Marvelous Montana

(From left) Ben, Tammy, Dan and Aaron Feldstein pose for a photo at the end of the picturesque Avalanche Creek hike.

My father has racked up a fair amount of miles in his time. At the start of 2017, he discovered he had travelled to 43 of the 50 states.

He let it be known to the family that 86 percent of the country wouldn’t do.  So I was not shocked when one day, during my second semester away at college, I received an email with the subject line: “We’re going to Montana!”

I must admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. I’m a Houston kid, and I just didn’t realize Montana was a vacation destination. As hard as I tried, I simply could not name one city in that state. But my dad had never led us astray before, and he assured us that it would be a great opportunity to see a different part of the country. I decided to set my doubts aside and get excited for the trip. In hindsight, I am glad I did.

A beautiful landscape view the foliage and snow capped mountains of Glacier National Park.

When the four Feldsteins arrived in the Kalispell airport, our first order of business was to pick up the rental car. So my parents walked over to the counter and the employee asked for our name.  “Feldstein,” my father responded. Then the young man behind the counter asked, “Is that a German name?” To which my mother said, “Actually, it’s Jewish.” At which point, the rental car salesman beamed, “I know a Jew! He goes to my church!” That was an educational welcome to Montana.

We hopped in the rental car and headed toward our lodging in the town of Coram, just outside of Glacier National Park. The drive to the “hotel” was rather scenic. As a kid from Houston who had never really seen mountains, I was content to stare out the window at the peaks in the distance.

(From left) Brothers Aaron and Ben Feldstein survey the vast expanse that is Many Glacier, one of the most gorgeous hikes in all of Glacier Park, Montana. Aaron, summer intern at The Buzz and incoming sophomore at University of Maryland - College Park, is a graduate of The Emery/Weiner School. Ben is an incoming senior at Lamar High School. 

Our little cabin was close to the entrance of the park and, by extension, the beginning of the “Going to the Sun Road.” This road is one of the most scenic and famous in the entire country, it was the first road to be registered as a National Historic Place, National Historic Landmark and Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

For our first few days in Montana, we drove through the park on the way to our hikes, and it was incredible. The Rocky Mountain peaks surrounded us, covered with thousands and thousands of trees, flowers, and foliage. Driving up and around the mountains, we honestly felt as though we were going to the sun. We could see miles into the distance, and it was remarkable to witness the beauty of nature.

When we hiked, we got to see the luscious grandeur of Glacier National Park up close.

The hikes in the park provided some of the highlights of the trip, featuring multiple deer encounters, close-up moose and mountain goat sightings, and some truly breathtaking views. We hiked up mountains and through valleys, getting picturesque views of waterfalls, glaciers, creeks and more.

A wild buffalo roams in the National Bison Reserve near Glacier National Park in Montana.

In addition to the hiking and photo opportunities within the park, I thought that the best part of the trip was the food. Montana is famous for delicious huckleberries, and they sure let you know it. Every restaurant, bakery and cafe has a sign informing customers of their wide array of huckleberry dishes. Between the four of us, we must’ve tried about a dozen different huckleberry delicacies, ranging from huckleberry pie to huckleberry soda, pancakes, burger sauce, fudge, ice cream and much more. Oh, and huckleberry beer. My dad did not share.

Some of the best views we witnessed in the park were on the Avalanche Creek and Many Glacier trails. Outside of Glacier National Park, we travelled to Kootenai Falls and hiked up to and around the falls, which was extraordinary. We also drove through the National Bison Range, one of the largest free-range bison reserves in the world, and got up close and personal with some buffalo. And, in the bushes looking for berries, a black bear. 

All in all, there were plenty of awe-inspiring sights to take in, and photo ops galore. But the best part of the vacation was the quality time spent as a family. Although there were occasional debates about where to eat or which trail to hike, the four of us had a blast on this vacation.

My brother Ben and I gleefully roasted our father for his insistence on taking about 500 pictures of every animal or flower that he came across. We reminisced as a family about tales of vacations past and marveled at nature together. Although hiking and the outdoors may not necessarily be my forte (I’m truly a city guy), I will always cherish all those meals and memories shared in Montana.