Visiting Whitefish
After our long hike yesterday both David and I were feeling the effects today. Plenty of stiff muscles! While we spent a bit of this gorgeous sunny day researching new hiking spots for the rest of the week (so many to choose from!) we decided to visit the lovely town of Whitefish which is just a short drive from our place in Columbia Falls. We were instantly charmed by the downtown area nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains:
I think one of the reasons we feel so at home here is that the vibe is so similar to that of Tucson. Gorgeous setting, active, progressive and friendly population and mountains everywhere. The more time I spend in this part of Montana the more I like it. We didn’t have any particular plan in mind when we arrived (except to find a place for lunch) so we meandered around the shops, galleries and restaurants. The shops were charming and except for the Ace Hardware you see in the photo there wasn’t a chain store in sight. We sat outside at one Bar and Grill and had a great lunch although I didn’t think to take a picture of the restaurant. As we were leaving though we spotted this rooftop place:
Isn’t that great? We will definitely give it a try the next time we are in Whitefish for lunch.
I’m not much of a shopper so I didn’t spend too much time inside the shops but I was charmed by so much of the wonderful signage. Check these out:
Any town that has a quilt/fabric shop is ok in my book.
Jeff’s fiancé’s name is Shanti, and she’s a yoga instructor! Isn’t that a hoot?! If they ever want to settle in Whitefish she will be all set…
There was one shop we did go into though:
This place was a chocolate shop, used book store and consignment shop all in one. As Anne is fond of saying “every good thing”! And I had no intention of leaving town without some chocolates. The shop was as wonderful inside as it was outside:
The candy counter.
The book nook.
Me enjoying my sugar high from the decadent dark chocolate-covered marshmallow. Yum. Better hit the trails tomorrow 🙂