Month: July 2025

The day the Merrills left was the day the Roberts showed up. We felt a little like an Airbnb as we washed sheets and towels and cleaned up the Party House for a few hours between guests. It’s tough being popular, hah! Brandon and Kayla are our nephew and niece, and they’d made plans to visit us during our reunion back in February. This will be their first trip to Montana and we wanted it to be a good one.

Lily became my little buddy two years ago when we hung out in Wyoming. She was excited to see me and always wanted to play another game of hide-and-go-seek or whatever.

Mason was born the same day as Ollie, and he loves his Aunt Kyra.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they wanted to visit Glacier. We headed north and had a great day. There wasn’t as much hiking as we normally do, because the kids are pretty young, but we spent hours on the beach at Lake McDonald. The water was quiet and still. I taught all of them how to skip rocks– it’s always surprising to me how many people don’t know how to skip rocks! Here’s Brandon working on his technique:

They’re such a cute family.

The next day was spent on Flathead Lake, and Lily loved riding on the jet skis. As most kids do, she asked if she could drive, and I gave her the controls and let her go for it. She started out slowly but before you knew it, we were roaring around at 30mph.

Mason didn’t like riding the jet ski nearly as much as he liked riding in the tube behind the jet ski. He spent a lot of time laughing and shouting as he bounced across the little waves.

Our time together was brief, but we enjoyed every minute of it. Brandon and Kayla had such a good time that– with the insistence of their kids– they’ve already booked next summer’s visit.

This may only be our fifth summer in Montana, but already we have multiple friends making repeat visits. The Merrills were last here in 2021 and we were excited to see them again. It’s the busiest weekend of the summer, and often it’s accompanied by great weather. We started with a few hikes in Glacier. Virginia Falls is always a hit.

On the trail up and back to the falls, there are several other waterfalls. I dared the kids to jump in the river, which is still glacially cold– I’d be surprised if the water temperature is much above 40 degrees. Naturally they did, which meant I had to as well. Jordyn required a bit of convincing from the group, but she finally took the plunge. It was so cold.

Once we’d done that, though, it was no big deal to jump off the bridge at St Mary Falls. Here are Nate and Matthew mid-jump:

I prefer a running jump off the cliff (not visible in the shot above). Regardless of how you get there, the water shocks you when you hit it. A few years ago I’d jump here with various friends (mostly their kids) and only saw a handful of other people ever do it. This time there was a crowd of at least twenty teenagers on the bridge, all taking turns. Apparently it’s become A Thing.

As the day wound down, we relaxed for a while on the shores of Lake McDonald.

July 4 was a big day, and we celebrated by going to the annual Bigfork parade. It’s always a bit comical because local businesses drive the parade route, advertising their services. A few politicians always make an appearance. We were just there for the candy everyone throws.

After the parade, I hatched a plan to be in the parade next summer. The kids agreed to join me, so we already have plans for their 2026 visit over the July 4 holiday.

The fireworks in Polson were fun, although the smell of distant gunpowder mixed with the smell of nearby marijuana. Hmm.

The weather turned a little wet, but that didn’t stop us from having a barbecue.

We had a blast playing board games and card games. This was a rousing game of Pit, which of course escalated into a lot of shouting.

We love the Merrills. I’ve known their three youngest kids since they were born, and we’ve shared a lot of adventures. In a year we’ll see them again in the parade. Happy Fourth!

Kyra bought a huge inflatable easy chair and loves using it on the lake. She ties it to a paddleboard and paddles out into the lake (it’s easier to paddle a board than a chair). Then she drops anchor– she actually bought a small boat anchor for this!– and climbs into her chair. She can wear her big sun hat and read a book while bobbing gently on the waves. What a life.