Out and About Around Whitefish

More Adventure Than I Bargained For!

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Entering British Columbia, Canada Photo - Whitefish, Montana

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After a great first day in Montana, I thought I would explore north of Whitefish to see what was up that way on Hwy 93. Given the lousy weather conditions, I was not sure if I would attempt to venture north of the border into British Columbia, Canada. It had been raining all night and into the morning, but as I drove further north, the skies seemed to be lightening as if the sun might just break through the clouds.I enjoyed the first part of my drive, roughly 50 miles to the small western town of Eureka, Montana. Along the way I passed a number of farms and lakes through the Stillwater State Forest. I even took a short detour following the "Wildlife Viewing Area" sign on the highway....Read More

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Renting a Car in Whitefish

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My Rental Car Photo - Whitefish, Montana

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For my two full days in Whitefish, I wanted to have a rental car to get out and about, including a road trip out to Glacier National Park. I started looking for what deals were out there immediately, only to find that the price of cars we very high both in town at the train station (Hertz and Budget) and the Kalispell Airport (all the majors are there).In addition to high daily rental fees, it seemed all cars were priced with limited miles per day (125 to 150). Since I was hoping to drive over 400 miles during my two days, I didn't want to be locked into an additional fee of $.25/mile for anything over 250 or 300 for my two day rental.I also found that picking up my car upon ...Read More

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Glacier Distilling Company

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Attraction | "Small Business Making A Go Of It"

Glacier Distilling - Whiskey Barn Photo - Glacier Distilling Company, Coram, Montana

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I was fortunate that their winter hours coincided with my visit to Montana, so I stopped in for their free whiskey sampling. They don't really have a tour per se, just a bar at which you can belly up and try some of their fine Montana whiskey spirits or order a specialty cocktail featuring their whiskey. The big red "whiskey barn" is very noticeable from the highway, you really cannot miss it.Inside, you will probably be surprised at just how small this distillery is. It was the brainchild of two buddies who thought they might have something that others would want to buy. I met one of the two, Danny McIntosh, a very personable and nice young man. He sorta looked like the sorta indepen...Read More

I was fortunate that their winter hours coincided with my visit to Montana, so I stopped in for their free whiskey sampling. They don't really have a tour per se, just a bar at which you can belly up and try some of their fine Montana whiskey spirits or order a specialty cocktail featuring their whiskey. The big red "whiskey barn" is very noticeable from the highway, you really cannot miss it.

Inside, you will probably be surprised at just how small this distillery is. It was the brainchild of two buddies who thought they might have something that others would want to buy. I met one of the two, Danny McIntosh, a very personable and nice young man. He sorta looked like the sorta independent guy you'd find in Western Montana. They've been producing small batch spirits since around December 2010.

Also at the bar when I arrived was a couple from Iowa of all places. They were living down in Colorado but planning a return move home. The license plates on their truck was the icebreaker into the conversation of "Are you here from Iowa?"

Danny allowed me to take a couple of photos through the observation windows, although there was no active production going on. From what I've since read in the local media, they just had a bottling party of their first 400 bottles of Wheatfish Whiskey the week prior to my visit. It made for a nice story when I got home since I did buy a bottle of Wheatfish for my hubby.

The Wheatfish product is made possible through a partnership with the Great Northern Brewing Company in Whitefish in that they obtain the mash to be used to create their whiskey product from the local beer maker. They distill the wheat & barley mash and then age it in oak barrels "just long enough to restore its golden luster." The 400 bottles filled on March 9th were "aged" just under nine months!

I also bought David a bottle of Glacier Dew, the first spirit they produced for sale in 2011. Glacier Dew is a throwback spirit, to the days of moonshining in the region. Josephine Doody was making the brew from her homestead inside Glacier National Park. Folklore has it that during prohibition Mrs. Doody made the home brew and distributed it via the railway system that passed through the area. Train engineers would blow their whistles for the number of bottles they would need on their return trip through the area. In 1928 the Federal "Revenuers" shut down her operation. Fortunate for us today, Glacier Distilling is now making a clear moonshine dedicated to her and all pioneers of Western Montana.

I also sampled a couple of other products with such locally inspired names as "North Fork On-The-Fly" and "Bad Rock Rye". Because of the Montana laws, they can only sell to local (in-state) stores or at their Whiskey Tasting Barn. As a limited production distillery, they are currently distributing through a few stores and bars in Montana.

If you are planning a trip to Glacier National Park, I think it is well worth your time to stop in and meet Danny or perhaps his partner Nick. Winter hours are Thursday through Sunday, 12:00n until 6:00p, October 1st through April 30th. During the rest of the year, they are open seven days a week (also 12:00n until 6:00p).

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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 20, 2012

Glacier Distilling Company
10237 Hwy 2 East
Coram, Montana
(406) 387-9887

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Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge

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Hotel | "Mixed Bag Review"

Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge Photo - Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge, Whitefish, Montana

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This will be one of my more difficult reviews to write as I really did like this hotel/lodge and the people working here. All of my communications prior to my stay were handled in a very prompt and courteous manner. The location was ideal for my plans while in town.Because I was arriving via the Amtrak and would need their shuttle services, I wanted to be sure I wasn't expecting too much in wanting to be picked up and returned to the train station, while also hoping to catch a ride to (and back) from the Kalispell Airport for a rental car. They were most gracious in booking the shuttle for me for each of the four trips. The two shuttle drivers I met were equally friendly and helpful....Read More

This will be one of my more difficult reviews to write as I really did like this hotel/lodge and the people working here. All of my communications prior to my stay were handled in a very prompt and courteous manner. The location was ideal for my plans while in town.

Because I was arriving via the Amtrak and would need their shuttle services, I wanted to be sure I wasn't expecting too much in wanting to be picked up and returned to the train station, while also hoping to catch a ride to (and back) from the Kalispell Airport for a rental car. They were most gracious in booking the shuttle for me for each of the four trips. The two shuttle drivers I met were equally friendly and helpful.

While staying in the hotel staff were also helpful in offering suggestions for day drives and dinner options. In spite of the fact that my wildlife viewing trip to Flathead National Forest turned out to be a bit more adventurous that I had wanted, it was a nice drive through a very remote and still snow-covered area adjacent to Glacier National Park.

My room was spacious on the second of three floors. Elevator service made it easier to haul my luggage and camera gear to my room. The bed was comfy and all areas clean. I did feel there needed to be one more light fixture in the room, perhaps a floor lamp near the work desk area.

Complimentary breakfast was included in the room rate. This was a mixed experience. While it seems hard to mess up a self-serve breakfast, the fact that they did not have spray non-stick for the hot waffle makers created a bit of a mess for those of us attempting to fix a waffle for breakfast. They also offered an assortment of cold cereals along with instant oatmeal, some fruits and a decent variety of breakfast breads and pastries. I enjoyed raisin bread toast on my second morning. Rounded out with some fresh fruit options (oranges and bananas) as well as hot and cold beverages, guests could get an early start with a light breakfast.

As for the negative and reason I might not stay here again . . .

They provide free WiFi access throughout the hotel including the individual guest rooms. Unfortunately during my stay, I was hacked on their unsecured network. Yes, they advise that you are on an unsecure network but given they have no internal password for authorized use by their guests, they are not controlling access to the network from others outside of the hotel. In other words, anyone in the parking lot or the immediate surrounding area, could tap into the network and with hacker's software, monitor and access your email and other internet accounts. Even my IgoUgo.com account was unscrupulously hacked! Thankfully the good people at IgoUgo caught it and were able to help me restore my account with little effort. I was not so lucky with my AOL and other travel site accounts!

If I were to stay in this area again, the first thing I would find out is whether or not they had fixed this total lack of security of their WiFi network. If they had, I would probably stay here again . . . but if not, there is no way I would.

As for my room rate, through the BestWestern.com website, I got a great three night deal that worked out to around $73/night plus applicable taxes. I think the published single night rate was around $100/night.

All in all, the Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge has a lot going for it including the convenience of location and their free shuttle service. Their friendly staff made staying there a pleasure as well. Read Less

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on March 20, 2012

Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge
6510 Highway 93 South
Whitefish, Montana 59937
(406) 862-2569

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China Wall Restaurant

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Restaurant | "Friendly, High Quality Dining Experience"

China Wall Restaurant - Whitefish, MT Photo - China Wall Restaurant, Whitefish, Montana

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During my planning for this little adventure I checked in with Restaurant.com to see if there were any participating restaurants in Whitefish. Fortunately, China Wall was listed with a $10 gift certificate for a $20 dine-in purchase. Normally the $10 g/c cost $5 but they were having a 70% off sale, making it $1.50 to save $10.With just two dinners to plan for in Whitefish, I stopped in on my first full day in town. I was immediately greeted by a friendly woman who invited me to sit wherever I wished. Admittedly, I was rather early for the dinner hour so I had my choice of tables. Shortly after I was seated, I was recognized as "the lady who joined their Facebook page" the prior weeken...Read More

During my planning for this little adventure I checked in with Restaurant.com to see if there were any participating restaurants in Whitefish. Fortunately, China Wall was listed with a $10 gift certificate for a $20 dine-in purchase. Normally the $10 g/c cost $5 but they were having a 70% off sale, making it $1.50 to save $10.

With just two dinners to plan for in Whitefish, I stopped in on my first full day in town. I was immediately greeted by a friendly woman who invited me to sit wherever I wished. Admittedly, I was rather early for the dinner hour so I had my choice of tables. Shortly after I was seated, I was recognized as "the lady who joined their Facebook page" the prior weekend. That started a quick conversation about my travels and reason for coming to Whitefish. I found Jean to be welcoming and very attentive throughout my dining experience.

Because I was dining alone, I knew that getting to $20 might be a challenge. I ordered a bowl of wonton soup and the sweet & sour shrimp. The bowl of soup was huge (see photo)! There was so much that I had nearly a quart container left to take with me for the next day's lunch. I had never had wonton soup that included both soft and fried wontons, plus large strips of pork in the broth.

As for the shrimp dish, there were approximately 10 medium (about the size of my thumb) shrimp plus the usual pineapple, green pepper, tomatoes and onions in the delicious red sauce. Served with a plentiful mound of white rice, the portion was plentiful. I made sure to eat all of the shrimp as well as the pineapple cubes. Unfortunately, there was just too much for me to eat.

I had a great fortune in my dessert cookie "Your genuine talent will find its way to success. Keep practicing."

With a diet coke with dinner and one to go, I was barely able to get to the required $20 minimum purchase. Given that the Restaurant.com certificate cost $1.50, my total dining expense was $11.90 + $3.00 tip to Jean.

I should note that in addition to the typical Chinese restaurant selections, they also offered Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.

I found the restaurant to be very convenient to my hotel in a small strip shopping center about a block away. It was in the perfect location given my long day of driving and touring the area. Because of how new the place appeared, I had asked Jean if they were relatively new. I was shocked to learn they had been in business for over 16 years.

For anyone visiting Whitefish or passing through to Glacier National Park, I would suggest considering a stop at China Wall. They are open for lunch (10:00a - 2:30p) or dinner (4:30p-9:30p). They also offer carry-out for those who wish to phone ahead to take back to the hotel, office or home. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 19, 2012

China Wall Restaurant
6422 US Highway 93 South
Whitefish, Montana 59937
(406) 862-2604

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Piggyback Barbeque

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Restaurant | "Dine In, Take Out or Have it Delivered"

Piggyback Barbeque Photo - Piggyback Barbeque, Whitefish, Montana

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Looking for something along the lines of a home cooked dining experience, the front desk clerk at my hotel suggested Piggyback Barbeque. I have to say, I was skeptical upon arrival as the place looked pretty small and didn't really strike me as the sorta place I could get a good "meat & potatoes" type meal. In spite of my initial cursory opinion, I went in.While considering my dinner preferences for the evening, I was thinking about something like meatloaf with mashed potatoes or perhaps a good steak with an Idaho baker. Unfortunately, there were no such options on the menu but I was there and didn't really feel like hunting down something else. I settled in to the pulled pork plat...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 20, 2012

Piggyback Barbeque
102 Wisconsin Avenue
Whitefish, Montana 59937
(406) 863-9895

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