Distinctly Montana Magazine

A SUMMER PA R A DISE SUMMER AT A SKI RESORT 10 AM: ZIP LINE TOURS What happens when the snow melts? While the wildflowers bloom, adventure is in full color at WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORT. Just 10 minutes up the mountain road from town, we've driven to the mountain village, and are strap- ping on a paragliding-style harness, clicking into the cable trolley, and we're flying on the Zip Lines. The tours include up to six separate spans, carrying thrill seekers more than 300-feet off the ground at speeds up to 50 miles-per-hour. After our 1.5 hour zip tour, we have time for a quick Alpine Slide ride: We grab a sled, ride the short chair lift to the top of the course, and race down, controlling speed through straight-aways and around banked curves. Another time we'll come back to ride a chair lift or gondola to the summit of Big Mountain on a 15-minute scenic ride from the Mountain Village. Walk in the Treetops lets you ex- perience the canopy of the forest from a boardwalk up to 70-feet above the forest floor. And The Danny On Trail starts in the village and winds 3.8–5.6 miles for a hike through forest glades, huckleberry bushes, and wild flower meadows to the summit. KICK AROUND DOWNTOWN 1 PM: GET NAKED (NOODLES) Many people could spend a whole day exploring the charming town of Whitefish. The covered sidewalks of Central Avenue are part of the character. A stroll reveals a vibrant mix of traditional businesses like the family shoe store, barbershop, hardware store, and sport shops — interspersed with restaurants, a variety of bars, coffee shops, a brewery, Broadway-caliber the- atre, art galleries, and gift shops. We only have an hour, and we're starving! So it's time for a quick lunch at THE NAKED NOODLE —Whitefish's newest restaurant (the green curry rocks). Visitors with smart phones can down- load the "Whitefish App"—it'll pinpoint all the restaurants and other cool places like Yoga & Wellness Centers or check out the WAVE Aquatic and Fitness Center. Feeling artsy? Stumptown Art Studio is a nonprofit, com- munity-supported art studio right downtown. Supplies for www.distinctlymontana.com 79

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