Montana Bound--Gateway to Yellowstone

Saying goodbye to the Parks Canada oTENTiks! Maybe we'll see you again next year.

As much as we loved our time in the Canadian Rockies, it's time to head back--the long way of course. The carful of kids have seen some of the most unbelievably pristine scenery in North America and it's really hard to leave but we have our hearts set on exploring one of my favorite national parks of all time.

The carful of kids wake up to find that a rain shower has settled in on our campsite and my best friend and navigator and I pack up the SUV in the rain. Not fun but someone has to do it--the upside is now we get to have breakfast out since cooking is not allowed in the oTENTik.

After spending the night in a Parks Canada oTENTik in Kootenay National Park's Redstreak Campground, we enjoy the hot showers before finding a local place for breakfast. Fire'D ( 4935 Highway 95 in Radium Springs ) serves up huge plates of french toast that the kids devour while Mom refuels her coffee tank.

A cloudy and rainy start to our day but look at the cool clouds we find on the road.

We will be crossing over the United States Border at Roosville, British Columbia, 140 miles south--it will take up about two and a half hours to get there. The driving is easy but we miss the majestic scenery of the Canadian Rockies.

Before you know it we see a sign for Duty-Free. So we stop the SUV to buy liquor and use their bathrooms plus the kids have never been in a Duty-Free store. We also dump everything that they won't let us bring back in the United States--like fresh fruits and vegetables; check the US Customs and Border Protection website at cbp.gov for all prohibited items.

I pulled together a folder full of documentation for crossing the border, at home I left a similar folder with copies of all the information for Dad as well, just in case. The carful of kids have passport cards, there are inexpensive ($40) and good for five years. Passport cards are good for land and sea travel only into Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. 

Items I carry in my travel folder:

• Passports and Passport cards and a copy of Melissa's passport (just in case).
• Notarized letter of consent--see below.
• Copies of the kids' birth certificates--I left the originals at home. 
• A copy of our itinerary which includes the addresses of hotels and campgrounds plus their reservation numbers.
• A copy of our car insurance. If your state issues a paper car registration add that as well. 

The notarized letter of consent:

• A statement from my husband stating he is a legal guardian of our kids with their full names, dates of birth, and passport numbers.
• The full names and addresses of the people the kids are traveling with (Melissa and myself) along our passport numbers and dates of birth. 
• The dates we are traveling and when we will return.
• His contact information.
• His signature.
• Notary stamp and signature.

I took pictures of everyone's passport and texted those to my husband and my best friend and traveling companion. As we learned on last summer's road trip, sometimes things go off schedule. 

We have no problems getting across the US/Canadian border even with a SUV full of road tripping gear. Our day is not over yet--we need to get to Belgrade, Montana 375 miles away to meet Dad who is flying in for the remainder of our trip.

Sometimes you spend the day driving not expecting much and you run into a road trip jewel. We start to see Fresh Cherries signs up and down the highway around Flathead Lake in Northern Montana. It seems Flathead Lake provides a microclimate that allows cherry trees to produce.

The carful of kids love cherries so we have stop at a cherry stand to load up on the ultimate road trip snack--fresh cherries. We find a cute stand just west of Flathead Lake at 22656 Northaire Lane in Rollins, Montana, where we meet Donnie of Donnie's Cherry Stand.

What kid doesn't like cherries?

Donnie Slaten-Underwood and her husband Jeff Underwood have a small orchard of 30-year old cherry trees that they named after favorite family members. We sample their just picked cherries before heading to the orchard to see some still on the tree.

In the orchard behind Donnie's Cherry Stand, we are loving this.

The carful of kids are running around like goons because we can't grow cherries in Texas where we live. I have to pick up some Cherry Jam that Donnie makes so I can remember her cherries when I get home. 

We grab two pounds of their hand-picked cherries for the road and say goodbye to Donnie and Jeff as we happily munch cherries all the way across Montana.  Our official next stop is Belgrade and Bozeman, where the carful of kids get a new navigator, Dad, for the next leg of our trip.

The carful of kids will be venturing into Yellowstone National Park for over a week and I seriously need to restock the road trip pantry. This area is great for that--the airport might be small but my husband was able to get a flight late so he didn't have to waste a vacation day traveling.

There is everything you would need for an extended outdoor expedition in between the two towns--the big box stores and the local and specialty shops. The shopping for food and sundries is also extensive so if you are planning a trip to Yellowstone, consider starting your trip from the northern entrance.

I did and it's definitely easier and less crowded.

Know before you go: The oTENTiks ( $120/CAN per night, no minimum stay required, no cleaning deposit) are in high demand and can be reserved starting in January through the Parks Canada website.

Each oTENTik is structurally the same and is equipped with an outdoor picnic table. Inside, you will find a table with four chairs and platform sleeping area equipped with foam mattresses--you can sleep six and the carful of kids throw their sleeping bags and pillows on top. There are some differences from park to park, like some have electricity and some don't, so check the Parks Canada website.

Cherry Season in Montana depends on the weather but most likely in the later part of July.

Up Next: Yellowstone National Park