Time for a Trip
Edited by Laura Rote
travel.chi@
timeout.com @Laura_W_Rote
Have a spare 24 hours, weekend or longer? Get out of town with one of these great escapes.
Great Northern Whitewater Raft and Resort
Hop’s Downtown Grill
You have all the time in the world Glacier National Park, MT
Adventure awaits at northwest Montana’s Glacier National Park, whether you want to take it to the extreme with whitewater rafting, go easy on horseback or hike slow and steady through the wilderness. It’s easier than ever to reach Big Sky Country—Chicago O’Hare International Airport recently began offering a four-hour United flight into Kalispell, and the seat of Flathead County makes a great base for exploring Glacier National Park, with many options for food, drink and shopping. Grab dinner at the intimate but relaxed Hop’s Downtown Grill (121 Main St, Kalispell, MT; 406-755-7687,
hopsmontana.com), where pours of regional brews are generous. For dinner, you’ll be hard-pressed to find options more enticing than the juicy yak burger.
Keep the party local with an after-dinner dunkel at Kalispell Brewing Company (412 Main St; 406-756-2739, kalispellbrewing. com). For another authentic bar experience, look no further than the peanut-strewn Moose’s Saloon (173 N Main St, Kalispell, MT; 406- 755-2337,
moosessaloon.com), a favorite since the ’50s, with patrons’ scribbles carved into every inch of the tables and walls. At the end of the day, rest your weary head at the Kalispell Grand Hotel (100 Main St; 406-755- 8100,
kalispellgrand.com), built circa 1912.
The biggest problem you’ll have at Glacier is deciding what to do next. If you have some time between hikes (the national park itself has more than 700 miles of trails), you can tackle the rapids at
Great Northern Whitewater Raft and Resort (12127 Hwy 2 E, West Glacier, MT; 800-735-7897,
greatnorthernresort.com). Or hop on a horse and see the countryside from a different perspective with Swan Mountain Outfitters (Glacier National Park west entrance, West Glacier, MT; 877-888-5557,
swanmountainoutfitters.com). When you’re not out exploring, visit Hockaday Museum of Art (302 2nd Ave E, Kalispell, MT; 406- 755-5268,
hockadaymuseum.org). The museum, set in a turn-of-the- century Carnegie Library Building, hosts everything from a popular permanent Glacier Park exhibit to paintings from local women across the generations. For more history, call to inquire about a tour of the
nearby Conrad Mansion (330 Woodland Ave, Kalispell, MT; 406- 755-2166,
conradmansion.com). If the sun’s out, a Red Bus Tour on Going-to-the-Sun Road is nothing short of jaw-dropping. The 50-mile scenic highway is open to vehicles from June to October. In spring, bicyclists travel the road, and in winter, avid outdoorspeople traverse it on cross-country skis or snowshoes. The road spans the width of Glacier National Park, crossing the Continental Divide and climbing more than 6,500 feet. Whether walking it, skiing it or hanging out of that bus window snapping photos, seeing the mammoth park and the sun bright on the ice around you is a rare treat. —Laura Rote
March–May 2016
TIMEOUT.COM/CHICAGO 69
Travel
PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): DONNIE SEXTON; MARK CLUNEY; COURTESY HOP’S DOWNTOWN GRILL; NOAH COUSER
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