Whitefish for the Weekend | Girls Trip + Glacier National Park
- Jordy Jones
- 12 hours ago
- 9 min read
Written By Jordy Jones, Contributing Editor, Montana Edit
Photography By Hayes and Heart Photography
Wondering what a weekend could look like for you and your girls? Whitefish is a wonderful place to call home for the weekend.
With the sun roof open, a car ride full of your favorite gals, plus more flying in, Whitefish is a wonderful weekend destination to gather with the women in your life. A short drive from Missoula or a more leisurely drive from Bozeman, you’re surrounded by the grand Mission Mountains as you arrive into town.
“Why Whitefish?” husbands asked. “Why not?” the whole group text replied. The winter ski and summer lake town has always been highly ranked as one of our area's most beloved travel destinations for mountain lovers. Located less than 30 miles from Glacier National Park, guests and girls trips like ours can combine five star views with a five star accommodations vacation.
The itinerary was a girlhood getaway; sleepovers in our real life Montana barbie dream house under the Big Sky, shopping, sipping cocktails and seeing one-of-kind views you can’t see literally anywhere else.
The Itinerary
Thursday:
Arrive at Bison Ridge Retreat Lodge
Get Settled + Unpack
Hot tub under the stars
Friday:
Homemade breakfast at Home
Morning hot tub & more catch up conversations
Whitefish Shopping + Lunch Out (shops listed below)
Sound Bath by The Hive back at the Lodge
Driving onto our 30-acre private property for the weekend was the ultimate picturesque way to be greeted by our girls weekend in Whitefish. Taking a right turn off Highway 93 onto the Bison Ridge Retreats grounds, you’ll drive past the quaintest row of modern, yet woodsy cabins, round the gravel corner up to the Bison Ridge Lodge and be instantly swept away by the enchantment of the girls' weekend experience to come.
The lodge is something out of an Architectural Digest mountain home feature. It’s large enough to host and hold your nearest and dearest, but it’s also a mansion in the mountains with an extremely cozy feel. The property designers deserve an applause for encapsulating both luxury and down to earth loveliness in one sweep. The multi-family accommodation is a 6,000 square feet, multi-level masterpiece. With rooms spread out throughout the home, you have plenty of room for privacy and peace of mind. The lodge has six rooms and three bathrooms, several balconies, a hot tub, grill, as well as a washer and dryer to make this home away from home, home for as long as you need. The property also adorns a pickleball court, walking trails, and a sauna that will be in by the end of summer.
Ordering in Thai food Thursday evening, it was an ideal night in to kick off the Whitefish girls weekend. Our accommodations offered us reprieve from our busy lives so we could soak up quality time. After hot tubbing under the stars, you can part ways to your quarters for a zen-ful night rest away from home.
Friday morning, we enjoyed a few different activities around the house before hitting town. Making avocado toast, eggs, bacon and homemade americanos, the girls and I spent time in the hot tub, our private spaces, and the upstairs living room making the most of our morning at home before we wandered into the shops in downtown Whitefish.
The lodge is tucked away while still being close to town, just a 10 minute drive from the property, find a spot, grab your purse, and have fun walking from shop to shop.
The Shops at Downtown Whitefish
Our first stop was a big and beautiful antique shop in downtown Whitefish. Big Sky Antiques is full of timeless, unique, and eclectic pieces of jewelry, furniture, home decor and more from all over the world. Having been voted “Best Antique Store,” in Whitefish, the store is a must stop. We spent at least 30 minutes walking quietly from room to room, discovering what treasures the store holds, admiring pieces that would not be able to travel back home with us.
Tucked behind a bookstore, Copperleaf is another favorite stop on the shopping stroll. With a bookstore at the front of the store, and the chocolate in the back, you can find business and pleasure in one sweet shop on Central Ave. Picking a chocolate mousse truffle, this chocolate store is something I look forward to every time I am in town.
Known for its high end western and country style boots and hats, Kemo Sabe on Spokane Street is a stop that will make you feel like you're the next big thing. Popular amongst the stars, the Whitefish store is the brands newest location amongst their others such as Jackson Hole, Park City, Vail and more. Indulge in pieces you can boast your whole life or something to commemorate your girls trip.
A clothes, home and design store, we spent a long time in Sappari. It smells like a heavenly oasis when you walk in, that, and you’ll notice the cute clothes right away too. We walked from the front of the store, slowly to the back, stopping at chic corners of the store to pick up and admire. Hosting a pop up event within the store that day, I met the Golden Cowgirl, a Montana born and raised permanent jewelry designer. “I grew up here and would always come in here,” owner of the Golden Cowgirl, Sophia Elden shared with me. “It’s always a been a wonderful store.”
Sprout is a moment for the moms in the group. This children’s boutique is popular amongst the locals for proper Montana gear and cute children's clothes for every occasion or season. The shop brings you the same joy that looking at a sweet and chunky baby does. Stopping in for my own boys, I walked out with a set of softest prince and knight inspired pajamas on sale for my youngest. Every time I stop in, the owner greets me with a smile and thanks me for coming in, showing off that quality Montana customer service.
Looking for a simple lunch out, we were craving something not too heavy and not too fancy. Getting all of our steps for the day in from shopping, we ended our downtown excursion at the Blackstar Brew Pub. Located just at the end of the shops, also on Central Ave, this big windowed and breezy brewery was perfect for a lowkey lunch with a view. The Bavarian Pretzel was perfect to split, followed by an order of the Chinese Chicken Salad, Cesar Salad, White Pizza and Margarita Pizzas to share. The Blackstar had the good grub and good beer for a solid girls lunch out.
Back at Bison Ridge Lodge
After our afternoon shopping, it was time to return to our full agenda of rest and relaxation back at Bison Ridge. With only a few hours until our scheduled sound bath, the group of gals and I enjoyed Bravo on the upstairs living room 75’ flat screen.
The Hive’s Sound Bath Healer, Lindsay, arrived at the lodge a bit before 6:00 p.m. for a sunset start. Lindsay, was a breathe of fresh air. A mom to young boys herself, she was just as thankful as we were to spend her Friday evening working with us, she quickly became one of the gals. She set the ambiance by arranging the lower living room into our private practice space to release anything we wanted to leave behind. Her sound bowls, tuning forks, incense and instruments, Lindsay walked us through personal card readings and a 60-minute sound bath. Every girl was able to lay on their mat, bolsters and blankets, set intentions for themselves, and have quality time set aside for breathing, something everyone in life could use more of.
Entering our Friday evening in a relaxed trance, we spent the rest of our night sipping wine and making pasta under the stars.
The Itinerary
Saturday:
Wake up & enjoy breakfast on the deck
Get ready for Glacier National Park
Gals hit the road + Coffee @ Cowgirl Coffee
Glacier National Park
R&R
Dinner Out @ Herb & Omni
What would normally be a headache post wine night with your girls isn't there when you wake up at the lodge. The natural lighting peaking through the many windows makes you feel like you are indeed the main character in a 2000s romcom when you stretch your arms in bed. Fresh air on the deck, Robin birds singing good morning in pairs- the girls and I got ready for a morning and early afternoon in Glacier National Park.
The Saturday forecast was our favorite of the whole trip. As Montana’s former first Black weather woman, I had closely analyzed the hour by hour forecast for weeks, having faith that the weather would work in our favor. Work in our favor, the sunshine did, the forecast was 60 and sunny as we pulled into Cowgirl Coffee, our highly anticipated coffee out.
Our two trays of iced coffee filled the car with the heavenly smell of espresso. Cowgirl Coffee, Flathead Valley’s pick of choice for coffee drive-thru, has a handful of locations sprinkled throughout the valley. With a location just miles from West Glacier, we stopped at the Columbia Falls location for the freshest americanos as we drove into the park.
Spring in Glacier brings limited access to hikes and Going to the Sun Road, yet we still had plenty of room to roam once we parked at Lake McDonald Lodge. As we stepped out of the car and into the sunny cement parking lot, we were automatically put at ease by the park's natural ambiance. According to the National Park Service, the park welcomes nearly 3 million visitors each year, so we were lucky to be left alone by the usual warmer month crowds.
Making our way down to Lake McDonald, although this is my eighth or ninth time in the park, you’re always moved like it’s your first time seeing these mountains. With snowy tips, and a light breeze over the lake, what was once a group of gabby gals, soon became a quiet clan of sight-seers. Taking in views, snapping selfies, and seeing a black bear, our excursion into the world famous park was nothing short of exciting.
Later That Day
Calling an Uber in Whitefish was easy, our drivers met us up at our lodge destination and whisked us away to one of Whitefish’s finest restaurants, Herb & Omni. The James Beard nominated restaurant is returning to Chicago summer of 2026 as a finalist. Sitting down in their glass window room, we understood why.
“Ooo,” I said as we walked into 101 Central. The brick building was redone in 2011, giving the space an upgraded yet timeless feel. Two bold black doors await you as you walk up to Herb & Omni, walking in, make sure to take in the light fixtures that lie above your head. The touches will be sure to leave you thinking, “this place is beautiful.”
Sitting us in the exposed brick, moody and romantic dining room- Chris our host looked like a Jake Gyllenhaal look alike. “May I offer you ladies sparking or still?,” he asked. A grand fireplace and velvet chairs adorned the room, setting us up to feel like queens. Perusing the menus, we were eager for the plethora of options we saw before us. The whole atmosphere was swoonworthy. The sculpted chandeliers were calling for signature cocktails (a few rounds) and long conversation. Our server, Dennis, swiftly and smoothly introduced himself: letting us know he was here for whatever we needed. For us, that would be some guidance on the award winning menu. “Well ladies..” he said.
Cocktails
Whiskey Sour
Clearly No. 1
The Sacrifice
Violet You’re Turning Violent
Girl Dinner
The Snacks
3, Caviar Potato Chip (candied lemon zest | crème fraîche | chive)
1, Rainbow Trout Corndog (ale-batter | smoked tomato tartar sauce)
First Impressions
1, Grilled Korean Short Rib (whiskey fish sauce caramel | furikake | pickled pineapple)
1, Dungeness Crab Cake (confit tomato | herb salad | sweet corn brodo)
1, Chickpea Fritters (pistachio hummus | tamarind chutney | crunchy chili oil)
Cocktails Round 2:
Espresso martini x 5
After ordering cocktails, we ordered our whole evening at once to be served in courses. Dennis and Chris first brought out our caviar experience, my first rodeo with caviar. A one bite wonder, the caviar chip is a must. Followed by our Korean Short Ribs, Crab Cake, and Fritters, the whole group knew that dinner would be the cherry on top of an elevated dining experience.
A line of hosts behind Dennis, they carefully set down our entrees one by one for each girl. Tempura Golden Enoki Mushroom with Wagyu, Pan Seared Duck Breast, Short Rib Gnocchi- these were the dishes I am writing home about. Following our final espresso martini, the management showed the girls and I the behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchen and rooftop. Also, swoonworthy.
After our final night on the town, it was time to head back to our accommodations for one last sleepover. Waking up on Sunday, the crew somber to leave each other but also our beautiful surroundings we called home for three days. The luxury feel, the fresh air, the memories- all made for a 10/10 trip to Whitefish, one that we will aim to recreate year after year.
From our luxury stay with more room than we ever needed, to our trip into Glacier, to a dinner we can’t forget, we left our hearts in Whitefish for the weekend!
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