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Glacier 2019



Introduction

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Friday August 16, 2019
El Granada to Whitefish

We've got enough frequent flier miles to get a family of four just about anywhere.  The problem is getting everyone to agree where they want to go.  We've driven to the Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier four times in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2016, but that's a long drive and I'm tired of driving - I swore after 2016 I wouldn't drive to Glacier again.  I'm also somewhat tired of the Tetons and Yellowstone because they are both very touristy compared to Glacier.  I asked the family if they wanted to fly to Glacier for a week and they loved the idea. 

There are only two places you really want to stay in Glacier National Park:
- the Village Inn at Apgar, where every room has a lakefront view of Lake McDonald, and the
- Many Glacier Hotel where you are surrounded by amazing views of lakes, granite, glaciers and often grizzlies on the nearby mountains.

I started looking for hotel rooms for the summer of 2019 in August 2018 right after I got back from France, but I was already too late to get two rooms for a week without room changes.
I could get the most rooms for the third week of August 2019, so I looked for flights for that week.
You get horrible value trying to use frequent flier miles trying to get to Glacier, so I ended up buying airfare instead on the only direct flight from SFO to Kalispell on United.
Flying out on Friday and returning the next Saturday saved a lot of money versus flying back on Sunday.
I never was able to find a room for Friday night, so Kathy and I both used free nights from our Marriott cards to spend the night in TownePlace Suites in Whitefish
We'd stayed in Kalispell a few times, there was nothing to see there and I'd heard good things about Whitefish.

Friday August 16, 2019 El Granada to Amazing Fun Center to Whitefish
Saturday August 17, 2019 Whitefish to Amazing Fun Center to Avalanche Lake to Village Inn at Agpar
Sunday August 18, 2019 Village Inn at Apgar
Monday August 19, 2019 Hidden Lake Trail
Tuesday August 20, 2019 Hidden Lake Trail and Many Glacier Hotel
Wednesday August 21, 2019 Highline Trail
Thursday August 22, 2019 Many Glacier Hotel
Friday August 23, 2019 Iceberg Lake
Saturday August 24, 2019 Many Glacier Hotel to El Granada

Click here to see the entire trip report day by day

Click here to see a trip summary with the best pics


Introduction

Next
Friday August 16, 2019
El Granada to Whitefish