Wait Seven Minutes and the Weather Will Change

I saw many bizarre things during my time at the University of Montana in Missoula, but none as eclectic as the day I watched an earthy looking girl riding a long board down a sidewalk while playing her guitar.   While unusual by itself, this picture was made even more striking by the backdrop: the sun had forced its way through the clouds and was shining on this girl, while at the same time; snow cascaded down on her from another direction.  This is a great snap-shot of Montana’s weather.  It can do many things at once and is constantly changing. 

If Mother Nature does control Montana’s weather, she has a multiple personality disorder, is temperamental and seems to enjoy putting Montana in the record books for rapid temperature change.  Montana holds the world record for the largest temperature change in a 24 hour period (a 103 degree change).  On January 15, 1972 the temperature went from -54 to +49 in a 24-hour period in Loma, Montana.  Montana also holds the record for the greatest 12 hour temperature change in the US (an 84 degree change).  The difference between Montana’s record high (117) and record low (-70) is also the greatest of all 50 states.  The warm winds, known as Chinooks, are the primary instigator of most of these rapid changes.

But what about the Montana saying “don’t like the weather? Wait ten minutes and it will change”? This saying probably came from January 11^th 1980, when the Great Falls International Airport went from a temperature of -32 degrees to +15 degrees in seven minutes!! 

In the Flathead Valley, this has been a bizarre fall and early winter in terms of weather.  We've had one major cold snap, low snowfall and buckets of rain, oh and let’s not forget about the earthquakes!  But in a way it’s normal that it has been weird.  This is life in Montana and this is life in the Flathead and Glacier Country.  If you’re willing to be flexible it can be tons of fun.  So be prepared for anything, always grab your winter coat and your speedo before hitting the road and remember: if you don’t like the weather, wait seven minutes and it could change 47 degrees! 

Why You Shouldn't Hibernate During Winter in the Flathead Valley

Is winter water-skiing really that unpopular?  Do some tourists, like bears, hibernate during the winter? If you walk into our hotel lobby anytime from mid-June to mid-September, you will probably find two front desk agents checking guests in, giving directions to restaurants or attractions and answering a phone that seems to never stop ringing.  If you walk in now, you might catch us doing laundry or cleaning because we have more time and no full-time laundry person in the winter.  With the exception of a few weekends, when our Canadian friends come down to shop, the whole valley is pretty slow.  Even Whitefish, with its world class ski resort is only busy from Christmas to New Years and then returns back to a steady, but not crazy hum. 

You might wonder why the Flathead Valley slows down so much during the winter.  Is it because the temperature is below 0 from October to April?  Is it because snowmobiling is the only option for transportation during Montana winters? There are a few valid reasons: Going-to-the-Sun road closes in September, Montana is harder to get to in the winter, the water in the lakes and rivers is too cold to be in (except during the polar plunge) and there is a lack of sunlight in the winter.  While these might be valid reasons not to come, there are a myriad of reasons to come specifically in winter!  PS: While Going-to-the-Sun road is closed, Glacier National Park never closes and amazing views can be had just by driving in to Lake McDonald. 

Things-to-Do:  There are pond hockey tournaments, free ice skating rinks, wolf hunting opportunities, cross country skiing areas, sledding hills, back country skiing adventures and some of the best resort skiing in the US! If you are looking for something a little less active, but still fun, try snowmobiling, ice fishing, dog sledding and going to the numerous winter festivals.  Yes, you might have to buck up and buy some warmer clothes, but you will find it worth the investment because of all the new activities you will be able to enjoy. 

Prices and People: Gas is always cheaper in the winter, so are hotel rooms and many other winter activities are quite cheap if you have the basic equipment.  Plus, there are fewer people, making restaurants, stores and everything else less crowded.  Not only are there less tourists, everyone you interact with is in a more laid back mood, from the waitress at the Tamarack to the lifty at the ski hill.  Our “Summer Show” is over, we are having fun and we are not afraid to share it with you.

Relax: If you come during the summer, you have seen families on bucket-list-missions!  I have had guests in summer almost livid that the road was not open to Logan Pass yet and they won’t be able to check that one off their list.  The very nature of our winter dictates that weather might ruin your agenda driven vacation and this is probably a good thing.  Some days might be perfect for sipping a beer at one of our local breweries and then finishing a book in front of a roaring fire, others might be blue-bird ski days that you’d be a fool to miss.  Sometimes people need to actually relax on vacations and enjoy each moment, rather than rushing from one great moment to the next.

So buy some warm clothes, put some cheap gas in your car and get over here because here in the Flathead Valley, we know how to do winter!  (Just don’t tell too many friends, we don’t want people to think winter is actually fun or something ridiculous like that).

Written by Matt Harrington

Marketing and Front Desk

Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites

4824 Highway 93 South

Kalispell, MT 59901

Looking for a place to stay near Flathead Lake?  Check out: http://www.bestwesternflatheadlake.com/  we also have comprehensive lists of things to do and places to eat!

Where to Go for a Cup of Joe in Glacier Country

The weather has changed from unseasonably cold and clear to a steady grey cloud cover and a temperature that hovers around 30 degrees.  It is the perfect time of year to be re-energized in a coffee shop.  I don’t have WiFi at my house so I am what you might call a connoisseur of Flathead Valley coffee shops.  As far as I can tell, people enjoy coffee shops for three different reasons: the coffee, the food and the atmosphere.  I’ll give you my top 3 picks based on these a

spects.

1.       Colter Coffee in downtown Kalispell.  It is the perfect coffee shop to chat with a friend or get down to business and read, write or study.  You can sit in front at a bar that faces out onto Main Street and watch the snow fall, or you can cozy up inside a different room with comfy chairs.  It definitely has a trendy hipster vibe, so you might come out with a waxed mustache and a V-neck t-shirt if you aren’t careful.  The coffee is typically more earthy in flavor and they make a good pumpkin chai tea.  They also get treats from Ceres Bakery and sometimes you can even have a scoop of Sweet Peaks ice cream in your coffee!

2.       Montana Coffee Traders (Kalispell location).  You might feel like you walked into an old west saloon with all the barn wood and the bar that skirts the barista station. This place is ideal for talking with someone over coffee or breakfast.    Their coffee is very good.  Although they typically don’t have it in pump pots, if you buy any Montana Coffee Traders coffee in bean form, you must buy the huckleberry!  It is sensational. Maybe the best huckleberry product there is. In addition to their coffee they have great hearty breakfasts.  There are even bigger tables for larger groups of people. 

3.       Glacier Perks Coffee House in Lakeside.  This place is filled with owner operated charm.  No kidding, the owners are really nice and as you might expect do a better job than hired help can.  Everything is done with class.  The coffee is good and the baked goods (done in house) are terrific (especially the scones)!  It is not a huge shop, but can work for both having coffee with friends and reading or studying. 

I do spend some time in the national chain coffee joints (City Brew and Star Bucks) and while these options might be consistent, your best bet, both from an adventure and quality standpoint, is Local!  

Written by Matt Harrington

Marketing and Front Desk

Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites

4824 Highway 93 South

Kalispell, MT 59901

Looking for a place to stay near Flathead Lake?  Check out: http://www.bestwesternflatheadlake.com/  we also have comprehensive lists of things to do and places to eat!

5 Montana Winter Driving Tips

I pressed hard on the brake as I coasted toward the stop-sign.  I wasn’t going fast, but suddenly my brakes locked and a force I couldn’t control pushed me off the road and into the ditch.  It was a force I had not experienced in my 5 months of driving as a fifteen-year-old.  It was ice; the first storm of the year in Billings, Montana.  Snow had fallen, melted and refroze on the road. 

Just like that fateful day several years ago winter had descended on us quickly and so have winter weather driving conditions.  Here are a few tips about driving your car in the snow:

1.       Easy does it.  As I learned by sliding into the ditch so that day, everything takes longer on snowy and icy roads; turning, accelerating and stopping (in my case).   So don’t be in a big hurry, especially at the beginning of the season, when you’re still getting used to how your vehicle handles on snow and ice.

2.       Know before you go. The Montana Department of Transportation Road Condition Map is a great way to stay up-to-date on road conditions.  I’ve traveled through several other states during winter and find their road condition maps to be sub-par compared to ours, both in accuracy and in timely updates.  Here is the link: http://www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/map/mtmap_frame.html .  You can also call 5-1-1, but it usually takes a while for your area to come up on the automated system.

3.       Be prepared for emergencies.  If you slide off the road in a place where you won’t be found for a while and it is too cold/risky to walk for help how would you prepare?  The reality is there are thousands and thousands of highway miles in Montana where it might take a while to find you.  If you’re going to drive them, I’d bring lots of warm clothes, non-perishable food to eat, an alternative way to warm yourself (besides the vehicle) and maybe a book to read.

4.       Watch for snow plows.  They go slow, so slow down when you see one and keep a good distance from them unless you want to get splattered with sand.  Passing them can be tricky, so make sure you have plenty of time if you are going to.   We have a great snow removal infrastructure in Montana, make sure you respect those drivers that keep our roads drivable.

5.       Don’t be a cheapskate with your car.  Get it ready for winter.  Snow-tires can help substantially with traction (more than 4-wheel drive in many cases).  Anti-freeze is a good idea.  Also, keep your gas tank half full to avoid the freezing of your gas-line (this is not the time of year to see how many miles you can get on a tank).

Common sense is a big deal when driving in Montana during the winter.  The exercise of common sense might keep you out of the ditch and ignoring it might put you in it, or worse.  So if you feel like being a little risky, a little daring, do us all a favor: don’t go out on the roads.   Bet on corn futures or social security and not your life.

Flathead Valley Deserts to Die For!

What’s for desert?  It’s a question your kid might ask you before he/she agrees to eat broccoli.  You might be looking for a desert to top off your dinner out, or perhaps, you ate early and want to satisfy your sweet tooth before bed.  Whatever provokes your desire; there are several unique and tasty options in the Flathead Valley that you must try!

Yay Huckleberries!  As you drive from Kalispell to West Glacier, you cannot help but notice the plethora of signs advertising huckleberry-.....-everything.  You name it; they've put huckleberries in it.  These extremely flavorful smaller cousins of the blueberry are good in many deserts, but are especially tasty in shakes and pies.  The town of Hungry Horse is pretty much the capital of the huckleberry world (in Montana at least) and there are a couple great places to eat shakes and pies there.  The Huckleberry Patch is my favorite.  It has great shakes, is open year round and sends pies all over US.  If you can’t make it u

p to Hungry Horse, Frugals, the drive-through restaurant just south of the court house in Kalispell, actually makes pretty tasty huckleberry shakes and they are cheap!

Ice Cream You Won’t Find Anywhere Else! If you’re looking for the local ice cream spot, look no further than Sweet Peaks.  It has a variety of original flavors which are delicious!  They also have a few that are a little weird (ex: ranch flavored ice cream).  In the summer you can sit on their deck one story above Main Street in their Kalispell location and they also have a location in downtown Bigfork. 

Frozen Yogurt with a Classy Twist:  The Red Caboose in Whitefish has taken everything you thought you knew about frozen yogurt and turned it upside-down!  Well, not everything, you still go through buffet style; yogurt first then toppings. But everything else is different.  The shop is located in a fully renovated red train car.  Rustic wooden floors, a fire place and comfortable couches make it an experience and a place to enjoy good frozen yogurt and conversation.  Oh, did I mention they have coffee too?  So if someone in your party wants a latte and someone wants real desert….. no problem!

Tempting Treats Delivered with a Smile! Ceres’ Bakery is a pretty popular place in Kalispell.  Their baked goods are even sold at several other places downtown!  Is it because their croissants melt in your mouth?  Or maybe because they bake a huge variety of cookies? Or possibly because they’re super friendly?  Hmmmm….you’ll have to find out for yourself!

An Ice Cream Cookie that Will Blow Your Mind!  I promise I am not a paid spokesman for the Tamarack, even though I recommend it constantly to guests. Its’ just that their entrees, beer and ICE CREAM COOKIES are so unbelievably good!  Here’s why their cookies are amazing: a huge chocolate chip cookie is baked in a cast iron pan (probably 8” across) and then, while it is still gooey, they bring it out to you with vanilla ice cream on the side and spoons.  The taste is….well….out of this world!

3 Restaurants You Must Eat at While You're in Kalispell

If you had 3 nights.....

If you were going to eat out three nights in the Flathead Valley/Kalispell area, where would you go?  If you do not know the area, it can be hard to choose a good restaurant every night.  When you look at online reviews, you might have to read 20 reviews to get a general feel for a restaurant.  Our staff talks to many guests each night about where they went out to eat; both restaurants we recommend and restaurants the guests choose on their own.  We ask questions and get more feedback than an online review site.  Here is where we would go if we only had three nights:

1. The Tamarack Brewery (Lakeside)- If you have one night in the Flathead, come here for dinner!  Fantastic American food!  Delicious burgers and sandwiches, prime rib, mouth-watering appetizers and outstanding fish tacos.  As the name implies, it is also a brewery and makes a wide variety of fantastic beers!  It is still a very family friendly environment so if you are not into beer, do not worry, you will still be awed by their food!

2. Show Thyme (Bigfork)- If you want a little fancier option for one of your nights out, this is your best option.  California cuisine and American-style fine dining at a reasonable price!  Reservations are recommended!  One of those restaurants that will impress your wife or business client, fill your stomach with mouth watering food, but still not break the bank!

3. Winchester Steak House- You cannot leave Kalispell without trying some authentic juicy Montana steak!  Steak is what Montana is known for and the Winchester does it well (but not well done unless you want it that way). Simply mouth-watering!

If you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask us!  We love telling you about the place we live in and we'll still answer even if you are staying with the other guys!

Written by Matt Harrington

Marketing and Front Desk

Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites

4824 Highway 93 South

Kalispell, MT 59901

Looking for a place to stay near Flathead Lake?  Check out: http://www.bestwesternflatheadlake.com/  we also have comprehensive lists of things to do and places to eat!

  

Talent that Blesses Others

We have an amazing multi-talented staff here at our the Best Western Flathead Lake Inn and Suites!  One of them is Joshua VunKannon who. in addition to being a great front desk agent, is also a fabulous classical pianist!  He is playing at the Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp to help raise money for kids going to camp!  Check this performance out if you are able!  You will not regret it!

Flathead Lake Monster: Myth or Legend?

I sprang off the dock into the murky black water of Loch Ness.  It was a cold rainy day, but I felt my visit to Scotland would not be complete without a plunge into the famous body of water, allegedly inhabited by an extremely large freshwater fish.  The water was cold and I quickly swam back to shore, partially because it was cold, partially because we may have jumped off private land and partially because deep inside, I wonder if there is a Loch Ness Monster.

I have never had this fear in Flathead Lake, but many people claim to have seen a fish, very similar to the Loch Ness Monster in Flathead Lake.  Since the legend began in 1889 there have been 97 sightings of either extremely large fish (6'+ in length) or the Flathead Lake Monster explicitly.  Many reports describe a fish similar to the Sturgeon, one of the oldest families of bony fish in existence, only much larger.  70% of the sightings describe its appearance as that of an eel, with lengths of 20' - 40'.  Sightings describe it as brownish, or blue/black in color with grey or black eyes.  

What lends credibility to these reports, at least for me, are the following details about the sightings: 

1. 80% were made while there was more than one person present.

2. Sightings were made by people who were reportedly not drinking or on drugs.

3. Lawyers, doctors, engineers and policemen all have described sightings and are included in the 97 official sightings count.

4. Sightings have been recorded from long time residents of the area as well as first time visitors.

Here is a map of the 79 sightings as of 1994.  

There is substantial room for skepticism and criticism of these reports, but they are hard to dismiss completely.  Most other evidence on the subject and its verifiable nature can be interpreted either way.  While it is extremely difficult to prove the existence of the Flathead Lake Monster, given these reports and sightings, it is also relatively difficult to prove it does not exist.  Since the legend began, millions and millions of people have been out on the Flathead Lake and only a tiny fraction of a percent claim to have seen it.  So the chances of you seeing it are about as good as being pushed off a cliff by your new wife in Glacier, being pulled out of your tent by a black bear or seeing Micheal Jordan at the Tamarack.....possible but not likely.  

Written by Matt Harrington

Marketing and Front Desk

Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites

4824 Highway 93 South

Kalispell, MT 59901

Looking for a place to stay near Flathead Lake?  Check out: http://www.bestwesternflatheadlake.com/  we also have comprehensive lists of things to do and places to eat!

Six Reasons why September is the Best Month to Visit Glacier Country

1. Changing Leaves- The first frost in Montana usually occurs in late August or early September, causing the leaves to turn quickly so that by the end of September most of the leaves in higher elevations have changed to gorgeous hew of gold.  Go for a hike or drive and enjoy!

2. Moderate Temperatures- Temperatures in September typically range from 60s and 70s for highs and 30s and 40s for lows.  If you enjoy being outside but don’t like extreme heat or extreme cold, this is your best month to visit!

3.  Less people- nearly 2 million people come to Glacier National Park each year- almost 1.4 million of them come in July and August.  Because most kids are back in school and less people travel after Labor Day, September is the only month when most of the roads in Glacier are open and there are fewer people (Going-to-the-Sun typically closes after the third weekend in September).

4. Wildlife Activity Peaks-  Most animals are trying to forage and eat as much as possible to prepare for the coming winter.  You will see more bears, bighorn sheep and mountain goats during this time.  Fishing is also excellent and if you hike up high you might even hear an elk bugle as their “Rut” or breeding season occurs during September.

5. Cheaper Prices- Because so many businesses in the Glacier Country are tourist based they tend to have higher prices during times of high demand (July and August).  Better rates on everything from rooms to activities to clothing are available during September.  Glacier even offers free entrances the last weekend of September!

6.  Better Photo Opportunities-  Sunsets are better in September!  A ride up Going-to-the-Sun yields green foliage, yellow changing leaves and white snow-capped peaks all in the same photo!  How can you beat that?!?

Written by Matt Harrington

Marketing and Front Desk

Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites

4824 Highway 93 South

Kalispell, MT 59901

Looking for a place to stay near Flathead Lake?  Check out: http://www.bestwesternflatheadlake.com/  we also have comprehensive lists of things to do and places to eat!