Our Gorgeous Montana Trip
Last week, Tim and I returned from a gorgeous trip to Montana. We stayed in the Big Sky area, and the views were as incredible as you might imagine. Here is a little recap of our journey out West, if you're interested...
Day 1: Cross-Country Travel With A Six-Year-Old
While Nolan had been on many flights pre-2020, this was his first airplane trip that he could actually remember, so he was extremely excited. Even better, I downloaded Star Wars: A New Hope which kept him engrossed and quiet for nearly the entire flight. We arrived and drove to the ranch where my family had planned its 16(?) family reunion and promptly hugged more people than I have hugged in the last three years. It was wonderful to see aunts, uncles, cousins (first and second removed), and siblings and to meet(!) my brother's girlfriend, who had flown all the way in with him from Japan. After getting settled in, everyone belatedly realized that getting even a casual dinner in Big Sky in the summer requires advance reservations... mild pandemonium set in, which was resolved by everyone storming the local grocer and panic-buying all the frozen pizzas in stock. I'm sure the check-out people felt like they were going insane as yet another familiar face with a credit card reading "Foran" sidled through with five pizzas stacked up...
Days 2-5: Family Reunion, A Birthday, And Adventures
The first few days of the trip were occupied by family, and, to keep everyone occupied, my sister booked us on a few adventures. Nolan turned six that Tuesday, which enabled him to squeak in just above the age limit for both whitewater rafting and zip lining. He started the rafting adventure safely tucked between Tim and me but ended the trip in the front row, holding tight between my brother and his girlfriend, Yoko. He emerged completely soaked but also completely smitten and wanted to know when we could go for another round. The ziplining was, admittedly, terrifying for me - I have a latent fear of heights that I conveniently forgot about when I agreed to join - but honestly, I'm proud of myself for doing it. I won't say I conquered my fear, but I will say that I successfully managed it :)
Days 5-8: A Stay At The Earthship
After the reunion was over, my family parted ways to the various coasts and continents from which they came, but Tim and I stayed a few extra days in the Big Sky area. For this portion of the trip, we stayed in an amazing "Earthship" AirBnB. It is not an overstatement to say that it was a phenomenal experience. Built to exist completely self-sufficiently, Earthship designs have no air conditioning or heat component other than a wood-burning stove, they are completely solar-dependent, and they utilize a closed-cycle water filtration system that is completely self-fed. All have greenhouses located within the home as well. Located on 20+ acres, the Earthship was private, quiet, and visually stunning. And, don't let the off-the-grid vibes fool you into thinking it was anything other than luxurious: we were completely comfortable even on the warmest Montana afternoons, and the home was gorgeously appointed. It was inspirational, to say the least, and Tim and I left with lots of ideas for adapting our own cabin to a more energy-neutral model. During our stay at The Earthship, we tucked in an easy hike up Ousel Falls and a (much longer) hike to Lava Lake. Nolan did great with both hikes, though Tim and I did carry him down the last third portion of the Lava Lake hike…
Day 9: A Day In Bozeman
On our last day of our trip, we trekked back to Bozeman in preparation for our return flight and decided to spend the day enjoying our rooftop pool. We met an old college friend, along with her husband and two children, for dinner and learned all about how wonderful this burgeoning metropolis really is. Immediate access to gorgeous hiking trails, incredible skiing, and a generally laid-back vibe inspired a touch of envy for both Tim and me, and I'm sure Nolan would have stayed in Montana forever, given half the chance. But, we had an early flight back to Washington, D.C. to catch the next day, and honestly… I think everyone felt ready to get home.
I hope you enjoyed hearing all about our trip. It was truly one for the books, and it was so nice to get back into traveling after multiple years of staying nearer to home. And, to those of you with young children wondering how my precious six-year-old did so well during such a long trip… rest assured, I left out the (many) tantrums we endured due to over-tiredness, over-excitement, and over-sugaring that vacationing inevitably brings. But you don't need to hear about all that :)
