Page 12 - Flathead Living Fall 2014

EdiTOr’S NOTE
Stories of the Road
sitI
love listening to stories almost as much as I like telling them. There’s little better than sharing a long-winded tale that keeps building in inten-
y to that decisive plot twist where listeners collectively slack their jaws. It’s rare that a story enjoys such a cap- tive audience, but when it does, I often find myself on the road.
In Northwest Montana, and across this region, we take a lot of road trips. We drive to larger nearby cities for entertainment, such as Missoula and Spokane, and we explore tiny communities off the beaten path, such as Babb and the Yaak. During those first few miles, with our fellow travelers squeezed shoulder to shoulder and their bags of snacks and gear stuffed between their legs, we realize something: Wherever we’re heading, no mat- ter what happens, we’re going to know each other a lot better when we get back.
On the best trips, the storytelling begins before reach- ing the outskirts of town. That embarrassing moment in high school. That time you cheated death. Amazing feats and, more often, failures. We all have stories to tell. The more revealing, the better, as each admission is a rite of passage for a stronger bond among those in the vehicle.
Hours pass before you realize that the radio is turned off, and has been for the entire trip. On solo voyages, I often listen to stories through podcasts or books on tapes, but they can’t compare to the real thing.
In this issue of Flathead Living, we provide sugges- tions for five road trips worth taking this fall. We could have included much more, because Northwest Montana is a perfect place to take a long drive. Pile in your car, point it toward your destination and see what you dis- cover along the way. Traffic has lessened. The air is chilled, but the asphalt is still dry.
I recently took a trip with a close friend over the Going- to-the-Sun Road for a two-day stay in Many Glacier. The visit to the east side of the Divide was memorable, albeit unseasonably cold. Perhaps the best part was the two-hour drive we spent getting there, maneuvering the winding road and catching up after weeks of not seeing each other. Sharing stories along the open road.
The Sun Road is open later this year, but whether trav- eling to Glacier National Park or another destination, appreciate those times you’re stuck in a car rumbling along Montana’s rural thoroughfares.
I hope to find myself on a road trip with many of you this fall. I’ll make sure to tell some stories along the way and listen to a few of yours. Who knows? It may be the best part of the journey.
Thanks for reading,
Kellyn Brown | editor in chief [email protected]
10 FLATHEAD LIVING | FALL 2014