The Furthur Megavacation

Our last road trip was the longest one Matt and I had ever taken together.  It was the best vacation we've ever had too.  It was just an epic adventure with new sights and experiences at every turn.  During the planning phase, when I was writing lists of things to pack and places to see, I titled the page in my journal "Furthur Megavacation Planning."  Matt thought that was a great official title and so it became known as The Furthur Megavacation.  Let me explain.

The trip was spurred on by our favorite contemporary band, Furthur, announcing a fall tour.  The tour included three nights at the glorious Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado where we have seen them play several concerts before.  But the cherry on top was the announcement of the band's very first performance in Montana to be held at the Adams Center in Missoula!  We were nearly beside ourselves with joy.  Seriously.  It was a jumping up and down sort of moment.

For Matt and I going to a Furthur concert is not only a great chance to dance our socks off and enjoy music, but to meet up with friends from around the country, and to experience a community and unity like no other.   Additionally being able to witness Phil and Bobby play allows me to connect with a part of history that I never thought I would be able to be a part of myself.  I'll never get the chance to hear The Grateful Dead perform other than in their prolific recordings, but Phil and Bobby (and all the fans) are keeping that spirit very much alive and well right now.  It is a blast and a healing ointment for the soul.

So, we decided to take 6 days off work and see all four concerts, the Ross Creek giant cedars that we'd been dreaming of seeing for the last several summers and whatever else crossed our path.  We poured over maps, guidebooks, and travel guides.  We made a list of things that would be fun to do, but refused to plan a real "schedule."  And then, at long last it was the end of September and time to hit the road!

Here is a map of our journey which I made using Mapquest.  It isn't 100% accurate.  For example, Mapquest apparently doesn't know about the Ross Creek Giant Cedars Natural Area, but Bull Lake was close enough.  In any case, you get the gist.  It was one great big, awesome circle covering three states and four national parks (though really, we were in Glacier for only about 20 minutes so maybe it is more like 3 1/2 National Parks).  We drove nearly 2700 miles, most of it on two lane highways through stunning autumn scenery.  I will be posting photos from the trip for the next several days.