On the Road with the Redmonds (Part 2)
Love, laughter and a few life lessons.
I had such tunnel vision about trying to recreate an amazing dinner experience we enjoyed during our last adventure to Montana, that I insisted on making it back to that missed reservation. No matter what we were going to make it! We spent the day loving the outdoors in Big Sky, Montana, then made the trek to our anticipated dinner that evening back in Bozeman. The snow started to come down on our journey, small flakes at first and then giant ones followed. By the time we made it to the anticipated restaurant, we were engulfed in a full fledged snow storm!
So was the dinner at Feast worth all the extra effort? I wish I could say yes, but it just wasn’t.
The food was still good, the service was fine but the magic was gone. It made me think of how much I need to really take in and appreciate the original experiences presented to me. It is soooo hard to recreate the #magic, and I'm not sure we should try. Maybe it is better to just keep those moments a memory instead of trying to relive the past.
To make matters worse, the drive back to the cabin was a #nightmare. We switched driving on the way since Jacks got tired of my #backseatdriving advice. After the seat swap, I wished I would have kept my mouth shut since it was an intense white knuckling excursion all the way back. There were a few moments where I had to pull over because I couldn’t even see 5 feet in front of the car! We let a few cars go around and lead the way, allowing me to follow their tail lights and about 2 hours later we made it back safely.
Flat tires, missed reservations, insistent stays, & snowstorms. Not the best start to a honeymoon trip!
I decided then and there that the rest of this adventure would be easy going and casual. I thought back about summer travels with my kids and how I would try to “create” conversation with them. I would have a list of questions teed up, games we could play, and so many thoughtful pieces of advice to share. It always flopped! Once I realized that those moments just happen naturally, the trips took on a life of their own and I grew closer without having to try so hard. With no anticipation of what it should be, there is no disappointment for what it is. Advice that I intended to follow with my wife the rest of this amazing journey.
The miles melted away each day we traveled. We worked our way north to the Missoula #Supercharger and then reached the moment of truth.
Time to adventure off the beaten path and rely on hopefully working destination chargers for a couple of days. I felt like a baby giving up his nook and kept a close eye on the range as we drove north to Flathead Lake.
I didn’t need to worry! Such a magical drive. We stopped at a park for an hour and hiked along the rocky shore. The entire lake is surrounded on one side by Cherry Orchard farms. Because of the size and depth of the lake it creates the perfect temperature throughout the year for the growth and preservation of cherry trees. The sense of peace and serenity I felt during that drive is hard to explain. Work was an afterthought, my best friend was my #copilot and I was surrounded by stunning scenery.
We pulled into our destination around 6 pm and proceeded to check into the Whitefish Lodge, an amazing place right on Whitefish Lake. I found an awesome two night deal on-line, it was pretty romantic—fire place in the room, heated outdoor tiles leading to the hot tub and S'mores on the patio! I was just as excited for the #Tesla destination charger in the underground garage. My wife was happy and that was all I needed in the world at that moment.
