Natured & Nurtured Up North

A long, luxurious weekend in Whitefish.

It’s only Thursday, but it’s been a long week and you need a break. Fall is well underway, and the dramatic, ever-changing landscape calls for a road-trip—so you throw hiking gear, coffee, jeans, flannels, and bear spray in the car for a trip up north. Along the way, you pass through a slew of small towns; try not to rubberneck too hard. Beyond the road, yellows have splotched over green leaves with orange slowly taking over. A miniature hailstorm rolls in near Avon for the full four-season experience. Avoiding Missoula, you ride out Hwy. 83, chasing sunshine up the east side of Flathead Lake, once again facing the challenge of keeping eyes on the road. Finally, the road sign you’ve been waiting for: Welcome to Whitefish.

Cramped from the drive, you head straight for City Beach, located on the south side of Whitefish Lake. In the conspicuous boathouse just off the shore, you find Whitefish Outfitters, where a fleet of paddleboards and kayaks awaits. After choosing a vessel and paddling around the parameter of the lake awhile, you turn back and find a wide-gapped clearing. Coffee clenched between knees and paddle gripped in fists, you paddle down the Whitefish River. The water is cool and refreshing, and the leaves float down to crown your head.

You decide that an extra half-mile of paddling could make it all worth it—and that’s when you find the family of painted turtles.

You follow the winding water under overpasses, next to modernistic cabins, and alongside chatty mallards and ravens. Here you’re allowed to rubberneck freely and maybe even get so distracted as to drift nose-first into a rock pile. But only twice.

Faced with the decision of continuing on or turning around to fuel up, you decide that an extra half-mile could make it all worth it—and that’s when you find the family of painted turtles. They happen to be the one group of reptiles that don’t scare easy, so you paddle right up for a “hello” before heading upstream and across the lake, back to City Beach.

Main Street is just the place to recharge. Hell, you’re on vacation, why not venture out for a wine-and-dine? To get the juices flowing, Herb & Omni is its own dining experience. There are three levels to the restaurant, one of them the rooftop, and you decide to chat up a handsome wait staff while tasting gourmet delicacies unheard of before now.

Beldi is a must for Mediterranean in Montana. You’re fortunate to be dining on the same night the head chef sports an apron, and he tells you how he cooks with the intention of food being celebrated. You take a bite, and surely, you’re celebrating. Afterward, you belly up for a football game at the Craggy Range while indulging on cheesy appetizers and a beer tower taller than a ski pole. To keep the night alive, you get swingy with live music at the Great Northern Bar.

You help yourself to a handcrafted milkshake with a fudge brownie on top before cleaning out your mug in the washing station, so you can take it home as a souvenir.

You’re a bit old-fashioned, fantasizing about quality time in a cabin with Ella Fitzgerald records in off-the-grid solitude. Which is where the Clydesdale OutPost comes in. It’s an inimitable stay, with fireplace, typewriter, hot-tub, hammock, grill, and a back deck ever-present with wildlife.

You find out that the same couple who owns the OutPost recently opened the Clydesdale Creamery. You help yourself to a handcrafted milkshake with a fudge brownie on top before cleaning out your mug in the washing station, so you can take it home as a souvenir.

The next day is a weekday morning. Maybe you’re all caught up at work, maybe not, but who cares because you’re out of town and your automated email reply is set up. It’s time to hit the outdoors full-steam. First, you reacquaint yourself with Whitefish Outfitters, this time on land, to strap on a helmet and ride an electric bike. Since you’re new in town, why not tag along on a guided tour? You ride side by side with the guide and fireball questions on Whitefish history while you’re at it.

As you’ve never ridden—or, more accurately, driven—an e-bike before, it takes some time to get used to the motorized feature. Instead of smooth sailing, you look like Fred Flintstone pedaling at 13 mph before trusting your balance. Regardless, it’s a charming ride as long as you’re locked in and on the defense with passing cars on blind turns.

After 500 feet of elevation gain, you top out at a calm overlook above the creek, digging out the loaded wrap & cookie you picked earlier.

After riding around the west side of Whitefish Lake for a while, you find yourself at the Swift Creek Trailhead. You ditch the bike for a pleasant walk, non-strenuous, which stretches out the legs post-pedaling. After about 500 feet of elevation gain, you top out at a calm overlook above the creek, digging out the loaded wrap & cookie you picked earlier up from Montana Coffee Traders.

On the way back, along the east side, is Les Mason State Park, which offers a cobble beach and clean water in which to cool down from the long ride. This is also a solid spot for fishing access or for launching another watercraft.

Happy hour already? You treat yourself to a martini complemented by live music at the Latitude 48 Red Room Lounge, followed by a gin cocktail at Spotted Bear Spirits, where strictly local ingredients are carefully selected to infuse their top-shelf libations.

As the night wears on, it’s time to rest up at a comfy lakeside hotel just outside of the downtown area, The Lodge at Whitefish Lake. The property is grand and fun to explore as it leads to trails, the lake of course, and a fireside patio. You luck out because it’s a live-music night, so you mingle and sip wine as the sun goes down. You wander the docks for the open sunset view just before dinner. The Lodge has its own restaurant, so you don’t have to go far to enjoy some new and delightful dishes after a long day of outdoor adventure.

In the morning, sipping coffee and gazing to the east, you remember your proximity to Glacier National Park. Just a half-hour down the road, Glacier first opened to the public in 1911 with 4,000 visitors recorded that year. Over a century later, in 2023, 2.7 million people entered the park gates. That level of interest suggests something wonderful, so you book a guided hike with the Glacier Institute, and sure enough, it’s both an aesthetic and educational experience: beautiful scenery, loads of wildlife, fun facts, and history galore.

At Glacier Park, you laugh at the lazy hoary marmots and admire agile mountain goats at Logan Pass.

You almost break your neck in wonder staring up at Heaven’s Peak. You laugh at the lazy hoary marmots and admire agile mountain goats at Logan Pass. Speaking of goats, you learn that their number-one predator is the golden eagle—the big bird swoops in and drives a goat off a cliff, then picks at its battered carcass down below. And wolverines! They actually exist, and are occasionally seen in Glacier Park.

All this wandering around is tiring, and after another delicious meal at the Boat Club, you hit the hay and sleep like a rock. For your last day, after breakfast at the Swift Creek Café, you make time for one last hike before the long drive home. Lion Mountain Trail is a popular, non-strenuous three miles, but still, it’s recommended that hikers wear hiking shoes, as opposed to suede cowboy boots. Hey, everyone makes mistakes. At the top, you look out over downtown and Whitefish Lake, side by side. For a moment, if feels like your own snow globe. Not too shabby for an autumn weekend up north.