This perfect road trip began in Yellowstone National Park. where we enjoyed Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs before working our way through the steep Beartooth Mountains. After driving pass a dozen gorgeous lakes and awe-inspiring vistas we finally entered Montana, “The Last Best Place,” as it’s affectionately known by so many.

Our first stop, Red Lodge, the Gateway to Yellowstone, is a ski and golf destination but so much more, with its quaint shops, lively history, and excellent eateries and saloons. This lovely and picturesque town was the perfect place for a horse drawn carriage ride before we checked into our rental cabin on thundering Rock Creek. Our cabin was perfect with a spa on the deck for soaking while viewing the resident wildlife. The glittering aspens lulled us into a state of total relaxation and bliss. AAA Red Lodge Vacation Rentals offers exceptional cabins and luxury condos.

Red Lodge visitors enjoy the town’s huge annual rodeo, numerous festivals, as well as fly fishing, white water rafting, skiing and golf. You won’t find friendlier folks anywhere who take more pride in their community, and you cannot blame them.

Sad to leave Red Lodge, we drove a little over an hour to Roundup, Montana for some real ranching adventure. The Runamuk Guest Ranch, a working cattle ranch since the 1880’s offers the best of a true working ranch experience complete with challenging cattle drives and a part-of-the-family ambiance. 18,000 acres of pine tree forests, open meadows, and sandstone brim rocks provide the tapestry to paint your very own experience and the “Big Sky” is the limit.

Hearty, home-cooked ranch meals, tubing the Musselshell river, hiking, exploring on quads and horseback riding are just a few of the highlights. Families, honeymooning couples, and single folks all seem to blend together whether taking a yoga or equine massage class on top of a mountain vista or repairing a fence in a pasture.

The hosting Dahl family’s talents and hospitality are appreciated by all who are lucky enough to say that they have been to the Runamuk.

After our memorable stay at the Runamuk Ranch, we spent a couple of lesiurely days enjoying the Lodge at Whitefish Lake and nearby Glacier National Park. Glacier National Park is so huge and so mind-blowing with its wildlife and panoramas that to adequately convey its beauty in a few words would be impossible. Allow plenty of time for the winding roads and spectacular routes that uncover many of its hidden geologic and wild wonders.

The Lodge at Whitefish offers magnificent views of lake and peaks, a gorgeous spa, fine dining, casual dining, and impeccably appointed rooms. The views from the pool and spa are astounding. Like much of Montana, the hospitality is impressive and this property’s proximity to the national park and to Kalispell make it a perfect location to enjoy so much of the surrounding areas.