trip opinion

[Battis]

We're going to Minot, ND. But we're going to do some driving after flying.
What route would you suggest? No real hurry, just like scenic drives. Probably in August.
Kalispell, MT to Minot 11 .5 hrs
Bozeman, Montana to Minot 8.5 hrs
Minneapolis, MN to Minot 8 hrs (my least favorite)

[rancher1913]

why would any sane person want to go any where near Minneapolis.

[MUSTANG]

I would opt for the Kalispell to Minot drive. Good mix of Mountain views and transition to plains views. Drawbacks: August is Fire Season so depending on fires in California, Oregon, and Washington states there can be a lot of haze or heavy particulates in the air depending on wind patterns. Additionally; depending on the ups and downs of Covid 19 - there may be restrictions on requiring masks and businesses closed/open on the Blackfoot Reservation as one transitions from US to Blackfoot reservation in the vicinity of East Glacier. If you want to see Glacier National Park along the drive; East Glacier is a better option compared to West Glacier as it's easier to get access from there - one must apply for tickets to get into Glacier Park starting this year.

[bakerjw]

Kalispell. Just stay in that area. Glacier. Polebridge. Libby to the North West. Flathead lake. Seely Lake.
If I were to get a second home, it'd be there.

[waksupi]

I would opt for the Kalispell to Minot drive. Good mix of Mountain views and transition to plains views. Drawbacks: August is Fire Season so depending on fires in California, Oregon, and Washington states there can be a lot of haze or heavy particulates in the air depending on wind patterns. Additionally; depending on the ups and downs of Covid 19 - there may be restrictions on requiring masks and businesses closed/open on the Blackfoot Reservation as one transitions from US to Blackfoot reservation in the vicinity of East Glacier. If you want to see Glacier National Park along the drive; East Glacier is a better option compared to West Glacier as it's easier to get access from there - one must apply for tickets to get into Glacier Park starting this year.

Fire season is already on here in Montana. Real smoky here in the Flathead area. I could barely see across the lake yesterday. The Glacier entry tickets can be beat by entering the park before 6 am, or after 5 pm.

[Battis]

What about the train from Glacier to Minot? Minot is definitely the destination.
The reason I asked about those three starting points is because we have tickets from last year on Jet Blue that we have to use, and they fly to those locations. We've flown to Minot before, with a stop over in Minneapolis (different airline), which might be another choice (fly into Minot via Minneapolis). We've also flown into Rapid City and driven up to Minot, which I liked but there's that Jet Blue thing - they don't fly into Rapid City.

[Dusty Bannister]

Is that huge eagle sculpture in Libby, MT? Also the murals on various walls in the city?

[rbuck351]

The big eagle was there last time I went through ( a year or so ago), didn't pay attention for any murals.

[Dusty Bannister]

I do not recall if it was Libby or Troy that had the murals of a historical nature, not social comments. I like the one with the bears. If you have a chance, look around instead of just making a pit stop on the way through.

[bakerjw]

In 2016. when I rode out of Banff, I stopped in Eureka. I saw this sign. I have a cat named Libby.
In 2019, I had someone along to take a picture.

I LOVE MONTANA!

286204

[megasupermagnum]

Between those three, I'd choose Bozeman. I've got nothing against Kalispell, but northern MT is a lot like northern ND. It's a flat plain. Bozeman to Minot lets you go through mountains, plains with smooth rolling grass, plains with butte, southwest ND, which is the only visually appealing part of ND (just kidding, but it's a cool area. And you get to see a big part of the Missouri river. I've never been to Minot, so I can't tell you what it is like there, looks like a prairie pothole region, which may be cool to someone from the north east. You'll probably see more ducks and geese than you have in all your life.

Alternatively, Minneapolis sucks, but it doesn't take long to get out. I've picked up plenty of people from MSP airport, and it isn't that bad. Get your car, get on the freeway, and start heading north. Maybe even consider flying into Duluth if you can. Take a detour up the north coast of lake superior, turn up towards Ely, then head west to Minot. This takes you through some of the best MN has to offer. Western MN around grand forks is pretty dull, but then you get into the devils lake area in ND, and things are pretty neat again.

[Battis]

Leaving from Bozeman would be my first pick, too. I've been to Minot a few times (visit family). The last time, we drove from Rapid City to Minot, then a week later back to Rapid City to fly home. I liked that drive - my son has done it a few times and he does not like it. My wife suggested flying into Minneapolis, driving to Rapid City, then up to Minot, then back to Minneapolis. That's three 8 hour legs. She's trying to kill me.
We had tickets to fly to AZ last year but had to postpone it, which worked out well since they moved AZ to ten miles from the sun.
We've been to SD several times. From Rapid City, there's alot to see within an hour or two. I'd go back, but Da Momma said there's a lot of other places we should see.

[bakerjw]

I've got nothing against Kalispell, but northern MT is a lot like northern ND. It's a flat plain.
Once east of the mountains, Montana is very flat and boring but in the Glacier area, it is anything but.
Go pedal over Whitefish and Red Meadow Lake pass and get back to me. ;) Cycling over Red Meadow sucked the soul out of me back in 2016.

[Battis]

I don't mind flat. I like mountains - I lived in SLC back in my skiing days, NH has great mountains, but I like that wide open, endless land. The only problem I had driving from SD to ND was trying to find a "rest" stop. No gas stations, restaurants, TREES. I like it.

[waksupi]

Once east of the mountains, Montana is very flat and boring but in the Glacier area, it is anything but.
Go pedal over Whitefish and Red Meadow Lake pass and get back to me. ;) Cycling over Red Meadow sucked the soul out of me back in 2016.

Red Meadow is a grizzly thoroughfare, peddle fast!

[MUSTANG]

What about the train from Glacier to Minot? Minot is definitely the destination.
The reason I asked about those three starting points is because we have tickets from last year on Jet Blue that we have to use, and they fly to those locations. We've flown to Minot before, with a stop over in Minneapolis (different airline), which might be another choice (fly into Minot via Minneapolis). We've also flown into Rapid City and driven up to Minot, which I liked but there's that Jet Blue thing - they don't fly into Rapid City.


I would vote YES on the Amtrak Train trip from Whitefish (about 15 miles from Kalispell) to Minot. We take friends and family to Whitefish Train Station and drop them off in Whitefish - drive to East Glacier where we pick them up after that train segment is done. Depends on if you enjoy Train Trips - no need for watching the road while driving in that venue. Everyone always seems to enjoy the Train Trip.

[bakerjw]

Red Meadow is a grizzly thoroughfare, peddle fast!

After I crossed Whitefish Pass and was going down outer North Fork Road, I noticed marks in the gravel. Somewhat fresh. Around here in the Spring we'll see a somewhat similar pattern from township maintenance trucks where they put chains on the tires as they treat higher elevation roads. It took a moment to realize that they were grizzly nail markings. Oliver, a guy in Polebridge that let us camp in his yard, told us that bears are common to see in his front yard.

The train trip sounds fantastic. The next time that I'm in Kalispell, I'll have to look into that.