FTJ, Entry 110: Magnificent Montana

We are in love. Yeah, yeah, with each other, of course, but in terms of scenic places, we have a new favorite: Flathead Lake, Montana. Nestled beneath the majestic Mission Mountain range in the small but liveable town of Polson, the lake -- the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi -- is 27 miles long and a bit bigger than Lake Tahoe. And it is breathtakingly beautiful.

So this is funny. When I went online to check where we were staying in Montana, I was a bit disappointed to realize the park in Polson is above Flathead Lake, not ON the lake, and that we would just have a far off view of the water. Then it got worse: We pull up to the turnoff for the place and I see a KOA sign -- this luxury resort is actually a KOA? Gads.

As we got closer, we started to see the sites.  

Booyah. Oh mamma. Yeah baby. Not your typical KOA. There are luxurious privately owned sites up front that are separate from the KOA -- which also offers the typical gravel campsites behind the private area. But this is the funny part -- well, you kinda had to be there. Anyway, as we came in I told Beau that I didn't want to stay in site 158 on the end, thinking it was too exposed to traffic, etc. 

He did not understand. "Huh?" he asked. "That site is fantastic." I was not buying it. (Maybe I had some bad clams for lunch or something. I dunno what the heck was wrong with me.)

The resort staff also did not understand. "Did you see the site?" they asked, giving me a  look that clearly communicated their incredulity.

"Well, just driving by," I said, somewhat sheepishly.

"Take a look," they advised, rather sternly. "It's the nicest site in the place."

And so I looked. And found that the staff people were correctamundo, kemosabe. Holy momma. The RV site in question is located at the highest point of the private area, on a hillside, and has two stone-paved levels, lovely cushioned patio furniture, a sink and barbecue area, and well, the view is just phenomenal. I iz stoopit.. Site 158, home sweet home.

This is the site I did not want. Yeah, it sucks.

This is the view I did not want. Oy vey.

I think he likes it. Hey Mikey!

The man-made babbling brook.

Buddy heartily approved of the Polson Motorcoach Resort/KOA. He peed his approval on every bush.

The sunsets aren't bad, either.

Oh -- did I mention the full moon?

Loved the moon over the lights of the town. Tough to see from this photo , but it was quite a sight.

No surprise, we loved our RV site, the view, and the park so much we extended our stay from five to eight nights.

It may have been our imaginations, but Beau and I both agree that Montana -- Big Sky Country -- is aptly named. It feels closer to heaven here, if you believe in that final destination. The sky somehow seems bigger, closer, more expansive, just, well, vast. It is quite an odd sensation.

(On the other hand, this could simply be a sign of early onset dementia.)
Of course, in that we were on a lake, we had to rent a boat. The weather was perfect for it.

Captain Beau enjoyed being back at the helm.

Buddy was not especially keen on the boatride. But he was a good sport.

Vanity? I'm so over it. Sort of. Well, maybe. Probably not.

 Where the Buffalo Roam

The National Bison Range is just a ways down the road from Polson. Being the animal freak that I am, this was another "must."

Af first, we only saw a few bison, but we didn't care all that much in that the views were so fantastic.


But eventually we saw a small herd of bison, plus this big fella, up close and personal.

An oddity at the National Bison Range -- a statue (?) of elk and mule deer antlers.

A Taste of Glacier National Park

Then we had to see Glacier. The photos speak for themselves.

The scale of things out here is, in a word, enormous.

Even outside Glacier National Park, each turn in the road, every new vista, is a revelation.  Magnificent Montana, indeed.

Wait -- how did this get in here? (Don't you love the Indian translation?)

The next blog will include photos of two unique museums we visited here.

Tanks, Panky