Alright, our faithful followers and relentless supporters, this is the beginning of our consistent writings of updates…
All of our posts up to this point have been fairly deep in philosophical thoughts, but we have been really wanting to get in the groove of updating you guys either once a week or sometimes, if you’re lucky, twice a week. We feel it is an important routine to settle into before we head out on the trail, but we also want to include you all in this fun adventure we are living out each day!
The past two months have been absolutely I N S A N E, so what better to kickstart this new journey?!
As a lot of you know, we got married on June 11th (it has been over a month already!!! CRAZY!). We will be posting about that absolutely incredible day at a later date when we have enough time to sit down together and pick our favorite pictures to share with you, but *spoiler alert* it was the best day ever! You might be taking that statement lightly because we all know everyone seems to say that about their own wedding day. But, if you need me to provide testimonials, I will!! Ever since that day, it seems as though life couldn’t get any better…but it has gotten sweeter with each passing hour.
For our honeymoon, Logan took us to WHITEFISH, MONTANA: my favorite place in this whole country!!! He kept it a secret from me, but as we were leaving the wedding venue in the VW bus, I looked at him and asked for the 1,000,000th time where we were going and he told me on the spot [how romantic am I right?!].
I went to this area of Montana with my family in 2014 two weeks after Logan and I started dating. I just simply fell in love with the beauty of it all. I have told Logan story after story about Glacier National Park and Whitefish, Montana, but you just can’t really understand until you have the full context. I knew from the moment I first saw the area that I wanted to share it with Logan and I am so grateful that I was able to so early on in our relationship – he just knows me so well!!!
Now, if I were to write out every detail, or even HALF of the details of our honeymoon, this post would turn into a book and I am sure I would exceed what the common human attention span can handle. Instead, we have decided to do a favorite’s list for you guys!! I’ve even picked a few pictures to attach to add to the fun! This way you guys can know the spots you have to go when you begin planning your very own vacation to Whitefish (yes, I am that confident)!
Favorite overall hike: Upper Grinnel Glacier Lake
(Also pictured above)
This was truly the highlight of our entire trip. It is so hard to communicate through photographs, but the hike up to this beautiful lake and vista was undoubtedly the best hike we’ve ever done–together and individually. The ending view was absolutely breathtaking and has forever stolen our hearts… What an amazing thing to share with one another as newlyweds!! This hike got us even more excited for our adventure next year!
Favorite resting spot: Avalanche Lake
This place has made such an imprint on my heart… There are no words to express the peace and calmness that floods your mind, body, soul, and spirit as you sit on a log and overlook Avalanche Lake. The best part is – it is a short 2.2 mile hike to get here! That makes it obtainable for everyone!!! I loved finally getting to share this view with Logan, but it is also special to share with everyone who is there at the same time you are. This hike is a MUST!
Favorite ‘journey’: Logan Pass/Hidden Lake
This. Hike.
Probably one of the most difficult things I have ever done or tried to do in my life. Ha! It was a short hike, but the snow made it nearly impossible and the sun DESTROYED me that day! Being so high in elevation (one of the highest spots in the park) and not having on sunscreen while hiking in shorts was not a good idea! I still have a sock tan line from this specific hike and I’m unsure that it will ever go away!! With that being said, I think Logan and I laughed more on this hike than at any other isolated point of the trip. We ran through the snow together, knocked one another over with snowballs, and had almost everyone staring at us by the end. What a blast!!!
Favorite place we ate: Northern Lights Saloon
You guys. THIS. PLACE. It is nestled in the tiniest town in the park (Polbridge) and it is absolutely a hidden gem! We sat outside on the picnic tables enjoying the mountains we could see in every direction and ate dinner with dogs running around and with people sharing laughter with one another freely. Even if the food was bad I probably would still say it is my favorite because it truly captures you in the experience, but the food is fantastic!! Log had an elk burger and I had a bison burger – both were to-die for!
Favorite breakfast spot: West Glacier Restaurant
We went to this little restaurant four out of the nine days we ate breakfast in Montana and man-oh-man. There just aren’t sufficient words!! Much like the Northern Lights Saloon, this gem captures your heart in the experience of it all, but the food is just spectacular. You walk out each time feeling like a local – and that is what it is all about!
Favorite food we had: “Sautéed Mushrooms”
This was an appetizer at the Tupelo Grille in downtown Whitefish We decided on a whim one night to eat there for dinner and, unbeknownst to us, you are supposed to have a reservation!! Even though we were entirely underdressed for the atmosphere, the hostess let us sit at the bar and I am so glad she did! Every part of the meal there was incredible, but we definitely have to give the sautéed mushrooms a special shout-out! It was a plate of two slices of grilled baguette, each smothered in goat cheese, topped with mushrooms, and finished with the most decadent red wine reduction sauce. I mean…heart eyes for days.
Favorite drink: Cold Smoke Scotch Ale
If you ever have a chance to sip on this goodness, we more than encourage it. It is literally liquid gold!!!!! Unfortunately it cannot be found anywhere BUT Montana…
Favorite coffee shop: The Red Caboose
WOWOWOWOWOWOW. This place absolutely stole my heart in 2014 and it was even better upon my return… We went almost every day that were in town and I miss it dearly now that I am gone. Nowhere even compares!
Favorite place we stayed: AirBnB Cabin
I don’t have words for this amazing place or the even more amazing people that owned (AND built) it! It was the perfect place to kick off our honeymoon – so quaint, eclectic, and secluded! I want to live in it forever!!! If you guys haven’t tried AirBnB…you should. It is the best!
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This is a picture snapped by our brother, Clay, at our Jacksonville reception. This is how we ended our honeymoon before driving back to real life in Birmingham and it was so much fun! Our momma, Lauri Greenhaw, planned this special event for us and it was so incredibly romantic! We got to share coffee, dessert, and love with everyone we love in Florida – what a dream!!
As I was writing this, I fell even more in love with my perfect husband… He is just the most thoughtful man in existence and I wish we could be back in Montana right this very instant! He makes life so much fun and makes me the most happy person in the world – can’t you tell?
