Utah

I've made a few trips through Utah, and each one has been a unique adventure.  

My first trip through the state was during my cross-country journey with my friend Cein in the summer of 2000. We had just traveled through Nevada and we noticed the terrain was turning red as we made our way east. 

Eventually we made it to Arches National Park, which would become one of my favorite national parks of all time. It features several huge and legitimate Utah arches. They are so odd and spectacular, it's hard to believe they occur naturally. Interesting formations started appearing shortly after we entered through the south side of the park.  

Accessing the arches was pretty easy. Some we drove right up to, and others were accessible via hikes of less than a mile. We got up close and personal with them, climbing on and around them and taking many photos. It's impossible to take a bad shot there, as the red and orange arches stand out so brilliantly against the blue sky. 

Looking up at the top of an arch from down below 

We didn't have a reservation to camp that night, but the very kind and accommodating ranger allowed us to set up our tent on a plot that was technically closed for construction. I liked the park so much, I made a point to visit it again during my next cross country trip in the summer of 2003.

Just outside the park lies the city of Moab, a charming and unique destination. The shops sell lots of Native American art and other items that fit the style of the desert. I have a distinct memory of spending several hours in a bookstore in town, partially because the store was such a gas to explore and partially because it provided an air conditioned break from the intense Utah heat.  

One more shot of Arches for the road

More on this journey:

Indiana
Wyoming

Several years later, I flew out to visit Cein in Salt Lake City. We were car-less then, but did manage to make one trip into the city, where we visited Temple Square. What a trip this place is! Located in the center of downtown, this huge campus houses many Mormon churches and facilities. Neither of us are Mormon, so we went there to get a respectful glimpse into the lives of Utah's chosen people. Ok, fine. We went to gawk.

The first thing that struck us during the tour was our great luck in scoring a beautiful young woman as our tour guide. She was in her early twenties, very kind and drop dead gorgeous. As we walked the grounds and ran into other tour groups, we noticed that every single one of the tours was lead by a young female tour guide, all of whom were total knockouts. Quite the marketing technique! 

As the tour continued, we were lead to a statue of two giant seagulls perched high on a slender column. Where I'm from, seagulls aren't anything to commemorate. I had always thought of them as flying rats. But there they were, in polished gold and perched high on a pedestal. Like everything on the grounds of the Mormon temple, there was a story behind this odd tribute. Apparently, shortly after the Mormons settled in Utah, they encountered an infestation of crickets. To combat them, they organized a massive cricket killing that involved eradicating the bugs and their homes and food sources. No, wait, that's not what they did. They sought out the crickets' natural predators and let nature take its course. No, no, that's not it either. What they did was pray to God and ask him to take care of the insect problem. And whattaya know? Their prayers were answered. Seagulls flew in to Utah and feasted on the crickets until the crickets were gone for good. It was a true miracle, and one they chose to commemorate with a gorgeous monument to these flying rodents. Hard to digest. Then again, so are crickets.  

The tour ends in a huge domed structure that sits in the middle of the campus. As we approached the dome, we joked that it would contain the entire universe and Jesus would be in the center of it all. After a few snickers over this, we entered the dome and learned that our sarcastic remarks weren't jokes, they were psychic premonitions. Sure enough, the interior of the dome is painted with a mural of the universe, with planets, stars and all. And sure enough, in the middle of it all stands a gigantic statue of Jesus Christ. Quite the symbol, the entire world revolving around this figure. What's more, it talked. A booming voice comes out of the loud speaker and declares "Behold! I am Jesus Christ, your lord and savior," and then expounds upon his beliefs and his life story. There was some majesty to this, but at the same time it was over the top and borderline ridiculous. 

We went to Temple Square to have a few laughs at the expense of this odd religion. The tour provided non-stop fodder, so we weren't disappointed. 

My apologies to anyone that is Mormon for the snark contained in this post. This Jew hereby affords you a few jew jokes to use as you see fit.

Pottery for sale at a Utah pull-off

I would love to visit Utah again. I'd jump at the chance to visit Arches for a third time, and I'd also like to visit the highly regarded Zion National Park. Unfortunately that's not likely to happen, as I put myself at risk of jail time during my last trip through the state. 

After spending the summer in LA, I was on my way to Chicago to set up permanent residence. My old friend Cein was living in Park City at the time, so I planned to drop by on the way. Upon learning that I was coming, Cein asked if I would bring him a case of beer from out of state. The alcohol content in beer is lower in Utah due to Mormon-inspired law, so he was hankering for the real deal. I gladly obliged, and brought a bottle of wine for his parents as well. 

I approached Park City after nightfall, and passed through a school zone on the way. I was going 45 mph, disregarding the 25 mph school zone sign as it was after 9:00 PM. For this egregious error, I was pulled over by not one but two squad cars. The cops interrogated me, drawing out my entire story about moving to LA for a girl, living with my Uncle Steve, changing my mind after a few months time, my aspiring comedy career, the personal crisis I went through to arrive at my decision and my plans for the future. 

After telling them my life story to date, I receiving a stern lecture on speeding through a school zone. The conversation turned to the case of beer that was clearly visible in the back seat. I told them I had purchased it in California that day and mentioned the wine as well. Upon learning this, they walked back to their cars, keeping me waiting for a good twenty minutes before returning. 

"We think it might be illegal for you to have that in the state of Utah. Would you mind if we searched your vehicle?" I was a bit taken aback by this. What did they mean, it MIGHT be illegal? They're cops. Isn't this something they should know?

I didn't have anything to hide in the vehicle, but on principle I wasn't going to let these under-informed cops bully me. 

"I've told you everything I have in the car," I said, playing it cool while my heart beat so hard it practically touched the steering wheel, "No, you may not search my car!" 

The cops were taken aback by this and shared surprised looks with each other. 

"Well then, I'm writing you a speeding ticket. We'll expect you to show up in court in two weeks." 

"But I'll be in Chicago in two weeks. Can't I just admit guilt and pay a fine without showing up?" 

"No sir, that's not an option. See you in court." the cop said smugly.  He scribbled, tore the ticket off his notepad, handed it to me, walked back to his car and drove off. 

It would have been practically impossible for me to appear in court in Utah, so I ignored the ticket. I had a California license with my Uncle's address on it at the time, so a few weeks later, a letter demanding that I appear in court showed up in my Uncle's mailbox. The letters got more and more intense over time until they started threatening jail time. Eventually my Uncle moved and the letters stopped. I got away with that one, but I'm sure they'll catch up with me if I visit Utah again. Because of that, I'll be avoiding the state entirely from now on. Too bad. It's a beautiful state.  

Must See in Utah:  

• Arches National Park 

Check it Out:  

• Temple Square (Salt Lake City)

The Next Time List: 

• Non-existent, but if that ever changes...
• Zion National Park 

Massachusetts

My earliest road trips were down Massachusetts highways. The ride from the hospital in Boston where I was born to our home in Randolph was my first. I grew up in Maine and New Hampshire, but I always had family in Massachusetts, meaning many family car trips to grandma's house throughout my childhood. When I got my learner's permit, I couldn't wait to hit the road. I spent many hours driving my dad around Massachusetts in the 1985 Toyota Camry he gave me. Eventually I would take up residency at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, which meant drives across the state and up to New Hampshire between semesters.

Here are some observations and stories from my many trips across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Boston

Boston is an interesting town. Truth be told, it's not my favorite. It's very difficult to navigate, as the roads are winding, narrow, crowded and so old it seems like the road signs must've been installed by the pilgrims. Boston's public transportation system (the 'T') offers filthy stations and loud, creaky, swaying rides. The weather is cold. The people are gruff. The cobblestone sidewalks are charming until you twist an ankle. Still, there are many highlights in this historic city.

Number one on my list in Boston is Fenway Park. This historic ballpark is the oldest in the country and hosts the Boston Red Sox, one of the most dynamics teams in the history of baseball. If one wants to get a taste of the local flavor, they need look no further than Fenway. I truly believe that the fans in those seats are wholly representative of the city itself - passionate and intelligent, rowdy and brash. All in all, a lot of fun! The ballpark has undergone many changes since I left New England, most notably the addition of seats on top of the left field wall (The Green Monster), similar seats in right field, and an open concourse on the sidewalk outside the park that offers vendors, street entertainers and the smell of grilled sausages.

Fenway Park circa 1999

My favorite visit to the park was in April of 2007. I was in Boston with my comedy group Dirty Water. We had a midnight show at Improv Asylum, so we had time to catch that night's game vs. the rival New York Yankees before the show, or at least most of it. We absolutely had to leave the stadium by 10:30 to get to the theater in time, regardless of the situation on the field.

A performance of the national anthem on Japanese drums by Japanese people in full garb kicked things off. This was to commemorate the partnership between America and Japan, which had apparently been strengthened by the Red Sox' recent additions of pitchers Diasuke Matsuzaka and the lesser-known Hideki Okajima, both of Japanese descent. The game got off to a rough start, with A-Rod and the Yankees taking a 6-2 lead into the eighth inning. The Red Sox came back in the bottom of the eighth inning, with a Coco Crisp triple being the catalyst. We were watching the clock almost as intently as the game as the Yankees came up in the ninth inning trailing 7-6. Time was running out for us, but the Red Sox were three outs away from a come-from-behind victory. All we needed was for aforementioned newcomer Hideki Okajima to shut down the Yankees' best hitters, including A-Rod. With chants of his name behind him, Okajima got the job done, striking out the last batter of the game at 10:28. We talked about the game in our show later that night, which made it into this piece on our group that aired on TV 38.

Outside the walls of Fenway, Boston is filled with many historical sites tied to the Revolutionary War. The Freedom Trail is a brick walkway that brings you by many of these sites, including Paul Revere's House, the Bunker Hill Monument, the USS Constitution and more. We walked parts of this during school field trips. I recommend the journey, as the sites create a connection to the early days of our country. Take the trail on a warmer day. On a colder day, there are bus and trolley tours that take you to many of these sites without freezing your toes. The trail and the tours also bring you to the classic touristy areas, such as Boston Common and Faneuil Hall. 

Boston Common is a nice park that is surrounded by public gardens, statues, and the Massachusetts State House (which is very shiny). It's a nice stroll on a warm day.

Faneuil Hall is the worst. A narrow, crowded strip of vendors make up the "hall." The merchants sell locally made goods, only the goods are not very good. Most of the merch is just stuff that says Boston on it or displays allegiance to the Boston sports teams. The food is touristy and inauthentic. Skip it. 

Cambridge is another recommended destination. Harvard Square is a well maintained area of brick sidewalks and old buildings. There are many good restaurants and bars around there, thanks to the upscale clientele that come with the smarties of nearby Harvard University. The main Harvard campus is in Cambridge, and it features a statue of John Harvard. You can rub his shoes for good luck as many tourists do, but know that Harvard undergrads pee on his shoes as part of an initiation ritual of some kind.

Mrs. Tires is NOT into the John Harvard Statue after learning the truth about those shoes. 

Harvard yard is an enchanting jaunt. Spoiler alert - there is no parking there!

Western Massachusetts

Western Mass also offers some great stops. Amherst is a college town that is flanked by UMass Amherst and Amherst College. The main drag of the town offers all the charm one would expect of a New England college town. Amherst's strongest features involve food. A specialty pizza shop called Antonio's offers by-the-slice creations that often involve unexpected and delicious topping combinations. We used to eat a slice before every improv show in college. Nearby Bueno y Sano is a tasty and healthy burrito joint. On the other side of Amherst lies The Hanger, the home of Wings over Amherst, which offers several flavors of boneless chicken wings, each of which is tender and tasty.

The Dirty Water crew devours a zeppelin of wings at The Hanger during a visit in 2007

This restaurant has since been franchised, so Wings Over "Name of Town Here" are now spreading Amherst's reach to the rest of the country. My college friends and I flocked to the Chicago suburbs when they opened Wings Over Evanston. We can verify that the franchises deliver wings of the same flavor and quality as the original location.

The Berkshire Mountains lay just west of Amherst. They're a popular leaf-peeping destination and their hills make for wonderful driving. This trek will bring you by Stockbridge, which is memorialized in songs by James Taylor and Arlo Guthry.

The Cape

The path to the shore - Cape Cod

Cape Cod is another popular destination in Massachusetts. I first visited during a family trip when I was about fourteen, but the details of this trip escape me. A subsequent road trip with my friend Dan in the summer of 2001 reacquainted me with the area. We drove down to visit our friend Chris, who spent his summer driving an ice cream truck. The beaches at the cape are as nice as they come in the upper-northeast region. The sand is finer and there is less seaweed than other New England beaches, though the water is wicked cold, even in summer. There is also an independent baseball league that plays on the Cape during the summer, though I've never been to a game.

A view of the Bourne Bridge behind us as we leave Cape Cod

One more point of interest for road trippers in Massachusetts: Walden Pond. This pond is the one made famous by Henry David Thoreau, and it makes for a nice visit if you like woods and calm shores. Warning: the locals pee all over this historic site, too. 

Must See in Massachusetts:

• Fenway Park (Boston)
• Freedom Trail (Boston)
• Cape Cod

Check it out: 

• Boston Common (Boston)
• Amherst, MA
• Walden Pond
• Cambridge, MA

Skip it: 

• Faneuil Hall (Boston)

Maryland

Mrs. Tires and I went on an epic journey in 2012 that took us to visit my Uncle Steve in Washington DC and then on to Virginia and Tennessee. Steve and I have a long-standing bond over stadium chasing, and are racing to get to all thirty major league ballparks, so we couldn't let this visit go by without seeing a game. The Washington Nationals were out of town, but the Orioles were playing at home in Baltimore, a which is a reasonable drive from DC.

Steve, his fiancée Lisa, Mrs. Tires and I piled into my Camry and we hopped on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. It was a quick and scenic drive that took us about an hour and brought us to within a couple blocks of the stadium.

TRAVEL TIP: If a parkway is an option as a route on your road trip, take it. Parkways are scenic highways by design that are well-maintained and take you directly from one city to another. They're common in the Northeast.

We had originally planned to visit the stadium two days earlier, but changed our schedule because the forecast was much more favorable on this Saturday night. Well, the rain that was predicted two days ago never came, and despite the 70 degree and sunny Saturday forecast, it started to pour as we neared the ballpark. We took cover across the street from the stadium at the Diamond Tavern and waited out the rain. We were early enough to get a table, and it's a good thing we did. The place filled up quickly as game time approached and the rain intensified. Fortunately it didn't dampen our spirits, as the restaurant was rather swanky, and I was excited to be so close to the stadium.

Steve and Lisa at the Diamond Tavern

Oriole Park at Camden Yards is one of the most significant ballparks in the history of baseball. It was the first neo-classical stadium, and its opening in 1992 inspired many of the stadiums that have been built since. Neo-classical stadiums are known for preserving the tradition, style and feel of classic, old-world baseball stadiums while also offering the conveniences, amenities and food choices that are expected of a modern entertainment venue. It was also heavily featured in the Super Nintendo game Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball, which I played for approximately six million hours after I got it for a Bar Mitzvah present in 1993. For those two reasons, I had been looking forward to this visit for a long time.

However, the longer we waited, the heavier it rained. We started worrying that the game may not be played. This would be a major bummer, as not only would it ruin the evening, but it would impact the race between me and Steve. Previously set rules state that you must see an official major league baseball game at the stadium for it to count. A rainout meant no official game, and therefore no official visit.

After some appetizers and drinks, the rain let up. There was more rain in the forecast, so we elected to check out the stadium while we could. We entered the stadium on Eutah Street. This street ends right at the ballpark and becomes a walkway open to anyone with a ticket. It's almost as though the street is a part of the stadium.

Statues of Oriole greats greeted us as we entered. The Orioles were in the process of adding a handful of new statues that year, and had in fact unveiled the statue of Eddie Murray that day.

My best Jim Palmer impression

My (slightly exaggerated) Eddie Murray

Past the statues, the walkway formerly known as Eutaw Street is lined with food vendors, gift shops and a restaurant. As we continued to walk, we noticed the plaques embedded in the ground. Each one commemorates a home run that cleared the stands and landed on the walkway. That's a HUGE home run. As of right now less than 80 homers have landed there in the ballpark's twenty-year history.

As I was blocking foot traffic so I could take pictures of the ground, the rain made another appearance. We headed to our seats as quickly as possible as the skies opened up for another round. Fortunately, our seats were covered. We sat down and started checking out our bird's eye view of the stadium as it poured and poured.

The photos I got that day really don't to the stadium justice. It's stately and yet cozy. Industrial and yet welcoming. The whole color scheme of the stadium is appealing, and the famous warehouse wall that towers over the stadium in right field blends in perfectly with the ballpark.

It was becoming increasingly unlikely that the game would be played. The rain was coming down in buckets. Mrs. Tires made a concession run and got so soaked by rain on the way she permanently ruined a pair of shoes. And to come all this way and not get credit for an official visit? Ugh. On the bright side, they showed the Red Sox game on the jumbotron, and we were treated to a brilliant sunset.

We were getting pretty restless after the first two hours, and as the delay approached the three hour mark, we were ready to throw in the towel and head home. As we started gathering our umbrellas and the cheap replica Eddie Murray statue giveaways we had received, an announcement came over the loudspeaker. The rain was moving out of the area, and they were going to prepare the field so they could start the game. I loudly cheered on the grounds crew as they removed the tarp.

Finally, at just past 10:00 PM, the Orioles took the field and we got to see some certified Major League Baseball action.

Play ball!

The visiting Kansas City Royals got out to an early lead while we sipped some beer and enjoyed Camden's charm.

We did a bit more wandering around Camden Yards during the game, and stumbled upon a playground with a lot of style. We goofed around there for a bit and took some photos.

Steve, Lisa and a freaky-ass bird

Orioles stink!

It was getting pretty late by the time the 6th inning rolled around. The completion of the 6th would mean an official game in the eyes of Major League Baseball, and therefore an official visit to add to the tally. We stuck it out through the sixth and then headed back to DC. Check another one off the list!

For those of you scoring at home, that meant nineteen visits for Steve and seventeen for me.

The next morning we read that the Royals had defeated the Orioles, 7-3 in a game that ended at about 1:15 AM.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a real treat, and a must-see for baseball fans and stadium chasers. Its historical significance is matched by its true charm. I would welcome the chance to go again, especially if I could go on a clear, sunny day.


More Stadium Chasing:

Busch Stadium
Kauffman Stadium
Progressive Field and Great American Ball Park


For more on this journey:

Tennessee, Part 1: Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Tennessee, Part 2: Nashville and Memphis

Or check out #raymanroadtrip2K12 on on twitter

Montana, Part 3: Hiking and Kayaking in Glacier National Park

Glacier was one of the main stops on our epic road trip from the Badlands to Yellowstone to Glacier and on to Seattle. We had spent much of the previous day touring Glacier National Park by car, so we were anxious to get out and experience the terrain first-hand on day two.

Mrs. Tries and I combed the Chimani GNP app the night before for the perfect hike, and landed on the Grinnell Glacier Trail. This was an appealing hike for many reasons. To get to the trailhead, we'd take a boat from the Many Glacier Hotel across Swiftcurrent Lake, then hike a bit to a second boat that would take us across Lake Josephine and drop us off close to the perimeter of Lake Grinnell. From there, we'd hike around the lake to the Grinnell Glacier Trail, then take a four mile hike to reach Grinnell Glacier.

We got an early start and made it to the Many Glacier Hotel in time to get on the waiting list for that morning's ride out. Reservations are highly recommended here, but there were enough drop-outs that day to let everyone onto the boat. During the first boat ride, we had our sixth and final bear sighting, as we could see one walking on a trail on the other side of the lake. We also got this shot, one of my favorites from the trip: 

As we drew closer to the first dock, Mrs. Tires admitted to me that she wasn't feeling well. She had been such a trooper the entire trip and she was truly enamored with GNP, so it was really hard for her to admit this, as she was still dead set on attempting the hardcore hiking trail to the glacier. With this in mind, we debated whether we should keep with the plan or scale it back a little. The difficult conversation carried on as we disembarked the first boat, hiked a bit and made it to the dock for the second boat. 

As we reassessed, we realized it was just too long a hike to go on without the resources she'd need to feel ok. Fortunately we had a two-step backup plan already in mind. Part one one was to spend some time hiking around Grinnell Lake, which sits at the base of the mountain that hosts Grinnell Glacier. This plan worked out great as there were many gorgeous sights to see and most of the people on our boat were planning on doing the same thing.

The hike around Grinnell Lake was fantastic. The trail was easy and well-marked, and the water was amazingly reflective. We also encountered a cute little waterfall and a fun wooden suspension bridge. I'll let the camera do the rest of the talking here: 

Mrs. Tires held up remarkably well as we toured the lake. I entertained her on the harmonica, which also served to ward off bears. (Yes, I'm that bad on the harmonica!)

On our way back to the boat, we turned a corner on the wooden path and surprised the heck out of a moose. He in turn ran across the trail and into the woods, which surprised the heck out of us.

A moose retreats into the forest

After a mad dash to get back to the boat, we reached the dock in time and got one more breathtaking shot. 

After our morning adventure, we headed back to the cabin to get some rest. Mrs. Tires was still not feeling well, but felt a bit better after a nap. Not one to let nature's inconveniences get in the way, she rebounded and we set off for backup plan part two, a mellow and rewarding hike to St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls. 

The trail to the falls was great, but more rugged than we had anticipated, so we immediately regretted our footwear choice, open toed sandals. Whoops! Definitely could have used the hiking boots there. Regardless, we had a wonderful time hiking from waterfall to waterfall, and we stopped many times along the way to enjoy the streams and smaller waterfalls that linked the two main ones. 

St. Mary Falls

Virginia Falls

At Virginia Falls, we busted out the Road Block Lager we bought in Yellowstone. It was disgusting!

After our hike to the falls, we made another stop at St. Mary Lake, one of our favorite views from the day before. 

The next day was our final day at Glacier National Park, and also one of two consecutive days we had intentionally left open so we could be spontaneous (a delightful oxymoron I call planned spontaneity). All we knew was that we'd start the day in Glacier and would end up in Seattle late the next day. As it worked out, we spent almost the entire day squeezing a bit more fun out of the park. We had already covered so much ground, but there was still more to see. 

After packing up the car and checking out, we headed back to Going-to-the-Sun Road, the only practical route. We made our way down the road pretty quickly this time, though we did stop at a few favorite spots along the way. One thing was noticeably different about the drive that day - the road was filled with many classic cars. I am not sure if there was a car show in town or if that's just what people do there on Sundays, but they added an extra level to the already extraordinary scenery. 

Mrs. Tires somehow convinced me to break from our breakfast-and-lunch-from-the-cooler rule for the second time on our trip, and again I was glad she did. We went to the Lake McDonald Hotel area and stopped at a fun-looking restaurant. It was there where I had the best meal of the entire trip - a bison sausage. It was so good it had me grinning ear to ear, and it was perfectly paired with yet another pint of Moose Drool.

This bison sausage may not look like much, but it. was. delicious.

After eating and stopping at a nearby gift shop, we got directions to our final destination within the park, a shack near the southern tip of Lake McDonald that rents out kayaks. We were outfitted with kayaks, oars, dry bags and wheels that allowed us to pull our kayaks to the water. Off we went. 

Our time kayaking Lake McDonald was relaxing, fun, and pretty much perfect. If I had to choose a moment to live out for the rest of my life, our time on the lake may very well be that time. After shoving ourselves off, we spotted some appealing shoreline on the other side of the lake, and with the wind at our backs, we paddled off. 

We raced and splashed around for a while, and eventually we made it to the shore. A bit tired from paddling, we pulled our boats up on to the shore and had a snack and a specially packed beer. Afterwards, Mrs. Tires meditated on the shoreline while I went for a swim and got some underwater shots with our waterproof camera. 

Well-rested and satisfied, we started our return trip. The way back was much more difficult as we were paddling into the wind, but we were having so much fun, we didn't much care. These poses speak to our states of mind. 

After returning the kayaks, we had one more item to attend to. Our friends Eric and Jen had highly recommended all things huckleberry, a tart berry similar to a blueberry that grows natively in the area. We found a nearby restaurant that serves huckleberry pie. A fantastic food find!

After another amazing day, it was time to bid farewell to Glacier National Park. This place was absolutely incredible and it left a lasting impression on both of us. It will be a special place for us for now on and we will always look back on it fondly. If you have a chance to go, Mrs. Tires and I highly recommend it! 

The drive away from Glacier was memorable, as it took us through a long stretch of the Rocky Mountains while the sun was setting. The mountains were massive and we were driving west, so we had three consecutive occurrences wherein we thought the sun had fully set, only to climb another hill and see the sun set all over again. 

That night's drive brought us out of Montana and into Idaho, bringing our stunning and momentous visit to Montana to a beautiful end.

Montana was an amazing road trip state. Its moments of profound beauty are interspersed with novel moments of quirk which add up to be pretty much everything I could possibly want in a road trip. I would welcome an opportunity to go back some day.

Must-See in Glacier National Park:

• Going-to-the-Sun Road
• Logan Pass
• St. Mary Lake
• Kayaking on Lake McDonald

Check it out:

• Grinnell Lake
• Trail of the Cedars
• Many Glacier Hotel
• Virginia Falls

The Next-Time List:

• Explore the Many Glacier area
• Hike to Grinnell Glacier

More on this Journey:

Montana, Part 1: Yellowstone to Glacier

Montana, Part 2: Going-to-the-Sun Road

Wyoming, Part 1: Devils Tower to Yellowstone

Wyoming, Part 2: Lamar Valley and Mt. Washburn

#raymansgowest on Twitter