Bucket List
 

I need Montana to continue my bucket list of all 50 states. Where should I go? I would like somehow to take in Idaho even for a few hours if possible. We like boutique hotels or lodges. Don't really want to drive more than a couple of hours at any one time. Thanks so much for the advice.

Where are you coming from and what month do you want to travel?
I'm going with my wife to Alaska in June. It'll be my 49th state.

Pretty hard to go wrong with Glacier National Park. Going to the Sun Road is spectacular!
Oregon was #48 for me, Hawaii was 49, and Alaska #50! I did all 50 between 1976 and 1981, before anyone heard of a 'Bucket List', while living in Canada, and I only had 2 to 3 weeks vacation a year, so I had to stay focused.
And drive a lot.

You could visit Bozeman and drive down to Big Sky. Use it as a base to visit Yellowstone NP. Or stay in Whitefish as a base for Glacier NP. It is a beautiful state. Enjoy.

Absolutely Glacier NP

Here are a couple of shots of Going to the Sun Road

http://one23images.com/wp-content/up...wm-600x400.jpg

https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/fi...erNPJune14.jpg

Fly into Missoula. You can day trip into Idaho on gorgeous roads, then loop to Glacier and back.

If you should also be collecting Canadian provinces, you can add beautiful bits of Alberta and British Columbia with a different loop through Idaho.

If Wyoming and Yellowstone NP are on your bucket list, fly into Idaho Falls ID and take US 20 to West Yellowstone MT and then into Wyoming in Yellowstone.
Thank you janisj for the pictures of Glacier NP.

Second Ackislander's recs, especially Missoula.

Also had the same question as tomfuller, best recs depend on time of year in that state.

Some lodging options:

Missoula: rent a condo in the Wilma.

Whitefish: Garden Wall Inn or Whitefish Lake Lodge

Big Fork: Averill's Flathead Lake Lodge

I live in MT but we do weekend trips to Whitefish and Missoula for the food and great places to stay.

Thank you so much. I'm going to check out all these suggestions.

Made reservations in Big Sky Resort and my husband is freaking out that we aren't going to get to see Glacier National Par. Its a 5 hour drive but how are the roads.
I am not wanting anything scary!

Also, when we drive to West Yellowstone how far is the Idaho border? Just want to take a quick trip there to chec off Bucket List.

To really see some great Idaho scenery, Drive to Rexburg and then take 33 east to Driggs. Take 22 east to get to Jackson.

How are the roads?

Well, it is the Rocky Mountains. They go up, they go down. They curve. Some twist. Some have barriers between you and the edge,some don't.

You need to learn about second gear and/or cruise control. Some cruise controls will hold you at the preselected speed all the way up or down the mountain.

Others won't, so you need to use lower gears to control your speed. I put the car in 2nd gear at the summit of Going to the Sun Highway and went all the way to MacDonald Lodge without having to touch the brake.

You only let your brakes overheat in the mountains once.

I love Great Falls and it's a good in-between stop if you are driving from Glacier to elsewhere.

Absolutely love the C. M. Russell museum. Didn't allot enough time there and couldn't wait to return. It was actually years later and we returned the following morning after spending the afternoon there. Fantastic!

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is very nice.

LOVE the First Peoples Buffalo Jump in Ulm just outside GF. I even liked it better than Heads Smashed In Buffalo Jump in Canada. Be sure to go up to the top of the mesa. Saw lots of prairie dogs there too.

We've flown into Billings and driven through the state to Glacier and flew out of Kalispell.

If you want a taste of the old west, go to the old hotel in Big Timber for dinner.
https://thegrand-hotel.com/Dining
Chances are you'll see some famous folk who have ranches in the area. The surrounding area is gorgeous - where The Horse Whisperer and a River Runs Through It was filmed.

After retirement I hope to live 1/3 of the year in the area. I love it. Just gorgeous.