National Parks Road Trip 10: Across Glacier National Park

We stopped many times on the way to Glacier National Park: good fresh donuts, groceries, sandwiches, and other snacks. Never enough snacks.

Before attempting the drive through the park, we stopped for a hike up to Avalanche Lake. The trail started in an old growth cedar grove, then followed a creek up to a stunning turquoise alpine lake in the middle of a bowl of sheer cliffs with waterfalls running down their sides. It was an excellent hike, and B was excited to be back in the land of mushrooms - the area is much more humid than the dryness of Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

Probably the most well-known aspect of the park is the narrow, winding road that runs from the west entrance high up into the mountains, over Logan Pass, and down to the east gate. L navigated the unreasonably treacherous drive while B oohed and aahed out the window. We left the park again, only to end up on another little winding hillside road where we briefly mistook a cow for a bear, and eventually made it to the very confusingly named town of East Glacier Park.

Our lodging for four nights is the Mountain Pine Motel, which is another adorable retro place. Some of the lamps have pull chains. There are actual real mugs and glasses, not disposable ones. Staying here feels like being inside an old postcard.