Glacier - Day 2: St. Mary's Lake & Hidden Overlook

We woke up to some nice blue skies...glad the rains are behind us! We headed off from our Tiny Home in Saint Mary's Village towards the Rising Sun boat dock.

Much anticipation for this boat ride! Lots of reports of bears in the area...so much so that they actually cancelled the hike portion of the boat trip because the bears have been frequenting the dock area. All the kids have their brand new binoculars at the ready.

On the right here is some of the oldest rock in Glacier, our boat guide said over 1 billion years old. Almost seems like it must be an exaggeration. But apparently this rock was so hard that the glacier that carved down and made the whole valley ended up going around the rock, this leaving the rock behind for us to see. 

Baba enjoying the view. 

They had a rule that only 4 people could be out on the bridge at a time -- so we had to take turns taking group photos. B made a deer spotting...but alas, no bears. 

I thought it was still a nice excursion, would recommend - I don't think it really matters which specific boat ride you do (between Lake Mary or Many Glacier or Lake MacDonald), but it's nice to see the mountains from a different perspective. 

After the boat ride, we grabbed a quick lunch and then packed up the car for our scenic drive down the main attraction at Glacier National Park: Going to the Sun Road. 

Really impressive vistas the entire way. One can definitely see why it's a national park. 

Snapped this pic of Siyeh creek from the car, I'm including it here because I was impressed with my action shot framing. 😊 

But soon we made it to our action adventure stop - Logan Pass and the Hidden Lake Overlook hike. Armed with some hiking poles and raincoats (you'll see why soon enough), off we went. Three hour limit for parking at Logan Pass so we are on the clock for this hike! (As a side note, I can definitely see cars circling for hours in order to get a parking spot to do this hike. We got a little lucky with a family passing by our car while we were waiting...but we overheard someone else saying they'd been waiting for a spot for 45 minutes!)

It was categorized as an "easy-medium" hike but it was actually quite physically challenging because of all the snow. Many rests were taken on the way up. 

New wildlife spotting: Marmot!

We were slipping quite a bit in the melting snow. I was very very glad I had the hiking poles with me! (Well, as you can see in the background here, Baba stole one). The children were slipping too but they seemed to take it in stride. (Haha?)

The effort was rewarded though. We got some out of this world views towards the top. Reminded me of Death Valley in that foreign planet-esque landscape way, though obviously here with snow and ice fields instead of burning hot sand dunes. 

We eventually made it to the very top of the mountain - my attempt at a panorama. 

This is where we embarked on the much anticipated snow sledding runs. See those groves in the snow? That's where we are supposed to sit down and slide away.

Video proof of me sliding will be uploaded tomorrow (not on my phone). I didn't have a rain coat to sit on, so I tried doing it with a plastic shopping bag. Didn't go so well. But it was so much fun! As the kids say, "low key tough." (That means unexpectedly cool btw). 

After the slide, somehow slipping around a bit on each step seemed less problematic. Worst case, I just slide again!

This person went about the descent a different way -- they lugged skies all the up and took a run down!

It took us about an hour to get up to the top and down the slide. Getting back to the parking lot after that was probably only 30 min or so. But we still rested at times to enjoy the view. 

Everyone told me they did NOT expect me to slide down. So they were very proud of MaMa!

We made it back to the car well within our 3 hour time limit and continued the drive west on Going to the Sun Road. 

We didn't make any more stops because we were worried about getting to our dinner reservation. Turns out our anxieties were unnecessary -- there really wasn't much traffic to deal with -- I guess the new shuttle pass system must be working? We ended up at Belton Chalet over a hour earlier than our reservation. They were kind enough to still sear us immediately though! L enjoying her first Italian soda!

Belton Chalet had some very nice food. Definitely a culinary highlight of the trip. Here's B's trout:

YeYe's filet with asparagus and carrots:

My ribeye with broccolini:

Nainai 's scallops:

And the huckleberry cheesecake (made with ricotta, very rich, almost a little salty because of the cheese, my preferred flavor profile for cheesecakes!).

The restaurant gave us the cheesecakes for free as a birthday gift for the kids - the waitress was so nice and helpful -- and turns out she is a West Virginia native! I would definitely recommend Belton Chalet's dining room if you're out in West Glacier. It was practically walkable from the West Glacier Park entrance so very convenient for anyone staying on the west side of the park. 

After we finished dinner, we headed out to Meadow Lake Resort & Condos where we would be staying for the remainder of the Glacier trip. Three nights here...felt like such a luxury to be able to actually unpack clothes. 😆 

I forgot to take photos of the condo before we called it a night -- but it is a world of difference from tiny homes and camping tents: three TVs (with world cup channels!), washer & dryer IN the unit, and even a swimming pool and hot tub on the grounds!

We tried not to stay up too late though -- tomorrow, our plan is to hike Trail of the Cedars and check out Lake McDonald Lodge, maybe with some condo pool time thrown in for good measure. Day 2 out!

Glacier - Day 1: Grinnell / Many Waters

We've been coming out to Montana basically every year since the twins were born and have driven and hiked around Yellowstone countless times, but this is the first time we are making the longer trek out to the other crown jewel of the state: Glacier National Park. 

I have to admit that I come into the trip with a little trepidation -- so many people have told me how amazing Glacier is that I'm a little worried it can't possibly live up to all the hype. We shall see!

First off, we have to make a note on the weather. I know July 4th weekend is really the "kickoff" for the summer season in GNP, but I wasn't expecting HOW cold it could be. We actually had a winter weather advisory the week before the trip based on the wet snow expected in higher elevations! Last Christmas, I recall there being a couple 50 degree+ days -- crazy that the daily high for a couple days in late June was actually LOWER than it was in December! Check out how much snow there is on Lone Peak. 

Thankfully though, the sun rolled back in and the cold blew away in time for the trip.

[Mini interlude here: I am not much of a camper...so the twins and their cousin B along with YeYe and NaiNai actually went off to GNP a few days before Baba and I to actually camp with tents and sleeping bags and so on. Well...it was a bit of an adventure. Tents flying away because of the high wind. Campgrounds being evacuated because of flash floods. S'mores not being able to be made because the sideways rain kept blowing out the fire. Won't go into more detail since I wasn't actually there. But let's just say...good for building character and fortitude? 😆]

We drove over to Browning the night before, Glacier Peaks Casino was a pretty standard hotel, continental breakfast and all. Very much on the way, and big savings tip: gas in browning was about $2/gallon cheaper than at the park entrance! 

My original hope for the first day was to hike to Grinnell Glacier...turns out that is over 10 miles and also closed for snow conditions...so I was persuaded to change the plan to a Grinnell Lake hike instead (7 miles). That trail was also closed due to flooding from the last few days but luckily opened up again the day we arrived! So off we went. The hike basically hugs the shores of several interconnected lakes, so very pretty water/forest/mountain views the entire way.

We started a little before noon so our first stop came pretty early to combat increasing hangry-ness. As you can see from the clothing, it was a little chilly still!

Why does she look like a guilty chipmunk? I asked her for a bit of her half-eaten king sized candy bar about 10 seconds earlier. "Oomph oomph...what candy bar?"

Ran into a few forest friends. They were so close I almost forgot they were wild.

Proof that R has inherited Baba's penchant for non-standard photo expressions. 

The view at the end of the 3.5 miles was quite lovely. 

I am always a sucker for rickety bridges. But thought this video also helps demonstrate how high the water is!

The hike also included a mini detour to the "Hidden" waterfall.

I thought it was worth the extra 0.3 mile ascent.

Baba did not agree. He decided to skip the waterfall and enjoy a rest instead.  

Shot of the camping crew enjoying the much sunnier and dryer weather!

The 3.5 mile return went by much more quickly than the going out - the sun had also come out in some force since our departure, making the paths thankfully much less muddy too. 

Another "little" waterfall scene peeking from between the trees. 

The walk back also included our most exciting wildlife encounter of the day.

Funniest part of that moose encounter? Toss-up between: 1) Ooh a moose! Everyone immediately whips out.....the cell phones. Because clearly you protect yourself from a potential moose attack not by being on alert with bear spray but by photographing and videotaping the encounter. And 2) kids almost entirely missing the moose because they were captivated by the chipmunk in the path further ahead. In their defense, the ground squirrels and chipmunks ARE quite adorable. 

We ended up with some apres-hike drinks and nosh at Many Glacier Hotel (a bit run down and showing its age...but clearly hitting those Alpine/Swiss/Sound of Music vibes). Best find of the menu? Duck wings. I think it was the sweet chili glaze more than the duck limbs being that much more succulent than their chicken cousins, but let's just say we ended up with...4 or 5 orders of those wings. 

After that we drove back to St. Mary's Village to check in to our Tiny Home rental for the evening. It was in fact quite tiny. But it came with a HUGE bathroom. Like jet spray soaker tub and sauna like room larger than the size of the bedroom in the Tiny Home. 

Only downside was that the bathroom was unattached, so you had to put on shoes and walk outside to get to it. But I still enjoyed it quite a bit! L/R also appreciated having a full size shower/tub for the first time in a week or so. 

All in all, good first day at Glacier! Tomorrow, we have a boat ride and then the much anticipated Going to the Sun road drive. Night night! 

Mexico City - Final Thoughts

Now that we are back home, it's time for the trip recap/tips:

1. Food -- I personally didn't love all the tacos as much as I was hoping to. I generally speaking enjoy all Mexican food though (avocado, Mexican rice, beans, simmered meats, salsa, etc) so it's not like I didn't enjoy any of the meals, I think it was more a realization that the tacos I manage to access from California are pretty good too? That or this is like Thailand where sadly I like American Mexican food more than traditional Mexican food. I will say the corn tortillas and tamalas and really anything seemed way more flavorful than their US counterparts. Food things that were better than I expected: mole, churros, pastries, mangoes, bugs. 

2. Weather -- it rained almost every day, but only for a brief portion and always in the late afternoon or evening. It was kind of nice to always be able to rely on a sunny morning. I'm also glad it wasn't any warmer than it already was -- the heat of the sun in Mexico City was definitely harsher than Bay Area. 

3. Air Quality -- this was a surprise, I wasn't expecting the air quality to be as poor as it was. It definitely reminded me of Beijing from a few decades past. Though I also think part of what I blamed as air quality might have just been me adjusting to the higher altitude? But even during the rains, there was never really a "refreshing" air feeling.

4. History - the pyramids and museum lived up to expectations. And expectations were high. So these truly were world class and worth the visit. We didn't get guides at either of these, but found the English placards and such pretty good, along with frequent consultations with Gemini. 😆 

5. Neighborhoods - Polanco was definitely quiet and safe feeling, though the amount of caged and street food in walkable distance was also lower, but I'm sure that was a direct counter-balance to noise levels. Condessa was very cute and leafy -- I could see why people enjoy staying there. Juarez was a little on the grittier side, I can see why many people generally do not pick the city center for lodging.

6. Fancy restaurants - high points for Quintonil (honestly if they didn't have the bugs I would have liked them less, made it more one of a kind). Really enjoyed value for money and home-cooking taste at Esquina Comun. Rosetta was much better than I was expecting...but I wouldn't put it on Bouchon levels. Maybe it didn't have enough butter. 😆 Masala...was probably not one I would go back to. Some of the flavors just didn't work so well for me. 

7. Cultural - Frida's house was interesting, but if you had one cultural slot to fill, I would choose Ballet Folklorico. I wish I had more time to hit some of the other museums -- like the perfume museum, the museum of modern art, and the murals at the National Palace. 

8. Length of time - I could have filled a couple more days easily (lengthen Puebla to an overnight trip at a minimum) but also felt like we had enough time to hit all the highlights with our one week.

9. Scheduling - feedback from travel mates is that the schedule was certainly full, but that they appreciated the rest/flex downtimes built in everyday. 

10. Transportation - Ubers were very easy and so cheap; Didis did appear to be noticeably even cheaper. But this is like $10 ride vs. $11 or $12 ride difference. The cars were often a little on the older side with A/C sometimes broken (again a nod back to China of 20 years ago).

11. Payment - There was a significantly higher number of places where we needed to use cash. Pyramid entry tickets, lots of markets, taco stands, photographers and drivers. We ended up getting probably around $1000-1500 out in cash for the seven day trip. 

Top 3s for everyone!

R: street vendor mangoes, stracciatella dish at Esquina Comun, VRBO rental. 

L: Handmade journal she bought at the Coyoacan markets, food/bike tour, Google office. 

Baba: Tacos at Los Alexis, Quintonil, family photo shoot. 

Mama: climbing the pyramids, axolotls, drummers and dueling harpists at Ballet Folklorico.

Jiuma: runs in Chapultepec park, climbing to the top of the Teotihuacan pyramid, torta and jugo on the bike tour. 

Jiujiu: Teotihuacan, family photos, the birthday tequila donkey at Mayahuel. 

Laolao & Laoye: Teotihuacan, bike tour, food at Esquina Comun.

But setting aside the foods and sights, I think all of us really enjoyed being able to spend time with each other, especially as we don't get to see a ton of Jiujiu and Jiuma given they're all the way over in Boston -- playing cards, walking around, sharing meals -- true highlight was enjoying all the family time we got!

Capping it out with some of our family shots. Until next trip!

Mexico City - Day 8: Zoo & Departure

Our flight today was at 3:30 so we had some time to do a tiny bit more sight-seeing. So...after we packed up all our stuff, we were off to find the axolotls! Well actually, first we sent Baba and L with all the luggage to Google (they both preferred that to capybaras and axolotls, crazy!). Laolao, Laoye, R and I instead went off to catch as many animals as we could in 2 hours. Beeline for the axolotls!

These things are crazy weird looking. 

They are like little dinosaurs who swim and have weed like tentacles around their heads.

Not sure why all of the tanks had little soccer balls...maybe they like playing? 😆

Check out those crazy weed head tentacles!

Aren't they just crazy looking?!?

Now let's run through a bunch of the other animals we saw in quick succession (I have to say, the zoo was laid out very well -- there were new animals every time we turned around, we covered SO many in such a short visit, and all of the animals were so active!)

I always get stopped by the monkeys. Their faces!

Finally got the capybara!

Yeah...he was a little far away. 😆 I guess we will have to take L and R to Brazil at some point to see the little guys in the wild.

Check out the video of the black bears playing around! R said their fighting reminded of her and L. 😆 

 

This itching monkey was hilarious. It is super little also, like maybe the size of a large guinea pig. 

I made a gif!

I was a big fan of the zoo. Great way to spend a morning before our departure from Mexico. News alert: R liked the axolotls so much that she has now convinced Baba to turn our aquarium into an axolotl habitat!

We booked our flights back with points so we unfortunately we had a layover. However - I managed to get a manicure and a shower in at the lounge.

Refreshing end to a great family birthday celebration/spring break! 

We got home at almost midnight -- so glad I got that shower in beforehand.  Very glad we planned it so that we got back on a Friday so that we could relax for a couple days before going back to work/school. 

Next post - final thoughts on CDMX!