Montana Trip Blog

Montana Vacation

Back in July 2015 I went on my first big vacation with my boyfriend, Michael. Each day was planned with one big task. We took the Amtrak from Milwaukee, WI to Glacier Park, MT. I will tell you right away North Dakota is flat and boring. Seeing the changes of the states on eye level felt more personal than seeing small parts of land from a bird’s eye view. Also, traveling by train gives you the chance to open up to people. This one sweet lady traveling from Chicago, IL to Seattle, WA sat next to us. I helped her walk to the restroom one day and she was so thankful that she wanted to bless Mike and I with prays. Hearing that from a person I just met filled my heart with warmth. There are so many happy and beautiful people out there.
When we finally arrived in Montana and got off the train I breathed in the frosty cool air from the mountains and let it fill my senses. I have never taken a breath like that before. We got ice cream, picked up the rent-a-car and drove to our hotel in Missoula. Driving in the dark with pine trees and deep drop offs was scary!

On the first day we enjoyed downtown Missoula. We had lunch on a rooftop, enjoying the best cheese plate and dark beers the city had to offer. The meal was perfect. A local museum was our next stop. Andy Warhol’s old photographs were exhibited along with local artists. Later in the day Mike showed me the house he lived in and the grade school he attended for a couple of years. Seeing parts of his childhood made me feel closer and more connected with him.

The next day I could have never guessed what was going to happen. Our plan was to go to Logan Pass in Glacier Park. We wanted to see Hidden Lake and hike around. Before we arrived to the park we pulled over next to a sand bar. After skipping rocks for a while and enjoying the view of the mountains from below we decided to start driving up the mountain. The road we took was uncomfortable to say the least. I kept thinking we were going to fall off! We had plenty of room but my mind was still not at ease. Mike on the other hand looked nervous for a different reason. We finally made it up to the top after a stressful two hours. There were goats and marmots all around. We could see the smoke in the distance from a forest fire that was still raging. We even ate a little snow just so we could say we did. We ended up taking a seat, eating lunch, and looking at Hidden Lake, the water was so pure and blue. I wish all water looked that clean and fresh. After we talked and ate we wanted to keep going. I stood up and started walking; I noticed Mike wasn’t next to me. I turned around and saw him slowly getting up while he was on one knee. I got close to him and he says, “Megan, will you help me up? I’m so weak in the knees because I’m so in love with you. I am so happy and I want to make you as happy as I am. Will you marry me?” I couldn’t stop smiling, I said yes!! We hugged so hard and smiled from ear to ear. We were filled with so much excitement we didn’t know what do to next. A family saw us and the mother asked if we wanted our photo taken. After we held hands and ran down the path! We ended our day with a deliciously satisfying meal at Famous Dave’s.

The next day we drove to a ski resort to ride the ski lift up to a restaurant. We had caramel malts and a meal. We saved a pinecone and dirt to put in a small jar. One of my favorite parts was seeing the tops of tall pine tress at eye level and the smell in the air. When we got back to the hotel we went for a walk and took photos.
Our train ride home was peaceful and we met fascinating and friendly people. When we got back my brother and his love met us at the train station. It was exciting to share the engagement story with them right away. It was a perfect way to end our unforgettable vacation