ROUND 3
This is our 3rd trip to Montana, and our 3rd family ski trip. Obviously, we like it here!!! I took a bit of a break from updating but so far things have been lovely.
LUCKILY everyone was healthy by the time we took off from Palm Beach International (at 6:10 in the morning, which meant leaving the house at 3:45 – whew!). The flights through Chicago to Bozeman were easy and on-time, and we only had a minor snag at the rental car agency where we learned that our luggage for a ski trip does not fit in a “compact SUV”. Thankfully we were able to upgrade to Ford Explorer and drove through the mountains (this drive is now iconic to me!) to Big Sky.
Arrival Day
We got to the lodge around ~3 pm Mountain Time which is earlier than I think we’ve ever managed before, due to the crack-of-dawn flight. C&G immediately went into the (heated outdoor) pool while our room was prepped, and then we all had dinner at the lodge restaurant at 5:45 which felt like 7:45. G was falling asleep at the table. It felt cozy and familiar. You guys, I LOVE repeating travel destinations! It may make me boring but it’s just so nice to have a place that almost feels like a home away from home.
Ski Day #1
Yesterday was ski day #1!! We picked up our rentals. Getting ready seems to get easier each year as the kids get older and it feels more routine.
All of us took classes; the kids had a full day of ski school and Josh and I did a half-day lesson. Our instructor was Austrian and the style was very different than we were used to but I think we got at least something out of it. The kids did great! All 3 progressed with G probably making the biggest leap – SHE CAN TURN NOW! She moved up a group and was able to go on real lifts. Her awesome instructor sent us videos; here’s a screenshot:
After our half-day lesson, Josh and I did some exploring. I will only ski greens and blues as a personal policy (I am not that great of a skier and it would be reckless/pushing my luck to go beyond that), but there are soooo many options in those categories at Big Sky! We didn’t quite make it to our favorite trail from last year (Meriweather) so that is the goal for today.
Strava says I skied ~13 miles (though I forgot to turn it on for one run, lol). My calves are sore today! I guess it uses different muscles from running.
Dinner was at Ousel and Spur which has the best pizza including one with potato chips on top! The kids recognized our server from last year. We all shared a pretzel/caramel/brownie sundae for dessert and went to bed EARLY. I think I slept 10 hours last night and it was awesome.
I really love this trip and the kids do, too! More to come . . . and will return to the goals series once we get back. I decided it’s okay if that does go into January 🙂
13 Comments
Sounds like a wonderful trip! We spent the weekend at the beach, and it’s a familiar place for our kids, too. As much as I love new places, there is something comforting about the familiar. Hope it’s a special holiday for your family!
Sound so relaxing and fun! Enjoy yourself and sleep lots!
I keep thinking I want to go back to Costa Rica (specifically the Observatorio hotel in Arenal), but also wonder if it’s worth it given there are so many other places in the world to go. There’s something to be said though for the familiar and reduced stress of knowing how things work.
TOTALLY agree about loving repeat destinations! NOT boring! Yep, home away from home. Familiar, yet so different from usual surroundings. Also fun about iconic sights coming into view, and restaurants. We even stay in the same hotel room.
You have a lot of novelty in your life so returning to the same place that you know and love makes total sense. We are still figuring out where that place is for us. We’ve tried 3 different locations on the Gulf Coast but will be taking this spring break off from a FL trip since we have a couples trip in late March. I think we will try to return to Long Boat Key in 2026 and make that our spot as that was our favorite of the 3. Well, Destin was the most gorgeous but isn’t great for spring since it can still be cooled there in April.
Have so much fun on the slopes. The views are stunning! It almost makes me wish I liked skiing! Ha. I tried it in my 20s and am just too much of a chicken. And the thought of traveling to a cold climate is just not as appealing! But that is a novel experience for you and your family! So you still have novelty within a repeat destination!
I’m from the intermountain west and love it out here. Have you considered buying a condo at Big Sky?
It would be wonderful maybe in retirement but right now can’t imagine dealing w owning and the logistics of all that (even if it was an investment managing the rentals etc!)
However as a “someday” goal yes I would love it. Honestly ultimate dream would be live here in summer, not FL! But this would be waaaaay into the future.
I get it, I love Florida but would be hard to live there year around!
Sounds like a wonderful trip! I love the comfort of going back to the same vacation place over the years too. El nido is that place for us, only place we’ve been 3 times.
I so agree. While it’s fun to explore and visit new places, going back to beloved spots takes a whole layer of travel pressure off. Everyone knows what to expect and generally feels more at home.
This looks like such an amazing time. Just yesterday I was commenting on how this is the first year (in 13) I haven’t had to help someone in my household get dressed in winter gear. *Throwing confetti into the air!!* It really makes such a big difference!!!
I love a repeat destination!! My husband and I are going to Puerto Vallarta in Jan and required no planning – staying at usual hotel, know how to navigate airport transportation and will return to favorite restaurants. Planning vacations takes up a lot of headspace and sometimes booking a known destination is a nice change of pace.
I have only skied once and that is enough for me haha. But I’m looking at the picture of G—is that a ledge? Like could someone go over it? Or is it just the angle of the photo?
Optical trick! Definitely not a ledge. An easy green run with no cliffs to fall off of!