One of the things that made our trip to Montana last week so fun was all of the firsts that we experienced when we were out there, and I wanted to share them with you….

• First time to Montana - I had been to Montana before when I was 14 and traveling with my sister and two of her recently-graduated college friends (can you believe how lucky I was to have had that kind of experience as a teenager?), but the kids had never been there so this was a first for them.  And it was my first time back in over 30 years (yikes).
• First time to the Bigfork Art Festival – once we arrived in Bigfork, we went straight to the Bigfork Art Festival.  Jewelry, clothes, handbags, chachkas, music, food – all of the usual art festival items were displayed and for sale.
• First time tubing – prior to this trip, I had never been tubing ever in my life (and neither had my youngest), and the day I first went, I tubed six different times (see photo).  I must say that my head, neck and shoulders were feeling a bit pained after that first day.  No complaints, though, because it was a blast.
• First time water skiing - this was so exciting.  My eldest daughter really wanted to try her luck at water skiing (she loves snow skiing), and so she tried and tried (probably about 3 times), and then she got up.  I was so proud of her.  As soon as she got back in the boat, she asked me if I was going to blog about her water skiing feat, and I promised her I would.  My nephew got up as well, and we were all hollering and cheering for them.  A good time was had by all to say the least.
• First time fishing – this was the first time fishing for some of the kids.  And the fun of it was that we were able to fish right off our dock.  Unfortunately, we only had one catch – a tiny Brook Trout, caught by none other than our own Brooke, but we had to throw it back because it was a tad small.  
• First hike at the Jewel Basin Hiking Area - this was the first and longest hike I have ever taken with the kids – 6 miles round trip.  I was so proud of them, and there weren’t too many complaints, which was a good thing (major understatement).  We hiked up to the Twin Lakes (see photo), but actually we had to go to the overlook because the trail itself was still covered in snow - Montana had a hard winter too.
• First time to visit Glacier National Park – no one in my immediate family had been to Glacier so this was the first time for us to experience Glacier, its gorgeous mountains, the Going to the Sun Road, Logan Pass, the Columbian Ground Squirrel (much cuter than the East Coast version in my opinion), the Weeping Wall and much more.  As I mentioned in my Bear Rules and Facts post, it was also our first time on the Red Bus.  Built in the 1930s and then renovated by Ford in 1999/2000, these vintage buses hold 17 passengers and serve as a reminder of what it was like to travel through Glacier eighty years ago.  Our Red Bus took us from the Lake McDonald Lodge on the Going to the Sun Road to Logan Pass.
• First time to go horseback riding- this was not a first for me - though I think the last time I went horseback riding I was about 10 years old – but it was a first for the kids.  They loved it, and they looked so completely adorable, especially in the bandanas Grammie provided….  Once we got to Artemis Acres Paint Horse Ranch in Kalispell, it took us about 30 minutes to get saddled up (see photo).  We then went on an hour’s ride followed by a cowboy’s lunch, hosted by owner Cecil Noble, of hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni salad, potato salad, oatmeal raisin cookies and smores cooked over the open pit fire.  It was an awesome outing and adventure.
• First time to eat huckleberries – I had never even heard of a huckleberry much less eaten one.  And in Montana, as it turns out, you can get anything huckleberry – yogurt (I tasted some of this at the kids’ favorite ice cream cafe, Bear Food, and I can attest that it was fabulous), maple syrup, jelly beans, licorice, jelly (also excellent), honey, smoothies, cream and on and on.  Mom gave me a jar of the jelly to bring home so I am using it for our PB&J sandwiches.  And guess who else likes to eat huckleberries?  Yep, the bears love this fruit, and huckleberries are a big part of their diet.
• First birthday celebrated in Montana - I have celebrated my birthday in some amazing places, but this was the first time celebrating in Montana.  The festivities included boating on Flathead Lake, tubing and water skiing, going out for lunch and shopping in Bigfork.  The day culminated with a celebration at our home away from home at Swan Shores Lodge (see photo).  It was a truly special birthday….

Did you have some fun vacations this summer?  And were any of them trips with a whole lot of firsts?  I can’t wait to hear….