Glacier Park - Dance with the bears for your get-away in a welcoming inn with treats

BEARS ON THE WALLS, BEARS IN THE WOODS AT CHARMING LITTLE INN FOR EXPLORING GLACIER

East Glacier's Dancing Bears Inn is a lovely base for exploration of nearby wonders of Glacier.

Bruce Keller is ready for the elements, with a light snow melting as the photographer enters Glacier National Park.

If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise.

If you go down to the woods today, you'd better go in disguise!

For every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain,

because today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

"The Carpe Diem Kids"

All roads point to Dancing Bears Inn.

ARE ADDRESSING OUR REVIEWS WE ARE RENOVATING THE FACILITY NO

TODAY'S THE DAY the teddy bears have their picnic! Remember the old song we sang as children? Written in a menacing minor key, it sounds a bit like Charles Gounod's "Alfred Hitchcock" theme.

But there are no minor keys at Dancing Bears Inn in East Glacier, only major pleasures, where every day is a picnic! It's all sunny side up!

An all-day buffet of organic treats invites hotel guests to snack between hikes, enjoy a hot or cold beverage -- including beer one of the evenings we visited -- and plan the day's activities thanks to knowledgeable hotel managers.

Kim Stevens and her co-manager C.J. are proprietors of this delightful find! They love what they do and it shows.

We joined the two of them, and their hotel bears (photos, drawings and even a bear shower curtain)  -- along with a gorgeous grizzly bear who prowled nearby -- for a two-day picnic.

Our headquarters, the Dancing Bears Inn in East Glacier, is a convenient Glacier base in the Two Medicine Valley of this northern Montana park.

Kim Stevens, at the computer, and Cookie, plan the day's activities. Tasty organic snacks are available for guests all day long at the inn.

THE MOTEL is small and welcoming, a perfect location for a few discerning Glacier Park explorers.

It has only 15 rooms. And a must for us: several of the rooms are pet friendly.

The two managers are hands on, greeting guests at check-in, and making certain they feel welcome. They even put a make-shift walkway down to help us navigate melting snow.

Thoughtful Stevens escorted us to our rooms to make certain the heat was on and we had all we needed to be comfortable.

The rooms are quiet and nicely decorated. Nothing fancy, but clean, inviting digs (bear motif of course) and spacious.

It's not unusual to have a continental breakfast included in the room price, but that's usually rudimentary: toast, cereal, juice, maybe an orange or banana.

Just a hop, skip and stroll from Dancing Bears, Serrano's Mexican Restaurant in East Glacier serves tasty Southwest and Mexican fare and is always packed.

Dancing Bear's all day "breakfast" is a real exception, and truly the star in the crown of a Dancing Bears stay.

THE BEAR'S BREAKFAST is more like a European morning buffet than an American motel offering.  Bagels, granola, yogurt, juices, and a treats such as breakfast burritos and English muffin sandwiches -- the Bear's own version of MacDonald's classic. Their "Bear MacMuffin" and more make for real value.

"We like to have goodies for people all day, when they come back from a day of hiking or a long drive," Stevens said. "It's a nice touch because the owner really cares that people have a memorable, enjoyable time and get what they want for snacks."

That, of course, is smart marketing and encourages return business.

WE ALSO found  a couple fun dinner eateries, suggestions of the inn managers.  Our favorite was Serrano's, a lively Mexican place with terrific, zesty Southwest cuisine.

The picturesque Two Medicine area is just minutes from Dancing Bears Inn.

Specialties include a tasty red snapper and a flavorful strip steak. Appetizers, margaritas and a delicious flan-like dessert were happily and efficiently served.

 EXPLORING Glacier again, we learned that Lewis and Clark were very near where we were based, on the east side of the Rockies.  They were so close to Marias Pass they could have reached it in an hour or so.  But they couldn't see it for the clouds.  Surely, had they found it, their journey over the mountains would have been easier!

We made no attempt to see all of Glacier, a park we grew up with as native Montanans. Our advice to Glacier travelers with a couple days is to base at one of the hubs -- West Glacier, St. Mary, Many Glacier, or farther north, across the Canadian border, in Waterton Park.

CONCENTRATING on a smaller area -- less than 75 to 100 miles from your hotel -- gives time to savor your area.  Besides the grizzly, we noticed beautifully changing autumn colors, bear grass, flowers and snow on the mountains which sheltered native people for millennia.

Dancing Bears Inn

• Prime Access to Two Medicine: The Inn is perfectly situated for those wanting to explore the Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park, which is just a 20-minute drive away and often less crowded than other park sectors.

• Heart of East Glacier: You are within a single block of local restaurants, shops, and the Amtrak station, making it a walkable home base for village life.

• All-Day "Breakfast" & Snacks: One of the most praised features is the lobby, which provides free organic snacks and a variety of treats (juices, yogurt, bread, and breakfast burritos) available for guests all day until 10 PM.

• Diverse Accommodations: Options range from standard motel rooms to a spacious private cabin that sleeps eight, featuring a wooden spiral staircase and a full kitchen for a more residential feel.

• Pet-Friendly Environment: It is one of the few places in the area that welcomes pets, making it an ideal stop for travelers with dogs.

BOOKING the inn: 406-845-5565; rates $150 and up.

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