We decided to spend the first half of our summer vacation this year visiting my aunt and uncle in Missoula, Montana (what a great time!) and then head to Glacier National Park for the remainder of the week. Glacier National Park is a place that Kendall and I have always wanted to take the kids. Years ago we had gone through part of the park on our way by Amtrak as we headed out to Green Bay, Wisconsin. If I am not mistaken we had a stop over in East Glacier. My uncle has been to Glacier many times so we asked him what he thought should be on our agenda for the week. One of his favorites spots is Two Medicine (pictured above) which is located on the East side of the park. Kendall and I planned out our camping/sight seeing route, bought all of the supplies we thought we might need, and read up on what to do if you encounter a bear (seriously!). It was a gorgeous drive up there and I was quite impressed with Flathead Lake which we saw along the way. It reminded me a lot of Lake Coeur D'Alene in Idaho!
Montana has to be one of the most beautiful states I have ever seen. Some of the scenery is quite breath taking. Between the winding rivers, stands of ponderosa and lodge pole pines, and the mountains, there is plenty to feast your eyes upon. The mountains are enormous, standing stately and proud, jutting up magnificently into the sky. The nickname Big Sky Country is very appropriate for Montana...there would have to be an enormous amount of sky to contain the Rocky Mountains as they run through the Western part of the state.
Our visit to Glacier National Park was something that truly touched my soul. It was an experience that proved to be good medicine for my soul. I thought it was quite appropriate that we stayed at Two Medicine the first couple nights of our stay in the park. Right away, Two Medicine seemed to have a calming effect on all of us. It was a special place where we could get away from our cell phones, the quick and hurried pace of life and (gasp!) even our laptops and email.
The beauty of our surroundings from the sheer cliffs, sweeping valleys and the soothing turquoise lake should be enough to quiet anyone's soul. It is great place to visit, whether you're hiking along the shore of the lake with gravel crunching beneath your feet or resting on a rustic bench contemplating the wonder of it all as you breathe in the scent of mountains around you. The quietness I encountered was astounding. It made me realize that sometimes we need to seek that stillness, take the time to watch the quiet dance of nature and appreciate the interconnectedness of everything around us.
It was wonderful for us to spend time as a family together, no distractions. I think we all got a lot out of our time spent together in the woods. We were able to talk, laugh and hike together. A great way to make memories that I hope our kids will treasure forever. It was a time that we were able to stop the world outside for just a little while and and enjoy our children and each other. There weren't any schedules that we had to adhere to, no place that we had to be. I am so grateful for this time that we had to reconnect.
(A favorite time of mine was to sneak away early in the morning just as the sun was about to rise and walk over to the lake. The picture above doesn't even begin to capture the beauty of the sun's rays as they started to bathe the mountains with the first light of the day. Truly stunning to see in person I must say!)
I want to thank the Park Ranger, Pat Hagan, who led us on a nature hike at Two Medicine. He helped me to put into words this wonderful feeling I had, as he talked about what really is "Good Medicine". As a whole, my experience in Glacier Park brought a calmness and sense of restoration to my inner self. That's powerful medicine! I think the following quote sums it all up for me, "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." ~ John Muir
(I will probably do a couple of more posts about our adventures in Glacier. It is such a special place that I think it may deserve more than one entry.)
