Up at Dawn Everyday Cafe: "get your rest, you'll need it" Top 5 Page for this destination Glacier National Park Nightlife Tip by richiecdisc

Glacier National Park has a few bars and restaurants within its boundaries and we did opt for a pizza & beer night on one occasion but as with all places of great natural beauty, the real attraction at all hours is just that: nature. Though nature is there 24 hours a day, the best time to view it is early in the morning and evening, when the light is just right and the animals are their most active. Of course, in a park noted for grizzlies, you don't want to go running around in the forest at dawn, especially on your own. My wife loves to sleep in so I found myself out on my own many mornings, looking for things to take photos of that I did not have to get off a road for. One of the best spots was the Swift Current Motor Inn parking lot where every morning I was treated to a fiery display on the mountains surrounding the area.

One day, while a the Many Glacier Hotel, I noticed what must have been another side of the peak that had become my main morning motif on the other side of Swift Current Lake. I decided that the next morning I would head back there for a photo. The next morning, there were a few other photographers there, all trying to capture the exact magic I had come for. It was insanely windy and cold so I braced myself against the elements, with my cheap little tripod no match for what was being thrown at it but managed to reel off a few shots of what surely looked like magic through the viewfinder.

For some reason, I looked back towards the sun, something I rarely do. The magic I seek is generally in the opposite direction, the red hues shed by the fiery ball as it peeks over the horizon. In that instant, I saw from the corner of my eye the most amazing rays of sun seeming to streak over a torrential Swift Current Creek. I quickly swung fully around, got into position, and clicked. Magic. Not where expected but that's how magic is, unpredictable and wild. It is everywhere you look, waiting to be revealed.

Dress Code: If going out for an early morning photo shoot in Glacier, dress warmly. The time just before the sun comes up in generally is the coldest time of day. Wear a hat and gloves are not a bad idea, at least until you get the camera out. ;)

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