Greetings from The Lodge at Whitefish, about 20 miles from Glacier National Park! My super-mom has organized a family reunion of epic proportions. We are two grandparents, 8 moms, aunts and uncles, and 5 rambunctious boys aged 2-10.

And we are all happy here! From helicopter rides, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, whitewater rafting, shopping in adorable little towns like Whitefish, Kallispell and Big Fork, to the super spa at The Lodge, kids of all ages are psyched!

This is the nicest property in the area. Less than two years old, it has a full-service spa, yoga by the lake, a great bar, outdoor patio, pool, hottub and FREE shuttles 24 hours to wherever you’d like to go. 

And Glacier Park is the most gorgeous park ever! We rented cars and drove through the park to the Visitor’s Center, which is not at the entrance but about an hour’s drive into the Park from the west enterance. From here, several hikes abound. I chose the one to the Hidden Lake viewpoint, a lovely hike up a boardwalk under which happy marmots cavort, through little snowpacks where big-horn rams nestle, through a mountain goat crossing or two, until the gorgeous viewspot, about 1.5 miles in, where you can see Hidden Lake and especially a glimpse of Sperry Glacier. Fabulous!

There are also open-air, old-timey buses (Red Bus Tours) that go through the park and stop at the Visitor’s Center. They can be picked up at another lodge, Lake McDonald Lodge, this one in the park, a kooky, kitschy place where it’s always, always Christmas. Right now, amidst the mounted mooseheads, they have a huge-mongous Xmas tree, Santa, lots of elves and hot cocoa to beat those 90 degree days.

Most enter through the western entrance, yet all the good stuff, if you like glaciers, is at the back entrance, the east one. But summer is full of tourists and their cars, so get up early and allow a few hours to drive through the entire park and see the delights of the eastern entrance of the Going to the Sun Road. Or, avoid long car rides and get your fill around the visitor’s center, leaving ample time for other many activities, like even fly fishing! 

It is also huckleberry season, so expect purple delights in ice cream, pancakes and muffins! 

Seriously, come to Glacier…while there still are some! :) 

We are having tooo much fun. From here, I head to the YearlyKos Convention 2007 in Chicago. Sorry, registration is sold out, but you can join us virtually on Second Life. Check out our website at www.yearlykosconvention.org, for more info. I’ll say hi to Hillary for ya! (She and other 2008 Democratic Presidential hopefuls will be on hand to face the progressive blogosphere…) 

Heartbreaking realities of singledom is brought to screen in aching slow-mo moments. Broken English will tear your guts out - opening with Parker Posey’s indecision of "do I go to the "cute couples" party or do I stay home- where I really want to be" scene. Stay with her as she fails and flails her way thru the dating scene and finds romance.

If you cannot make it to France this summer - head to the cinema for this romance story and save yourself hundreds of dollars in airline tickets/hotels and any love lost.

Country Inns in the White Mountains is hosting their 11th Annual Cookie Tour in New Hampshire! Take a self guided tour of 17 of their inns, all with in 15 minutes from the next. Each Inn will be hosting signature recipes for holiday cookies and candies and displays of handmade gingerbread sculptures! The cookie tour is on Saturday and Sunday, December 8 & 9, 2007. Each basic package includes:

• 2 nights lodging at one of the 17 Inns, for 2
• daily breakfast for 2
• 2 tickets to the 11th Annual Cookie Tour

The price of the package differs from Inn to Inn and ranges from $171 to $568. Some of the Inns include dinner, sleigh rides or an additional nights lodging in their package. To view the prices and locations of the various packages, please click here. For more information, please call 877-864-6535 or 603-356-9772.