We hit the road but not before grabbing a couple of to go cups from the Loose Caboose. Coffee culture is great in this town with Fotomat size coffee drive thru's with top shelf brews. 3 shot cappuccino for me and dark roast for Mandy.
Headed towards St Ignatus Mission and the National Bison Range. Rolling thru Arlee we can't resist the Huckleberry Patch. Its exactly what you think souvenirs and locally made Huckleberry goods. Grabbed nice gifts to bring home and a fat slice of Huckleberry Pie for later. The staff couldn't be nicer and offered to take our booty to the Post Office and ship it home for us. (Thanks Leah!) We don't get a block away and are drawn in to the Hummingbird's "60 types of black licorice" sign, Mandy's favorite. We leave with more than six.
Almost to the Mission and stop for roadside local cherries Tiny little trailer run by the best nine year in the business. He offers Mandy a sample to close the deal. Mandy gets a big bad and he finishes by adding napkins and a bag for the pits. Fat, rich, sweet and juicy, we had no idea Montana cherries were a thing. We're starting to think they are trying to keep this stuff a secret on purpose.
Get to the Mission, unimpressed and drive by. About 20 minutes to the Buffalo Range. Pressed for time we decide on the short loop which takes about an hour. The Elk are fun but the Buffalo are obviously the stars of the show. Within feet of the car we get great pictures, A definite highlight and must do if you are within a few hours. Leave time for the full loop which may add Mountain Goats and Big Horn Sheep.
Still a long way to Whitefish so we search for lunch. Always up for something local, we stop at the Branding Iron Bar & Grill in Calhoun. Great Burgers and a nice selection of cold local beers.
Around the east side of Flathead Lake Tom recommended a vantage point from the public dock at mile 16. It's called Yellow Bay and has stunning panoramic views of the impossibly blue lake and surrounding mountains. We forget all about our hurry, kick off our shoes, dangle our feet into the cool water and lay back on the dock. OK, not cool, down right cold! An amazing corner of the earth for just the two of us to enjoy quiet and alone. On the way to the car Mandy hear's a knock knock knock and we spot a great big red crested Woodpecker plying his trade on a nearby stump. One of those moments you just know you were meant to be here.
We haul ass to Whitefish pushing our little SUV to its limits. Make the hotel by four. The Firebrand Hotel is very new and we are reservation # 618. Check-in goes smooth, hotel is stylish and fits the vibe of the town, upcoming, artsy but with a deep sense of it's own heritage. It's the right town for us as most of the hotels around and in Glacier National Park appear past their prime. Aaahhh, that new hotel smell.
The town is cool but they seem to roll up the sidewalks around 7. It's a shame because there are a lot of interesting stores we will probably never see. Light dinner, exhausted and bed around 10. Tomorrow we head to the Park and cannot wait to drive Going to the Sun Road!
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