Blerf Blog: Good Old Glacier NP

One of the things we wanted to do on this trip is stay in a historic hotel.

We have visited quite a few National Parks and seen the lodges, but have never stayed in one. Partly because of availability - you have to book a year ahead. Partly because of price - the Fairmont at Lake Louise was $800/night for a very basic, but modernized room But, Glacier gave us the opportunity. Reasonable price. Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier was available, so we booked it.

Some history.

The development of the National Parks in the US and Canada and the building of railroads across the country are joined at the hip. Early on, the railroads were looking for business to fill up their railroad. They built lodges and advertised for well-heeled easterners to spend their summers in North America instead of Europe.

Rocky the mountain goat was the mascot of the Great Northern RR

It worked. The moneyed folk and their steamer trunks and valets would pile onto to Pullman cars in the east and travel to the parks of the west. As train travel became cheaper and the middle class rose, more people travelled and the accommodations adapted. Although it can be plenty expensive to stay at these old lodges, it's certainly not out of reach for many, many people - especially those without steamer trunks and valets.

The train station as viewed from the lodge. (Amtrak's Empire Builder was actually on time, this day. Other days it was more than 8 hours late)

Looking at the lodge from the train station.

Compare and contrast with Fairmont (Canadian Pacific Railroad) hotel in Banff. Banff has winter sports and year around tourism.

This is how the hotel shuttles you to and from the train station. There were a dozen or so passengers to and from the train each day.

So, how was it? Great! But, not completely.

What did we like? The great lobby. The restaurants. The landscaped grounds.

The lobby was magnificent

...as were the grounds

The lodge had a great lawn for sports. Volleyball, bocce ball and a 9 hole pitch-putt golf course. Also, a full sized golf course behind the lodge.

Not so good?

The location. East Glacier is right against the park, but it's not near the Going to the Sun Road, which is the main way through the park. The road was completed long after the railroad and the lodge were built. This lodge is no longer on the beaten path.

The upkeep. The lodge is only open during a short, summer season. There really aren't any winter sports nearby to attract year around visitors. Nor, was it designed to be heated in the winter. So, the hotel has a tough time making enough money during the short season to keep the place in good shape. There were lot of places where there was peeling paint, warped boards, etc.

The rooms. Similarly, the hotel's rooms were last modernized decades ago. They were clean, for the most part, but the furniture was worn and the bathroom floor stained from years of use. Also, it appears that the third floor, where our room was, was converted valet rooms. Bathrooms had been short-horned in and there was scant room for two and luggage.

Would we stay there again? Yes. But, not a third floor room, thanks.

The other old thing at Glacier are the Red Bus Tours. We took one. It was fun.