Montana 2020

 DAY 1

We were disappointed that our trip back East to visit Church and National history sites and attend the Hill Cumorah Pageant was cancelled due to the Corona Virus. We had been planning it for the past year and were excited we would be able to enjoy this one last big trip with Jayden before his mission. But it wasn't meant to be. So we came up with plan B, we would head North to Montana and visit Glacier National Park with the Pace family and Grandma and Grandpa Pikus. We left home mid morning and stopped in Butte, Montana to stay the night. We had to make reservations for the swimming pool and only had an hour to swim, but the good news was that we got it all to ourselves. We ate dinner that night, went swimming, played a few games and went to bed a little early so we could get an early start the next day.

DAY 2

The Drive through Montana was beautiful. We loved the Canola fields that were bright yellow as well as well as traveling around Flathead lake. When we arrived at our Air B&B home, we were pleasantly surprised with the surroundings and the house itself. The pictures didn't do it justice. We stayed about 40 minutes from Glacier near the small town, Eureka which is right on the boarder of Canada. We had a large grass field that we were able to play outdoor games on and played ghost in the graveyard and kick the can a few nights. We also brought a few games to play and loved our "Jacks" tournaments. Mom, Noelle, Janson, Grandma and Jayden all went into town to buy groceries and we made a quick stop for some huckleberry ice cream. We were ready to enjoy our vacation now!

DAY 3

We had to plan our trip around the weather because there was a cold front and storm coming, so we decided to head to Glacier National Park on Saturday. The road up the park was only opened to the The Trail of the Cedars. Everything else was closed due to the roads still being covered in snow. We hiked the Trail of the Cedars as well as Avelanche Lake which was incredibly beautiful. Dad mentioned the scenery reminded him of Alaska. Grandpa Pikus was only able to hike the shorter trails and went back to the car for a nap while we headed on to the lake. We saw a few deer as well as some chipmunks that would eat out of our hands. After the hike, we headed back down and stopped for some Huckleberry pie and ice cream. Once we got home, decided to have a hotdog roast out on the deck, a great way to end the day!

DAY 4

Since it was Sunday, we were able to have our own Sacrament Meeting at the house and we shared our testimonies with each other which was really spiritual. It has been the benefit of Covid, being able to take church wherever you go! The kids all wanted to head up to the border of Canada since it was only about 30 minutes from the house. All the borders are closed because of the Virus, so we took pictures and the kids stepped beyond the sign, so technically they made it into Canada. We then decided to take a scenic drive around the area. We found a few lakes to stop at, fed a deer our sliced apples on the side of the road, took some pictures and had rock skipping contests. Janson and Noelle were navigating us home, but the GPS showed we could take a road that really wasn't there. So we really ended up on a scenic ride that took about 3 extra hours on a dirt road. But we made it back and actually appreciated the scenery that our wrong turn lead us around. 

DAY 5

On Monday we had a lazy morning while Jayden and Taylor went out fishing a couple of the rivers. We then made reservations to go to Montana's Vortex. It is a place that they say the energy pulls gravity. There are very few Vortices in the United States so it was fun to see one. All the trees were leaning into a central area. There was a fun slanted house that was fun to walk through and gave us a few activities that would mess with our minds. It was a fun activity. We then headed back to the house for dinner and games.

DAY 6

We would have loved to stay an extra few days, it was a perfect vacation. But all things must come to an end. So we cleaned up, took a few pictures of our amazing cabin and hit the road. This time we stayed in Twin Falls. We had just enough time to eat, play a few games and get back on the road the next morning. It was a very memorable trip.