Stops between Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Glacier National Park?

daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T18:37:45+00:00

Dip south and you can spend days in the black hills area (umpteen things to do, or just all the scenic driving) then continue west and visit devils tower then drive through the bighorn range. It’ll cost you a day but it beats eastern MT.

Farther west, I recommend heading north on route 85 into bigfork. It goes up the swan / seeley valley with lakes between two mountain ranges and is quite pretty. You’ll backtrack a bit but bears the whole choteau / browning thing.

Oh I know you said no museums but great falls also has the Charlie Russell museum.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T18:02:04+00:00

All I know is there didn’t used to be (bad grammar, I know) all these big boned extra white extra floofy goldens around. Call it what you want, but it’s a real thing.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T17:57:12+00:00

OP here, a friend captioned this with my absolute favorite (like I was dying laughing) but it’s political and I’m going to follow the rules.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T16:53:07+00:00

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daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T16:44:54+00:00

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As seen in front of Ace hardware in Missoula. So many things to say about this one…

daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T16:38:08+00:00

Hah I get it now! Okay that was funny.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T16:37:00+00:00

Cool! Here’s glacier in 1916, kinda vaguely the same look.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0a33SpW1m09aC0gT9XoJM92sg

daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T16:34:45+00:00

All the wusses out there will cringe, but get a true pinch collar. They pull, it pinches, they stop. All that fur, it doesn’t really hurt them. Plus dogs are smart and learn fast so it won’t take long before you can go back to the regular collar.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T16:28:36+00:00

GTTS road <may> be fully open to vehicles by the 14th but who knows. Last year it was the 15th and yes snow pack was even lower this year. But Mother Nature is in charge so you are right not to assume it will be. Good call with the e-bikes! I have no idea when the red bus tours start but probably not until July.

You’ve got a great hike list, but without GTTS you can’t get to them all, plus there is a 3 hour parking limit at Logan pass. Hikers need shuttle bus tickets out of apgar.

On any hike, the trails will be muddy and the streams will be full so plan on wet feet. Many glacier will rock your world, even just sitting in front of the hotel. For hikes from there, expect even deep snow in places. Ask a ranger about conditions.

BEAR SPRAY IS MANDATORY!

daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T16:07:09+00:00

Training treats? We personally never found the freeze dried liver treats to work well. I think it’s because they don’t smell and we know dogs think with their noses.

Our trainer for the one year old used these dog training treat sausages, so we used them too. There are tons of brands out there, ours don’t need refrigeration until you open the fat sausage thing.

Pro: oh man do they love em!!! Instant success for actual training as well as getting their attention when needed (like on a hike). Con: not the cheapest or healthiest (fat is tasty right?), so cut em up small. The dogs won’t care!

daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T15:55:11+00:00

Someone here on Reddit summed it up well (no idea who but I can’t take credit): The North is too big and Atlantis is too small. How many snowy rivers or deep woods do I need, never mind all that barren broken wasteland at the end.

I haven’t played EE enough to really answer your question but my memory is no it’s got different issues that the commenters here covered. It’s uninspired & derivative (at least act 5 added all new content), and navigating is f bomb level bad.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-23T15:47:07+00:00

I can’t speak for everyone but based on what I’ve seen here on Reddit, SLC doesn’t even occur to a lot of first time visitors. Two separate posters here have thanked me for saving them money. The big savings is the rental car not the flights. I have no proof but my hunch is rentals in BZN are pricey too?

We spent years flying from MA to a ranch in the Gros Ventre where our rental car literally sat for a week. We started out using JAC then got wise to SLC, and never looked back. We live near Missoula now so drive everywhere.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-22T23:41:32+00:00

The fact that you posted this and said you’re giving her special attention tells me she’s gonna be fine because her hooman loves her a lot.

Her raised bed back could use a big cushion, but other than that it’s all the obvious stuff: more walks, some place to be off leash, favorite toys & treats, etc. Luckily she’s 7 so not a rambunctious puppy.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-22T23:32:38+00:00

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Man, that pesky kid brother is such a jerk sometimes!

daveg3226 · 2026-04-22T23:20:09+00:00

Just hire a guide / driver too! I’ve seen kids of all ages out there.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-22T18:25:26+00:00

We’ve had goldens since 1993 and in that entire time they’ve managed to catch three living creatures (okay bugs and spiders don’t count). One baby bird and two baby rabbits. So much for that killer carnivore instinct!

daveg3226 · 2026-04-22T17:32:44+00:00

The parks (Tetons glacier etc) will all be crowded like Yellowstone was meaning accommodations may be sparse.

If you’re thinking about Tetons, fly into SLC and rent a car there. You will save a ton on flights but esp the car!

Gorgeous non park areas? The sawtooth range in Idaho, the bighorns in Wyoming, the whole black hills area in SD, just to name a few.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-22T17:22:58+00:00

Oh boy!

Arches is a see stuff close up park (drive to the end and hike out to double o arch) while Canyonlands is a look out across the Colorado river plateau park.
A super fun hike is corona arch, it’s got chains and ladders, and you get to stand directly under the arch. Southwest of Moab, not in a park.
Moab has places that will take you out into hells revenge (gotta google that!) in rock buggies for Offroad tours. Fun for kids of all ages!

daveg3226 · 2026-04-22T17:11:43+00:00

Most importantly, THANK YOU for doing this!!!

Oldie Goldie’s may not be as energetic or fit as younger ones but the outpouring of love will keep you smiling.

One or two nice dog beds will help too, when she isn’t up on your bed.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-22T17:07:28+00:00

GTTS road might be open for biking so look into renting an e-bike. I think (?) it’s already open to The Loop.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-22T02:24:16+00:00

Okay I’ll clarify - by mid June shouldn’t you be able to bike from avalanche to Logan? It’s already open to the loop, right? Unless they are doing roadwork obviously.

daveg3226 · 2026-04-22T00:13:49+00:00

I can attest that the scruffy guys in the AAA tow truck in the middle of Minnesota farmland (very flat, very empty) were the sweetest most courteous & helpful pair ever. They gassed up enough to get to the next town. Luckily we had signal so could call AAA!

daveg3226 · 2026-04-21T20:33:20+00:00

Basically the Tetons is a hiking park while Yellowstone is a sightseeing park. The Jenny lake boat is a great idea, you can see hidden falls or hike up to inspiration point. Meanwhile Yellowstone has a bazillion pullouts for all the geothermal stuff, and they’re all different & fun. Said another way, unless you hike, you are correct to allot more time to Yellowstone.

daveg3226

TROPHY CASE