In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest reminisces with Jenny about his adventures running across the United States and mentions a mountain lake that was so clear it looked as if there were two skies, one on top of the other.
The lake that is pictured in the film is Saint Mary Lake in Montana’s Glacier National Park and the scenes in the background were shot on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
The Going-to-the-Sun Road is arguably the most beautiful drive in all of North America.
Completed in 1932, the road is an engineering marvel that passes through the national park along the Continental Divide. It is also one of the most difficult roads in the world to snowplow, with up to 24 metres of snow at the very top of the road — even in June.
Although the road is typically open for driving from early June to mid-October, the road did not open until July 13 this year — the latest opening in its history.
“The opening of the Sun Road was extremely tough this year,” park superintendent Chas Cartwright admitted.
“We hope the visitors enjoy the snow, the scenery and the beauty the road has to offer.”
The upside to the delayed opening of the road is that the increased snowfall last winter has swollen the rivers and waterfalls — making the drive prettier than ever.
If you take a summer or fall drive along the road this year, you’re guaranteed to see plenty of scenery that is stunning enough for a feature film.
Five fun things to do in Glacier National Park
• Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road — The Going to the Sun Road is both a National Historic Landmark and a National Civil Engineering Landmark. But more than that, it is one of the most stunning drives in North America.
• Visit Goat Lick Overlook — Mountain goats frequent this natural salt lick, which is located on a cliff above the middle fork of the Flathead River.
• Picnic at Lake McDonald – The largest lake in the park, there are many great picnic spots and campsites along the lake’s edge.
• Take a hike — There are many great trails to explore in Glacier National Park. Personal favourites include Avalanche Falls, Hidden Lake Nature Trail near Logan Pass Visitor’s Center or the Sun Point Nature Trail near Lake McDonald.
• Enjoy a ranger-led activity — Whether it’s an evening ranger talk or an early morning ranger-led hike, the park rangers know a great deal about the park and make learning fun. A popular hike is the one to Grinnell Glacier, which leaves almost daily at 8:30 a.m. from the Many Glacier Hotel.
Great Bear Inn — A semi-all-inclusive accommodation
When you picture an all-inclusive vacation, you are more likely to imagine a beach resort in the Caribbean than a national park with rugged mountain scenery that is typically more associated with tents, campsites, marshmallows and hotdogs than fine wine and gourmet cuisine.
That is what makes the Great Bear Inn, located near Montana’s beautiful Glacier National Park, such a special place to stay. Evening wine tastings and gourmet dinners are part of the service that is included in a stay at the inn.
First opened as a bed and breakfast, the sisters who own the inn realized early on that a B&B wasn’t for them.
Instead, they were interested in something a little different — with less emphasis on the morning meal and more on evening food and libations.
Although they describe their accommodation as all-inclusive, the classification of semi-all-inclusive is actually more accurate.
The inn offers evening wine and hors d’oeuvres and gourmet dinners, but includes a simple continental breakfast and no lunch. Most guests like to explore the park during the day, so they would be unable to return to the inn for lunch anyway.
On a recent stay at the inn, our evening began with a gentle tap on the door of our spacious suite to let us know that the evening wine tasting was taking place and that hot hors d’oeuvres were being served on the outdoor deck.
When we finally wandered upstairs, we discovered that most of the guests had already gathered on the deck and were enjoying the evening wine selection along with a warm crab dip prepared by Chef Ryan. The chef is the son of one of the owners and a recent graduate from culinary school. He shops daily and determines the evening menus based on the freshest local ingredients he can find. Each night is a surprise menu and the guests who had been at the inn for a few days were clearly anticipating the meal that was to follow.
The inn has eight rooms, so it felt a little like we had stepped into a private dinner party. On the night we stayed, there was a couple from England, a family from Minnesota, and several other guests from the southern U.S. and everyone was excitedly discussing the day’s activities in the park.
Dinner was served in several courses and as each carefully-plated dish was presented, Chef Ryan came into the dining room to describe how it was prepared. I felt a little like I had stepped onto the set of a private cooking show, but I think that was part of the fun of the experience.
Our meal consisted of a veal appetizer, lobster and steak as a main course, a traditional French palate-cleansing sorbet and dessert.
“This is food from the heart,” he said. “My training is in French and Italian cooking and I like to create an experience for the guests. The menu is constantly changing, because it is based on fresh locally-sourced ingredients. It’s an adventure creating a menu this way but it’s also fun.”
Staying at the Great Bear Inn was an adventure.
It’s a little off the beaten path, but the rooms are spacious and modern, the inn is cozy and the food was great.
If you don’t enjoy visiting with people you don’t know, the Great Bear Inn is probably not for you. But if you like meeting other people from around the world and enjoy fine food and interesting dinner conversation, you’ll enjoy your visit.
If you go:
-The Great Bear Inn has eight guestrooms with private baths and is located about 10 minutes outside the gates of the west entrance to Glacier National Park. Rooms at the Great Bear Inn start at US$285 per night for two people, including evening wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres, a gourmet dinner and a simple continental breakfast. Larger rooms and cabin rentals are also available. For reservations or information, visit www.greatbearinn.com or call 406-250-4577.
Debbie Olsen is a Lacombe-based freelance writer. If you have a travel story you would like to share or know someone with an interesting travel story who we might interview, please email: DOGO@telusplanet.net or write to: Debbie Olsen, c/o Red Deer Advocate, 2950 Bremner Ave., Red Deer, Alta., T4R 1M9.