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I have been DYING to share about our honeymoon since we got back and now I am SO freaking excited to share all about it!

To tell you about the honeymoon, I have to start with the wedding.

I have always had a vision for my wedding day. Lilacs have been my all-time favorite flower since I was 4 years old. I couldn’t picture my wedding day without lilacs in my bouquet and purple being the theme throughout our color scheme. I knew we needed to get married in late May in order to make my vision come true so I decided on May 31st as our wedding day. Zach knew he wouldn’t be much help in the planning process and let me take total control over wedding planning. But there was a catch, if I was going to plan the whole wedding, he was going to plan the honeymoon.

I had absolutely no idea where we were going for our honeymoon for the longest time. He gave me no hits. Were we road tripping? Flying? Taking a train? Somewhere hot? Somewhere cold? Who knew? Oh, that’s right, he knew! And he wasn’t going to tell me. I started picking up on where we were going for our honeymoon around March when he started getting very concerned about all of the camping gear we had. Soon, I figured it out! A camping trip to Glacier National Park and boy was I excited! We had never been camping together and it was a national park we had never been to! I was so ready for this adventure with my new hubs.

One week after our wedding we made our descent to Montana. We left Minneapolis, Minnesota at 5:30 on a Monday morning. Although I’m not much for sitting in the car all day long, the driving part wasn’t really that bad. We made stops, walked, stretched, ate, filled up the tank. After 24 hours of road tripping, we had finally made it to Glacier. We started on the west side of the park and decided to set up camp at Bowman Lake. After setting up camp, it was time for bed. We had been up way too long and our minds were shot. We slept until 6pm that evening. After pulling ourselves together we made a fire, talked about our favorite parts of our wedding day, and admired the view.

We woke up around 9am the next morning, threw on our hiking gear, and headed to the visitors center to get a map and find the best trails. We were informed that the east side of the park was much more magnificent that the west side. We were a little bummed because we had already paid for another camping night at Bowman Lake and didn’t have a choice but to stay on the west side for another night. The guide told us about a hiking spot nearby that led to a beautiful lake, Avalanche Lake. Instead of wallowing in our poor camping decision we jumped in the Jeep and headed towards the trail. Once we started walking at an incline, we realized just how out of shape we really are. Especially because it gets hotter and hotter the further you go up the mountain, so if you plan on hiking there PLEASE remember to bring water. We filled up Zach’s Camelback that we shared and my backpack was filled with camera gear, snacks, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a mini First Aid kit. Essentials in a place like Glacier!

When we reached the top I honestly wasn’t that impressed considering we had the same view at our campsite that we could literally walk over to in 3 minutes. Nonetheless, we felt good about our decision to hike because it felt SO good to move!

After our trip to the visitors center, we knew we needed to head over to the east side ASAP. On the third day of our trip, we packed up our campsite and made the drive over to Medicine Lake. We were told that you could camp there the entire trip and wouldn’t be mad because of how beautiful the view was. We took down our campsite at Bowman, hopped in the Jeep, grabbed lunch, and stopped at every beautiful view on the way to Medicine Lake.

Medicine Lake campground was absolutely beautiful. You truly could camp anywhere in the campgrounds and not have a bad view. After setting up camp we spent the afternoon relaxing in the hammock talking and reading. I think it’s funny that having time to read or finishing a book is an achievement when you’re an adult. We only stayed in Medicine Lake for one night because we were told that the number one campsite to go to was Many Glacier. It had a beautiful must-see hiking trail and we knew we weren’t going to pass that up!

The day we were heading to Many Glacier it was raining and gloomy. If you want an adrenaline-rushing experience, drive up the side of a mountain in the pouring rain. Holy smokes I don’t think my hands stopped sweating until we got to the campsite. Once we arrived it was packed. We did several laps of the campground until we finally found a spot to camp. It was still pouring rain so we sat in the car for what seemed like hours waiting for it to stop so we could set up camp. One of the park rangers actually came up to the Jeep and told us we couldn’t park there and we had to inform her we were staying there for the night but didn’t want to set up camp in the rain. The rain finally cleared and we got everything set up in minutes. I think we can call ourselves professional campsite setter uppers by the number of times we took down/set up our campsite. We made a nutritious and delicious dinner of Ramen Noodles and went to bed. We needed to get rest for the big hiking day!

The next day we were up early and ready to hit the trails. I had packed for cold weather because we were told that it was going to rain all day and the high would be 60 degrees. Oh boy was that forecast wrong. By mile one I had taken off my rain jacket and flannel. By mile four I was in my sports bra. It was so dang hot you guys! It was close to 84 degrees up in the mountains! Even though we were sweating profusely, the view was spectacular. That hike was like nothing I’ve ever hiked before, it looked fake. It looked like we were The Sound of Music. If you asked me to recommend one must-see trail in Glacier, that would be the Grinnell trail. It will take your breath away and you’ll dread making the hike down knowing that you’re leaving that beautiful view behind.

All-in-all I would say this was the perfect escape for us. We really got to unplug, unwind, and be present with each other. If you’re wanting to go to Glacier National Park, GO! It’s worth the trip.

Favorite Camping Items:

1. Hammocks. If you’re camping with your spouse, buy a hammock that can fit two people so you can chill together.
2. Headlamps. Instead of carrying around a lantern, wear a headlamp instead so both hands are free!
3. Portable Stovetop. This was where we boiled our water to make morning coffee and made most of our meals.
4. French Press. Enough said.
5. Yeti Cooler. Keep those perishables cold and your ice solid.
6. Journal/Camera. Write down and capture all of your fun adventures so you don’t forget these precious memories.
7. Speaker. I love the sound of nature, but I’d much rather be listening to music when preparing meals/getting ready for the day.
8. Baby Wipes. If you’re going to a place that doesn’t have showers or a lake to bathe in, baby wipes are a great way to stay fresh!
9. Warm clothes. Honestly, don’t think there’s such a thing as having too many warm clothes to wear. Even when we were enjoying the 85 degree days, the evening would get to be 50 degrees. Bring hats, mittens, gloves, and long underwear. Better to be safe than sorry!
10. Good company. I love spending time alone, but camping is so much more fun when you’re with family and friends. Plan a trip to the great outdoors with those you love!