A Taste of October in Glacier National Park

I needed to get away for a full day: step away from the office, the work, the characters in my head. Connecting with nature, reminding myself that there's more to every day life than work, because no matter how much I love writing, it's just as important to step outside of that world and into the one where I don't have to think about anything except the crunch of leaves under my feet and the rich fragrance of mountain pine trees. 

This last Saturday was not only a day of escape, but a sign that I need to allow myself more days like this, much more often than I have of late. 

Water has always soothed me, no matter the form, and I always take the opportunity to walk along a lake or enjoy the cascade of a river over rocks. 

I tend to visit the park fall, winter, and early spring so that I can always have roads as empty as this. 

After Glacier, I took a drive over the Hungry Horse Dam; so peaceful! Sixteen years in Montana and this was the first time I made the drive along the reservoir. I passed one vehicle along the 15-mile stretch and a couple of cyclists.

How do you unwind? Where do you go to escape?