The week was great in every way. The staff and educational presentations were excellent. Also the accomodations and food. All the participants were friendly and fun to be with. The scenery magnificent. Bruce MacKenzie

This was a wonderful trip! The program, the leaders, even the weather exceeded my expectations. The participants were friendly, lots of fun and most helpful. Great memories!

This program was one of the best US programs we have attended. It was well organized and all instructors were well prepared. The accommodations were excellent and the scenery couldn't be better.

Every program we've attended has been an adventure for us, with never a disappointment. Knowledgeable instructors, cordial and organized leaders, programs beyond our expectations,and very interesting fellow travelers. We love Road Scholar!

The accomodations are lovely but very far from the park...long driving distances most days...and one could not hear the speaker at all if sitting in the back of the van. If you want good food, you will NOT get it on this trip! It was very bland and no choices at all. We had a new and very inexperienced trip leader. Our program presenters were GREAT! Overall, we loved this area of Montana but felt this was a very weak trip.

This trip was wonderful! Ed Leiser was an amazing leader. He's laid back, and has a passion for what he does. He loves to share his knowledge, as did all the instructors on this trip. The accomodations were very nice. It was great to stay in one place all week. My only complaint on this trip is the food and the dining area. The food was done as inexpensively as possible. Also, it should NOT be indicated that vegetarian is an option. Ed and Mully's has no idea what vegetarian fare is. They can barely make a half-way decent "regular" meal - although the salad was good! The dining area reportedly is ready to be torn down, and you'll see why! All in all a great trip but it costs a fortune to fly to Kalispell, so stay a while longer if you can afford the time. There's plenty to see!

I did find it interesting that this is the only trip I've been on that did not give us an evaluation to complete at the end. ??

-Housing was fantastic but needs to be closer to park; too much travel time to and from the park (at least 1 1/2 hour each way)
-Need to spend more time/days in park. I went to see/experience the park so only having 3 partial days there is too little.
-Highlight was hiking to Logan Pass
-Brian Peck was top notch; knowledgeable and fun. Kim went out of her way to be accommodating and helpful; very positive disposition.
-Need more evening programming; we had two free nights
-More specific information needs to be available on each hike's length and general incline/elevation range
-Advertizing that participants will see animals like bears is misleading; we saw very little wildlife
-6 hrs of free time on Friday too much; I don't attend a Road Scholar program to shop or do nothing for 6 hours
-Need to add going to Many Glacier
-I thought I would be seeing glaciers, was disappointed that we only saw a peak of one
-Surprised there was no decent computer where you can view pictures taken during the day, check weather report, etc.; the one available was so old and slow it was practically useless.
-All previous Elderhostel programs I attended were full of wonderful adventures; this one was my least favorite. What was offered was very good, but too little of it. It felt like the program had fillers to fill time.

There were some highlights to this program like traversing the Going to the Sun road and hikes to Virginia Falls and Avalanche Lake. The Whitefish Institute program on wetland restoration was unexpectedly good. The program and staff were new but they were enthusiastic and knowledgeable and I believe they can put on an excellent program with more experience. There were some drawbacks however like location of our hotel which caused a 2 hour ride to and from the park. That is a lot of time out of the day. And the so-called long hikes of 3 to 4 miles RT to Virginia Falls and Avalanche Lake were clearly more challenging to 2/3rd's of the participants who chose the short hikes. And like Philip from CA, I was disappointed that we didn't get up close and personal with a glacier. As presently constituted, the program provides several lectures on the flora and fauna, a chance for a person to see the peaks and valleys of Glacier National Park, and some leisurely (or more challenging) walks through the forests to explore the terrain. It is a good program as far as it goes but I believe it could be better.

Under new management (the Black Hills Institute in distant South Dakota), this program has a few glitches, but the people running it seem very eager to improve it and were extremely receptive to suggestions from participants. The group leader was very helpful and friendly.

Glacier is indeed spectacular and a sight everyone should see before all the glaciers melt. The wildflowers were out in force, although most of the wildlife (bighorn sheep, goats, and bears) were hiding in more remote areas. On the 3 days we traveled into the Park, our guide was the amazing Becky Lomax, who wrote the book--literally--on Glacier National Park. She is a treasure and should probably do more of the lectures.

The accommodations at the Whitefish Mountain Resort were positively luxurious--a 3-room suite with kitchen. The downside was the 2-hour ride each way into the Park. I know staying in an NPS lodge would be pricey, but even one night--or at least one dinner--would really improve the experience.

A couple of tips for participants: Going to the Sun Road was snowed under until mid-July this year, so choose an August date if you want to be sure of getting this part of the program. Also, the wildflowers all bloom at once during the very short growing season, so bring your meds if you have pollen allergies.

In addition to my previous comments, I would like to say that we never got to see a glacier as I expected.
The adjustments to the program due to unforeseen situations could have been handled more expertly.