The first stop is the Cataldo Mis - sion, the first church in Idaho. The Old Mission State Park also includes a museum and a popular “Sacred En- counters,” exhibit featuring informa- tion about the Indians of the Rocky Mountain West and their friendship with Jesuit missionaries. Next is the Crystal Gold Mine out- side of Kellogg, which provides in- teresting details about the area’s hardrock mining history, followed by a visit to the Oasis Bordello in Wal- lace, a longtime brothel that now has become a unique museum. Lunch can be enjoyed at the 1313 Club or the Blackbird, both local spots known for extensive menus and fine food. Crossing into Montana over Look- out Pass requires turning watches ahead an hour and getting ready for the next stop: St. Regis. It’s a perfect pit stop because it’s also home to Montana’s largest gift shop. Here, you can get everything from Elvis wall hangings to animal pelts to world-famous huckleberry shakes. The journey continues northeast to Flathead Lake, the largest natural lake in the continental U.S. Visitors are free to explore the charming com- munities of Bigfork and Kalispell. Then they’ll retire to the Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish. >> Day 2 Glacier beckons, and the park’s West Entrance is now less than an hour away. Once in the Apgar area of the park, guests will board a Red Bus. These open-air buses, also known as ‘jammers,’ have been pro- viding transportation as well as nar- ration for Glacier guests for decades. The park encourages use of the jam- mers or at least the free National Park Service buses, to reduce traffic and harmful auto exhaust. The driv- ers also provide valuable commen- tary about the park’s history.
The Red Bus takes guests up and over Logan Pass along the Going to the Sun Road, a narrow yet scenic roadway that divides the west and east sides of the park. After time to enjoy the summit, the ride continues east to St. Mary Lake for a cruise on this scenic 10-mile-long body of water. Along with a chance to see breathtaking nature views, there’s a good possibility of spotting deer and bears on the shoreline. Following lunch, the group moves east to the St. Mary Lodge, just out- side park’s East gate. Along the way, there are many opportunities to pull over and take photos. After explor- ing the lodge, which includes a gift shop, snack bar and ice cream parlor, the group heads to the Glacier Park Lodge, an impressive structure built with Douglas fir pillars more than 40 feet high. The building was given the name ‘Omahkoyis,’ or ‘Big Tree Lodge,’ by the Blackfoot Tribe. After visiting the lodge, the group returns to Grouse Mountain Lodge for the night. >> Day 3 The Nspire Tours bus departs Whitefish for Kalispell, the largest city in the Flathead area. Guests can have the option of returning to Spo- kane the same route or flying to their home or next destination via the Ka- lispell Airport. The trip west includes stops for lunch and additional sightseeing in Wallace. Nspire Tours will be offering sev- eral multi-day adventures in 2025 including an eye-popping trip to the Skagit Valley in April for the Tulip Festival, a Walla Walla Wine and Museum Tour and more . N
St. Mary Lake boat tours offer magnificent views only available from the water.
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