If you’ve been hunting for a luxury Montana vacation that will take your breath away, look no further. Sharing about Bison Ridge Retreat, a 30-acre Montana property last winter, I wanted to see what other Montana homes Vacay Whitefish, a private property management company in Northwest Montana had to offer. Vacay Whitefish, their company, operates property rentals in Whitefish, Whitefish Mountain Resort, Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Glacier National Park getaways, The Quarry, and Polson. This rental in Whitefish is one of their most picturesque properties, and it was the perfect stay for my little family.
Once the snowy season comes to a stop and the roads remain clear, road trip season arrives and luxury Montana vacations are on my mind nonstop. When school finally gets out and our days draw longer, our open calendar space gets filled with busy days, outdoor activities and with sweet seasonal stays. The outdoor season invites us to get outside, explore and indulge in being in the fresh air. The PNW has dozens of heaven like getaways that the Trending Northwest team believes are top hospitality. If the destination on my Apple Maps says our arrival is under four hours, the excitement doubles.
I am always looking for ways to bring the magic of Montana to you and your feed. Having attended college in Helena, (of course, Go Saints) and being on air in Missoula in 2018, I truly treasure the Treasure State more than I can type into words. Now, rather than a college gal or young adult, I look at Montana as a wonderful woodsy and mountainous place to bring my family.
Vacay Whitefish Properties
The property management company is owned by a couple, Matt and Stephanie Bashara who, like me, visited Montana and fell in love. The couple moved from the mid west after realizing they wanted to build their dream life in the Treasure State. Raising their five kids in the Flathead Valley, the Bashara’s love to live an outdoorsy lifestyle surrounded by the Mission Mountains.
Having seen their love and hospitality for their guests in January, I was more than happy to return to another property managed by them. With sunshine weather on the way, I knew that Flathead Lake would be the ultimate goal destination for somewhere out of your ordinary road trip from Spokane.
Flathead Lake, Montana’s biggest and most premiere body of water, is something dreams are made. It’s the United States biggest fresh water lake, too. All year round we can appreciate the beauty, but spring and summer make the lake shine the brightest.
Montana Road Trip Stops
A sunny May day paved the way for my little family as we crossed the Washington border into Idaho. “Great day for a drive,” I said to my husband who was behind the wheel. “Gorgeous,” he said, as our navigation system read 2 hours and 40 minutes from the Coeur d’Alene area. Making our way into the mountains of Montana, the calls and calendars quickly fade into the background of the rear view mirror.
No road trip to Montana is complete without the annual St. Regis stop. A quick gas top off, a peak at the infamous Trout Aquarium, a huckleberry shake and we hit the home stretch to our Flathead Lake escape. An hour later, we rounded the corner, taking a left and onto a gravel road, the property’s red painted gate opened with an easy press of a finger. Wa-lah. We drove down what we would soon call, “Camp Cabin,” our version of The Parent Trap.
Amenties for this Vacay Whitefish Property
An A-frame cedar cabin with hunter green trim welcomed us to our family worthy getaway. Unlocking the front door, a wall of windows greeted us, giving us a front row seat to Flathead lake. “Wow,” I said as I looked at Brandon (my husband) who was also in awe. Walking in, wood accents adorn the house from top to bottom, showing you that rustic look with an air conditioning and luxury feel.
The Flathead lakefront property managed by Vacay Whitefish, quickly became a home away from home. “Cabin!!,” my three-year-old would shout as he ran from room to room taking it all in. The three-level, five bedroom, three bathroom property truly has it all. The fully stocked kitchen (with seasonings, plates. pans, pots, drains, mugs, glasses,) came with everything we needed to bring meals and memories to life. We were able to cook breakfasts, make pasta salads, grill and more with no hiccups in our cooking process.
The cabin truly had way more room than we anticipated – it’s everything you want in a luxury Montana vacation. The three floors make it feel like there are quarters for families or friends to have their own space while still having plenty of communal space like the living room (with a tv), kitchen, a large wooden dining room table with another table on the deck. A hot tub and arcade games are just two ways to stay busy at the cabin. Walk down the wooden stairs to the cabin’s backyard, a very green and grassy oasis on the water to enjoy the air from the Mission Mountains in front of you. Baking, cooking and grilling for our family for two nights, our “Camp Cabin” experience was one we hope to recreate. Less time than a drive to Seattle, heading east on I-90 brings many treasures outside of our home state.
Activities for Your Luxury Montana Vacation
I treated our getaway as a staycation, but the lakefront property is just a short 12 minute drive into Polson. Polson, Montana is adorable. The Lake County town with under 6,000 residents is an amphitheater to the South end of Flathead Lake. Brandon ventured into Walmart (an 18 minute drive) for some hamburger meat and texted, “This town is nice!” Breweries, golf, two museums and the lake- the town is a great place to venture out not just for last minute groceries, but a lovely look at rural Montana life too.
Vacay Whitefish offers 50 properties to fit your family’s luxury Montana Vacation dreams. For summer enjoy this view of Flathead Lake, winter head to Big Mountain and fall enjoy their Glacier National Park stays. Booking with Vacay Whitefish is incredibly easy, click here to book the a-frame cabin we stayed in. You can click here to see the long list of Montana properties you can rent for your family for summers and seasons to come. To learn more about Vacay Whitefish and their story, click here.
