to head to The Desoto Grill in Kalispell for some good old fashion Montana BBQ. Rio and I split their BBQ platter, which came with pulled pork, elk sausage (so good by the way!), ribs, potato and macaroni salad, fresh grilled veggies and homemade honey cornbread with whipped honey butter. We were in heaven! Drink wise I can highly recommend the kiwi cider, although I probably should have opted for water after a day of traveling, but you only live once, right?

After a good night sleep and an early morning hotel gym workout, Rio and I headed out to explore the area, curious to see what was around us and what might be worth devoting more time to in the coming days. We stopped for coffee at Colter Coffee, where we got a latte and a cappuccino for a mere $8 and immediately knew we were not in California anymore! Caffeinated, we hit the road and were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of this part of the country as we passed by forests filled with the most vibrant fall colors. I just couldn’t get enough of it all!

As we followed winding roads passed pine forests, rivers, cows, horses and the occasional deer or wild turkey, we made our way to Eureka, a small town about an hour outside of Kalispell. While there really wasn’t much to the town except for a small collection of houses, a general store and an old gas station, we couldn’t help but stop at this quaint ice cream hut on the side of the road for some homemade old fashion ice cream. Rio got the seasonal pumpkin flavor and I went with butter pecan and we both agreed, this treat beat any we had for the rest of the trip! The flavors were sooooo good and the fact that they were served to us out of a roadside shack in the middle of nowhere made them seem even more memorable.

Once our bellies were full of ice cream and our hands sufficiently frozen from eating it in 40-degree weather, we jumped back in the rental to defrost and headed to Whitefish. Before making this trip I had only seen dreamy photos of this winter ski destination and I have to say, although we didn’t quite see snow hit the town while we were there, the sleepy main street with it’s quaint little shops and cafes looked just as dreamy as I pictured it. We spent the late afternoon browsing the local shops, before dining at Latitude 48, a restaurant that Madeline recommended to us. If you haven’t caught on, my MO when we go out to eat is to make Rio sharesie everything with me, allowing us to try more dishes than if we both just ordered one entrée, so in that fashion this evening consisted of bao bun pork buns, a halloumi cheese toast with grilled peaches and a plum sauce, a tempura bison tamale, crab cakes with fried plantains and a Brazilian waffle with steak tips. Our whole line up was divine, but I think my absolute favorite was the crab cake, so definitely give that a go if you find yourself at Latitude 48.

Having checked out the area sufficiently, we decided to kick off the next day with a morning hike on one of the many trails you all suggested. To our surprise, although I supposed if we had some research we wouldn’t have been so caught off guard, the trail we selected leading to the Jewel Basin was mostly covered with snow and temperatures were dropping with every step we took. We were determined to get at least one hike in during our time in Montana and so bravely pushed through the cold and made it to the summit, only to realized that what we hoped would be a loop trail would end up being a down and back, thanks to the strong winds and freezing snow gusts that were hitting us at the summit. From the peak we could see the loop trailhead that would lead us down the other side of the mountain to the Jewel Basin and back around to the parking lot, but our California style winter gear just wouldn’t allow for that hike this time around. No worries though, because we already made a pact to come back in the spring and complete the full loop, which you’re of course welcome to join us for! We still got a good 5 miles in and the views and snow photos we snapped were well worth the frozen fingers and toes.

Post hike we were quite blue from the cold and the heater in the car took a while to get to our chilled bones, so we decided we were in desperate need of a good old fashion breakfast and more importantly, a slice of Huckleberry pie and made our way back to Whitefish to snag a table at Loulas. This adorable little café located on one of the side streets in downtown Whitefish is known for its pies and lets you add yourself to the waitlist via Yelp before you arrive, which made getting in and seated a breeze for us. Rio got the classic biscuits and gravy, while I went for the quiche of the day and we finished the meal with a hot slice of Huckleberry Peach pie that totally hit the spot!

Fed and defrosted, we once again took in all the cute little shops and beautiful scenery of downtown Whitefish before returning to the hotel for a quick shower and refresh. This evening dinner at MacKenzie River Pizza, Grill and Pub was easily the highlight of our trip, because we got to meet up with Linnea (@mtnaygetsfit) and her husband, Jeff. Linnea and I have been Instagram friends for what feels like ages, so getting to meet her in person was like being reunited with a long-lost best friend. She was everything I thought she would be and so much more and we instantly connected on so many subjects, had amazing conversations and laughed a lot as we dug into delicious pizza and a skillet cookie. We had such a wonderful time that we completely spaced on even getting a single picture, but I guess experiences are worth more than photos, am I right? I can’t even describe how incredible it was to get to meet Linnea and her husband in person, but can say that I will remember this evening for all the years to come!

Lucky for me, that evening’s dinner wasn’t the only time I got to spend with Linnea. The next morning we snuck her into the hotel gym and got to work with Madeline Moves. Like I mentioned earlier, the hotel gym was very well equipped and the fact that no other patrons shared the space with us meant we could get our sweat on mask free, which was a definite treat. Post workout, Rio and I made our way to Sable Coffee, where we had the most amazing coffees of our trip, before hitting the road in search of Huckleberry Bear Claws. We were told that no trip to the Whitefish area was complete without a stop at the Polebridge Mercantile, where these famous amazing bear claws were sold, so off we went. The road to this tiny town was stunning and although large parts of it were unpaved, the all-weather packed gravel made driving our Hyundai Sedan manageable, although a Jeep would have been a thousand times better. Passing by endless fall colored trees, roadside deer and large PRIVATE PROPERTY warning signs made the almost 2 hour journey fly by and before we knew it we were pulling into the Mercantile parking lot.

We had packed Safeway sandwiches for the trip, just in case we found ourselves starving with no options, but if you plan to stop at the Polebridge Mercantile, just know, no mediocre sandwiches will be needed, because this little gem not only sells a large collection of baked goods, but they also feature delicious sandwiches made on their homemade bread buns. Armed with 2 turkey sandwiches, a bear claw and a peanut butter, chocolate chip, rice crispy block called a Burley Bar, Rio and I headed back to the rain proof shelter of our car to eat our loot. Like I mentioned, the sandwiches were out of this world amazing, but to be totally honest, we didn’t love the bear claw and abandoned it after 1 bite each. Somehow the sugary sweetness of the treat overwhelmed the taste of Huckleberry and it just didn’t seem worth the calories to either of us, instead we fought over the Burly Bar, which was heaven on a plate!

Once refueled, we hit the road again, this time in the direction of Glacier National Park. Although the weather was on and off rainy, our arrival at the park was met with sunshine and we gladly paid the $35 entrance fee for a week pass (most basic package you can get). The entrance attendant suggested we check out Avalance Lake, an easy 5 mile roundtrip down and back hike, so we followed the Sun Road to the trail head. The trail was clearly highly trafficked and the path easily followed and 2.5 miles later, we stepped foot onto the beach of Avalance Lake. What a view!!! If you plan to propose on your trip to Montana, this would be the place to do so, it’s absolutely stunning! Although the winds were pretty high once we got to the lake, the views kept us there for a good 30 minutes and if it hadn’t been so cold, we probably would have done the trek around the lake before returning to our car. Funny enough, as we hiked the steady slight incline to the lake we kept taking layers off, whereas the way back had us putting everything back on, including my pink earmuffs, which were easily the best accessory I could have brought on this trip.

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We returned to the car as the sun was setting and made our way back to Whitefish for a casual dinner at Casey’s. This sports bar like venue is known for its mules and I have to say, my Huckleberry version was pretty tasty. Rio had a burger and I enjoyed potato chip crusted chicken tenders with sweet potato fries, both making sure we saved some room for dessert at Sweet Peaks Ice Cream. Along with the Polebridge bear claws, Sweet Peaks was probably the most recommended place in Whitefish and it definitely didn’t disappoint. This little ice cream shop not only has a list of traditional flavors, but they also feature a collection of seasonal favorites. I, of course, had a super hard time settling on a flavor, but ended up with Apple a la Mode and Rio got Peach Crisp, both in one of their famous waffle cones of course. As it turns out, this shop also has locations in Kalispell, so if you’re staying outside of Whitefish, you can still get your hands on one of these treats, they are definitely worth the stop.

On our last morning before returning to San Diego, we woke up to pouring rain, which definitely didn’t bother us in the least since we hardly ever get to experience that in San Diego, and after grabbing another delicious coffee at Sable Coffee, we decided to drive towards the Whitefish Ski Resort area. Unfortunately, our little rental sedan was not equipped with snow tires or all wheel drive, so when the flakes started falling heavily and the roads got icy we decided to turn around, just shy of the sky area. I was pretty bummed about not being able to see that piece of Whitefish, but Rio mentioned that this will give us a good reason to come back, perhaps in winter for a ski vacation.

Considering we had a 7 day pass to Glacier National Park and the road through there was pretty flat, rather than the steady incline we encountered at the ski resort, we decided to head to the park again to see if we could catch some snowflakes. Sure enough, as we entered the park the rain drops slowly turned to beautiful huge snowflakes and the scenery around us transformed into the most incredible winter wonderland! As I type this the thought of just how magical the snow capped mountains and frosted trees looked gives me goosebumps and I just hope that if you ever make the trip to Glacier National Park you too get to experience the feeling of childlike happiness that the first snow of the season brings.

After taking a gazillion photos and trying our very best to take it all in, we got back in the car and headed toward town. A friend recommended we stop at Glacier Distilling between the park and Whitefish, so of course Rio and I had to check it out. The distillery is located in a big red barn with white trim on the side of the highway, so not hard to spot and totally worth the stop. Upon entering, we were given a double sided laminated menu of all available spirits for tasting and told a flight of 4 was $5. While I picked everything that sounded remotely sweet, Rio went for the hard stuff and we ended up purchasing a spiced rum (my pick) and a limited edition single malt (Rio’s selection), which they wrapped in travel proof inflatable carriers and sent us on our way. If you encounter a rainy day while in the Whitefish area, we highly recommend you check this place out for a fun, informative and memorable indoor activity option.

Dinner this evening was at Tupelo Grill in downtown Whitefish, where we encountered the most delicious elk meatloaf sliders we have ever had! This southern style restaurant features an upscale comfort food menu and I can’t encourage you enough to try the bread pudding for dinner. We also ordered a combo plate that served corn fried catfish, jambalaya, grilled shrimp and crab cakes, which we split for a filling, satisfying last meal in this quaint little piece of heaven.

Flying back to San Diego wasn’t our favorite and if asked, we gladly would have moved to Montana right then and there, but I suppose sunshine, beach and palm trees isn’t too shabby of a place to come home to either. Luckily the Kalispell airport is super small, so we arrived 45 minutes before our outbound flight and had plenty of time to spare before boarding.

Overall, we absolutely loved Montana, can’t say enough good things about the Whitefish/Kalispell area and truly can’t wait to come back!

Quick Guide:

Favorite Coffee Shop in Kalispell:

· Sable Coffee

Favorite Whitefish Restaurants:

· Loulas for Huckleberry Pie

· Sweet Peaks for Ice Cream

· Tupelo for Elk Meatloaf Sliders

Hidden Gems Worth Checking Out:

· G’s Homemade Ice Cream in Eureka

· Glacier Distilling

Things we Wish we Would have Known Prior to our Trip:

· When they say it will be cold, they really mean it will be cold. Don’t underestimate the temperatures and bring lots of layers and gloves for hiking if going during the fall or winter months.

· Spend the money and rent an SUV or at least a car with 4 wheel drive, it will come in handy on the unpaved backroads or in the snow

· Bring an external battery pack or car charger for your phone, because undoubtedly you’ll run low on battery after taking photos and videos of the scenery all day

Pleasant Surprises:

· Everything is super cheap, at least when coming from California

· As far as we can tell, there is no poison oak on any of the trails

· There’s no traffic and everyone is super friendly

. Kalispell Airport is super small, so no need to get there super early before your flight