Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were free days. Seriously, we actually schedule free days....after all it is a vacation and we need our relaxing porch time.
Most of the day Tuesday was spent lounging around the house. Brett and Alicia both went for a run, while Ash and I got our exercise by reading on the porch. I stayed in my pjs until roughly 5pm, when I showered and got ready for cocktail hour on the porch. Ash served up her famous Huckleberry Vodka Lemonade. So yummy! With signature drinks in hand we played poker on the lawn overlooking the Swan. We really never tire of that view!
Huckleberry Vodka Lemonade on the porch
Brushing up on the rules of poker is a must...for me
Poker on the porch
Dinner that night was also at the house. Ash made another incredible dinner. This time it was pine nut encrusted halibut with her famous mashed potatoes and a make-shift creamed spinach (it was supposed to be asparagus, but we forgot it so "we" improved with some canned spinach...practically sacrilege). All in all a tame evening, but we were treated to a surprise visit from McCreedy who (a) has never been to the house and (b) never fraternizes with us outside of the office (aka off the river). What a treat. He even brought his 11 year old chocolate lab, Marley!
Once again we dined al fresco
Marley and McCreedy
Wednesday was a big day for the outdoorsmen in the group. Brett and Alicia spent the afternoon hiking in Glacier National Park. They got some incredible pictures and Brett even saw a bear. Since Ash and I had been there/done that (well the been there part at least), we opted for some additional porch time at the house.
Brett and Alicia at Glacier National Park
Alicia and Brett hiking in Glacier
That evening we all gathered back on the porch for huckleberry mojitos and headed into Bigfork for a night on the town. Dinner was at Invite and once again, did not let us down. My favorite thing about Invite though is probably their huckleberry martini. It is so good I can still almost taste it.
The drinks were following that night, so we ventured next door to the Garden Bar, where a live band was kicking on the back patio.
The gang at Invite
The drinks were following that night, so we ventured next door to the Garden Bar, where a live band was kicking on the back patio.
The gang at the Garden Bar
the girls at the Garden Bar
After we'd had enough fun there, we headed back toward the house with a pit stop at the Roadhouse (which, incidentally was Brett's first trip to the Roadhouse). Ash opted out of our Roadhouse excursion, but the remaining three of us forged on. There we met Squeak, the bartender who was surely serving herself more than the clientele. But there, mixed in with the locals, was Eric....the fishing outfitter we use and occasionally use as our guide. You know the drill...Ash always fishes with McCreedy and Alicia and I with Rod....but since Rod is only guiding a few days a week we have to settle for the occasional backup guide. This year Eric drew the short straw...and I think he was as nervous about it as we were. But, I digress. We spot Eric from across the bar and break the ice for the upcoming fishing trip. He even came back to the house for a drink on the porch before we all retired after our wild Wednesday night.
the gang (sans Ashley) at the Roadhouse with Eric (far left),
Squeek (bottom right), and the Ice Road Trucker (in the back)
Squeek
Needless to say, Thursday morning was...how should I say this...brutal for most everyone. We slept late and spent the day retelling tales from the hazy night before. Some even vowed not to drink that day, but that actually didn't hold true. Dinner that night was low key and was a repeat of Ash's angle hair pasta with lobster and truffle oil. After dinner, we sipped (more slowly than the night before) cocktails and Brett taught us a new card game.....that I actually like once I finally mastered the rules. Wait, did I ever master them? Early to bed that night though, as a day of fishing on the Flathead river awaited us.
Not sure how, but my boots never made it
out of my jeans from the night before
Thursday night dinner al fresco
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