CLOUDS AND CORNFIELDS

It's official we are now driving South. So that means that we are starting the drive back home. It's not over yet, we still have several more adventures, but it's always a little sad when you realize you are headed back home.

Today when we left Sun Valley it was just starting to rain, again but for the rest of the drive we didn't see any more rain. Just lots of clouds and plenty of corn fields.  Lots of cornfields! 

We pulled into Massacre Rocks State Park about 2:00 but it took a very long time for us to get set up in our site. Both of our sites were so unlevel that Warren and Jim really had to pull out all the blocks and chocks to make it work. At least the wine bottles aren't rolling off the counter, but we are a still a little tippy.

No matter, both sites have great views of the Snake River and there are lots of trails and places to explore. This picture is taken from our site number 34. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

SUN VALLEY GONDOLA

Good thing my folks got out early this morning. Right now as I write this it is POURING rain down on us. Seems like every day around this time it starts raining. It cools everything down, but it sure is noisy on our roof.

There was a plan to bike ride this morning, but Kathe convinced everyone to go to the River Run side of mountain and take the scenic gondola ride to the top. Her thinking was that if we did that this morning, we wouldn't get caught in the rain. Good Plan! It was really a great ride to the Roundhouse area and then they took a chair lift to the tippy top. I only wish the pictures had been clearer. 

Jim and Kathe have skied this mountain several times, but it was much more intimidating without the snow. They couldn't believe it was so steep! 

When they returned to camp, everyone except Jim chickened out on the bike ride. He went alone and had a great ride, returning just as the huge raindrops were falling.

Tomorrow we head to Twin Falls, Idaho and the Massacre Rocks State Park for 2 nights.  

BETWEEN THE RAIN DROPS

It rained again last night. Thunder and lightning and big loud rain drops on our roof.  Doesn't bother me much anymore because I can't hear a thing, but Gianni was upset all night and had to sleep in his crate. When Gianni's not happy nobody's happy, especially in the rain.

Today all the humans were supposed to go on another long bike ride. It didn't happen. My Kathe finally got an appointment to get her hair cut and Kathy and Warren needed a day of rest. Jim was planning to clean the motor home, but when he looked at the weather report that was put on hold.

The clouds were threatening again this afternoon, but everyone was tired of sitting around so they came up with a plan to visit the Sawtooth Botanical Garden. It was very small compared to some of the botanical gardens in California, only about 5 acres. It was quiet and peaceful. Beautiful native and cultivated plants that thrive in the high altitude, and a small stream complete with tiny trout. 

It started to rain again this afternoon, so it was back to camp for everyone. More thunder and lightning and rain now off and on, looks like it will be another noisy night.

WOOD RIVER TALE

Today everyone was up and ready to go on a bike ride by the crack of 11:00 AM. Of course, I got Kathe up before sunrise for a little stroll around the camp ground, but she went right back to sleep. By the time they all were ready to roll the weather was bright and sunny, perfect! The Wood River Bike Trail is about 20 miles long and runs right past our campground all the way to Warm Springs. 

The Wood River Trail is the abandoned Sun Valley line of the Union Pacific which was resurfaced and now used year round by residents and visitors who want to get outdoors. There were people running, walking, and biking today, but they can even use it for cross county skiing in winter.

Everything was going well until Warren noticed that Kathe's bike had a flat tire. They pulled over in the shade and fixed it right away. They kept going until they reached Bald Mountain when the girls decided to turn around and ride back. The guys continued another 4 miles before they rode back.

This afternoon was supposed to be a shopping day in Ketchum. There are lots of little shops to explore, but the thunderstorm put an early end to that idea. It's been raining off and on all afternoon and there is a flash flood warning for the area. How fast can a little dog go in a rainstorm? You'd be surprised!

SUN VALLEY

What a bunch of lazy lumps! Here we are in beautiful Sun Valley Idaho and everybody sleeps in this morning! The original plan was for an early bike ride today, but the weather didn't cooperate. Drizzle, not too bad, just wet enough to spoil the plan.

Dithering around. A trip to the market, a trip to the hardware store, a few phone calls, a few loads of wash, and then it was too late to do anything but eat lunch. My Kathe found a restaurant called, Raspberry, in Ketchum where they had a very delicious lunch. After that, they drove to the Sun Valley Farmers Market at the base of the mountain, but they were so late, most of the good stuff was already sold out.

So, they just drove around the Sun Valley area to see the Ski mountain and all the little shops in town. Here is a picture of the lifts on the Warm Springs side and a look at the river on the River Run side. 

We got back to camp just as the sun finally came out at 5:00 and Jim decided to check out the bike path for tomorrow. Do you think we need to start setting the alarm clock?

KETCHUM

We left our beautiful site at Torrey's RV this morning and I took this picture before we left. On one paw we had the most fantastic site looking at the mountains above the Salmon River. On the other paw we had no cell service for the entire time and almost no internet. Still, we had a great 5 days.

Our drive to Ketchum was supposed to only take an hour, but with all the twists and turns, and a 9,000 foot pass over the mountains, it was more like 3 hours before we got settled into the Meadows. It's not the greatest place we've ever stayed. The sites are really close together, but the Taylors are facing one way and we are next to them facing the other way. We kind of have a ten foot space on grass to share between us. But hey, we're camping!

The worst part of the afternoon was when we received a call from the RV park in Arco, where we were supposed to stay next. They cancelled our reservation because they have a major electrical problem. Panic! 

We made all of our reservations 8 months ago due to the increased number of people on the road this summer. All four of my humans were calling all over the place trying to find a replacement for that reservation. I think they called at least 7 different places and the answer was always the same, NO we are totally booked. Well, we decided to ask the office here if we could stay another 3 days and they were able to accommodate us. Needless to say, that was our only adventure today.  Looking forward to a better tomorrow, after all this is a vacation.

BAYHORSE

We had to get up early this morning so that the humans could start today's adventure. The goal was to visit the BayHorse Ghost town and then to do some fishing at BayHorse Lake.  The ghost town was about 4 miles from the main highway, on a gravel road. The area was named for the first prospectors bay horses!

The discovery of load bearing ore in this area lead to the development of mines here around Challis, Idaho in the late 1870s. The biggest years of silver and lead production for Bayhorse were from about 1882 through the 1890's when a drop in prices led to the eventual shut down of the mines. For many years the area was not open to the public. When it became a unit of the State Park System things were made safe for the public to enjoy this piece of mining history. There were many buildings with photographs and information to help the visitors imagine what it might have been like way back in time.

Next they drove another 4 miles up the mountain to the larger of the Bayhorse Lakes. After a picnic lunch the guys headed to the lake with their poles and the girls sat in the shade watching them fish. The fishing was lots of fun for the guys! They caught 7 more fish bring the total number of fish caught here to 15! They are having another fish dinner tonight and they put the rest in the freezer.

YANKEE FORT STATE PARK

I'm a day late, due to having absolutely no internet last night. So here's yesterday in a nutshell:

After a very late start, my humans drove back north on highway 95 to the small town of Challis to visit the State Park Museum and to do a little grocery shopping.

The museum was the best they have seen so far in Idaho, everything was laid out perfectly. The antiques displayed were real, not just someone's junky collection. They watched a very well done film about the mining history in the area. The ranger at the front desk knew a lot about the Yankee Fork area and also gave them some fishing tips. After a much needed grocery trip, they returned to camp and the Kathies played with us doggies for a while and the guys loaded up the car with some fishing gear.  

They have been having great luck fishing here, the best ever. Kathy T caught two trout and Jim caught one. After Warren was helping Kathy and fell into the river, it was time to go home! 

GOLD AND GHOST TOWNS

In the 1870's gold was first discovered here in the heart of Idaho's wilderness. People came from all over the country to try their luck panning or mining for gold. There are abandoned gold mine operations and ghost towns all over this area.

It's a lot cooler today than yesterday, but there is still some smoke in the air. A perfect day to explore the ghost towns and some other interesting sites. The Yankee Fort Gold Dredge is only a few miles away from our campground, so that was the first stop. The road into the area where the Forest Service placed this massive machine is paved, but there are huge piles of mine tailings on either side of the road. There were about 6,000,000 cubic yards of displaced rock just from this one mining operation. So sad to see such destruction of the land. Kathy, Warren and Jim toured the interior of the dredge, while  my Kathe toured the gift shop. The inside of the machinery was dark and smelly and the stairs were too steep for her. The kiosk and brochure explained all she needed to know.

After that tour they drove farther into the forest to check out two mining ghost towns. One town was Custer where the Forest Service had restored several buildings. There was a self guided tour with a a lot of information about the buildings and the inhabitants. The town was founded in 1879 by gold speculators of the Lucky Boy and Black mines. By 1910 it was a ghost town.  This is a picture of the one room school house 

It was interesting to see so many tourists in the area with gold pans and shovels, I guess there is still some gold to be had.

Fish Update: Jim caught a two nice sized trout yesterday and Warren caught one. Kathy bought a fishing license today, so the three of them are out trying their luck this afternoon.

TORREY'S BURNT PINE

Funny name for a beautiful place. We are about half way between Challis and Stanley Idaho right on the Salmon River. There are only about 12 sites here and we have one right on the cliff overlooking the river. 

Our drive today was on highway 93 and 75 on the route called the Salmon River Scenic Byway. And scenic it was! Steep canyon walls with large ranches in the valley, all following along the Salmon River. It was a really awesome drive, with many crazy turns. 

Once we checked in they camp host warned us about the wolves and mountain lions that come through the campground in winter. Lots of scary pictures, enough to keep me indoors. We have to keep our humans on a leash when we go outside just to be safe.

The first picture is the view from our site looking up the River. There are supposed to be lots of fish in this river. The other picture is one of the many canyons were drove through to get here.

Jim and Warren bought 5 day fishing licenses. Keeping our paws crossed for a fish dinner! 

QUIET DAY

This is our last day here at the Wagonhammer Resort. It's been fun, but there were a few challenges, namely the WIFI and cell service. Hardly a day goes by without one of my humans complaining about that.  It is however a very beautiful setting, very quiet, and there are lots of things to see and do here. 

From my point of view, the coolest thing here is the number of birds that need chasing. There are tons of robins, sparrows and an occasional bald eagle. Needless to say I'm not chasing one of those guys, but we see them everyday flying over the campground to the River and back. 

Gianni and I like to chase squirrels and there were plenty of those at the last park, but nothing here except a few chipmunks. Nothing is as much fun as chasing squirrels up a tree. 

We are camped between some red trees that have tons of berries and the birds are dive bombing into these trees all during the daylight hours. My favorite time of day is just before dawn, when Kathe takes me out for a walk. She's half asleep and when I start running after the birds she can't keep up. Great fun!

Today we all just chilled out, waiting for the thunderstorm that never came. A few sprinkles and a little thunder, but the storm passed us by, thank goodness. Kathe walked down to the river and took these pictures.

Tomorrow we head to Stanley, Idaho for another adventure.    

A REAL ADVENTURE

This area is all about Lewis and Clark, in case you haven't been paying attention. Today, they all went on another adventure road, The Lewis and Clark Backcountry Byway. It was a 35 mile gravel road loop from Tendoy, Idaho to the Montana border and back again. All along the way there were markers that told the story of the area and the path that Lewis and Clark took in 1805. 

There was so much history on this little one lane road. At Fort Lemhi in 1855 a group of Mormons established a mission to convert and "civilize" the Shoshone, Sheepeater and Bannock Tribes. The venture failed and the remains of the Fort are still visible. There's a monument to those who died there on the top of a mountain. Farther along the road there was a hot springs on what is now BLM land. too bad they didn't bring bathing suits.

The highlights of the adventure were the many kiosk that told the tale of the Lewis and Clark adventures in the area. This is where they made contact with the Shoshone who helped them find a passage through the Lemhi Pass and the Salmon-Challis Forest.  The byway crosses the Continental Divide and there are several places where the Lewis and Clark party camped. On the Montana side of Lemhi Pass there is a beautiful memorial to Sacagawea, at the point where the Missouri River ends. 

Last night we had another  big thunderstorm with lots of rain and woke up to a blue sky for the first time in many days. It's nice not to be breathing smoke for a change! Sorry about the lack of photos tonight, it's impossible to download them without internet. 

SACAJAWEA CENTER

It's a cloudy/smoky day and the only adventure anyone wanted to do today was visit the local museums. There are two museums in Salmon, Idaho and they can both be visited in one day. Including a pizza lunch as well!

The Sacajawea Center is a 71 acre park with two interpretive walking trails as well as a small museum. There is information about the Lewis and Clark Trail and the surrounding Lemhi valley. Along the trail there were bronze statues of Sacajawea and Seaman, Captain Meriwether Lewis' dog, the Newfoundland that accompanied them on the journey. There were also  some beautiful statues of salmon and a bald eagle which appeared to be so lifelike that Kathe took this picture of it.

They watched a very good film that explained the role of the Native Americans that helped the expedition throughout the journey. Warren and Jim were joking around in the visitors center with a stringer of plush stuffed fish. Wonder if we will ever see any real fish on our journey!

After the pizza lunch they briefly checked out the Lemhi County Museum. Another historical society museum with some interesting artifacts. There were Native American crafts and early pioneer and mining exhibits. Good thing it was closing early as visiting two museums in one day is never a good idea.

GHOST TOWNS

I'm going to make this short. The WIFI keeps going in and out so the faster I work the more likely I'll actually finish before it kicks me out.

Again today everyone left us doggies at home and went out to explore the many ghost towns along the Salmon River. Not much else to do around here unless you are bird and like to eat choke cherries from the trees that we're camped under. It's hot and smoky so there is no desire to go outside.

This was a gold and lead mining area and there are still remains of some of the abandoned miners cabins and machinery. The first road that they traveled was into the forest where they saw some really beautiful modern cabins before actually finding what they were looking for. They saw the remains of the Ulysses mine and some other old cabins that were falling to ruin.

Then it was back out to the River to see another mine and watch  the rafters floating down the river. The area outside of North Fork on the River was once an area inhabited by the Sheepeater Indians and there was some writing on the stone wall that was discovered recently.

They saw a bald eagle, grouse, herons, and big horn sheep along the drive. All too far away for a good picture.

BEST PLACE EVER, ALMOST

Short but steep drive today south on 93 down to the Wagonhammer RV Resort. It was a 7200 foot climb up over Chief Joseph Pass and a decent of a 5% grade for about 5 miles. So many, many hairpin turns that we had to slow down to 25 miles per hour for most of the drive.

All that was worth the effort. We are camped by the beautiful Salmon River and there is no smoke! We will be here for 5 days, and plan to relax and explore the many ghost towns in this area. There is not much else to do here except some fishing.

Our only problem is the fact that there is really no internet. We have to keep trying all sorts of ways to get some kind of service, and it's a pain.

Last night we had the worst rain storm ever, giant rain drops and thunder and lightning for about 20 minutes, but the good news is that it helped the firefighters are gain some ground.

I'll do my best to keep up the blog, but don't worry if I miss a day or two. Maybe I'll get Kathe to take me to the lodge where they promise better service.

STILL SMOKY

There are several fires burning near us that are making the air here really smoky. Today is the worst day yet for the smoke, the only good thing about it is that the mosquitos seem to be staying away from the campsite. 

There was a plan today to try again to visit the Nez Perce museum.  A Montana Highway Patrol officer stopped this morning to let the camp host know that highway 43 was going to be closed again today due to the forest fire. There wasn't much else to do here, so they all piled into the Jeep to explore some of the small campgrounds and forest road near Sula.

Here is a picture of a rock formation that they found at the top of a very steep jeep trail. It's called the "Idaho Rock" because it's in the shape of the state of Idaho. It's in Montana!

Next, they found the original Sula schoolhouse built in the early 1900's. It was restored in 2011 complete with the school bell. Inside there were desks, books and newspapers from the early 1900's.

Tonight we are getting a little rain, hopefully that will help the firefighters. Tomorrow we move on to North Fork, Idaho and maybe less smoke.  

CAMP SULA

Things are looking up today. It's really cool and quiet here and it turns out that this is a very famous historical area. This very spot was the place that Lewis and Clark met the Salish Indians in 1805 on their Journey with the Corps of Discovery. They came down the Bitterroot Mountains into the valley where we are camped today. We traveled part of the Lewis and Clark Trail from Missoula to Ross' Hole which is the name they gave to the valley.

Today my crew planned to go to the Nez Perce Historical Park, but there is a really large forest fire in the area and State Highway 43 is closed for the fire fighters. The Museum was open yesterday but the road has been periodically opened and closed to fight the fire. There is a lot of smoke in the valley and we are hoping that things change before we have to move onto the next campground in North Fork, Idaho.

Instead of a trip to the museum, they took a Jeep trip to Painted Rock State Park, about 30 miles from Sula. There's a really large lake and campground there. Unfortunately, there was so much smoke in the area the picture doesn't do it justice.

The painted rocks were colored green, yellow, and orange from the lichens growing on the black and grey rocks.

MOSQUITO HAVEN

Our drive today was a long one, made even longer by the huge traffic jam in Missoula. We stopped for fuel and then when we got back on Highway 93 we spent about 30 minutes in bumper to bumper traffic. Kathe and Warren found a way around all the cars eventually because it looked like we would be stuck there for an hour. Finally we picked up some speed. Nerves were frazzled, but we came out on the right side of town and headed South. 

We are camped here in Sula, Montana which is a little more than a wide spot on the highway along the Bitterroot River. 

Kathe and I went out for a short walk and she was rewarded with two mosquito bites. Then after rubbing repellant all over herself she went out to take a couple of pictures for me. After a mosquito bit her on the forehead, she was back inside for good. Jim and Warren are setting up the "She Shack" right now to keep us from getting bit tonight.

The campground (they shouldn't  call it a "Resort") is very rustic. There is a  store and a restaurant, and a little fishing pond but not much else. The River is really beautiful and all, but our site is mostly gravel and dirt and Jim is having a fit every time some one drives by and throws dust in the air.  Don't be surprised if you don't hear from me every night, the Wi-Fi here is almost nonexistent. Should be an interesting three days!!

BUSMANS HOILDAY

Even though we have to drive 150 tomorrow to get to Sula Montana, guess what they decided to do today? Go for a long drive!

The Kathies thought it would be fun to drive all around Flathead Lake, a distance of about 100 miles. What were they thinking? We are staying at the southern end of the Lake and have just about seen everything on the west side. So, they started off to travel to the east side of the lake hoping that it might just be a little warmer and that they might see some cherry farm stands. It's really too early for cherries in Montana and the only ones we've seen have been in the Safeway and Walmart. Not good enough for my humans.

It was a very beautiful drive and they past many cherry farms and finally found one that was open. They bought a bunch of cherries and ate them right away to make sure that they were good. They stopped for a while in the little old town of Big Fork for some souvenir shopping and some ice cream cones, before heading back on the road.

As you can see the Lake is just as beautiful on the east side as the west.

THE EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLAR FISH

Unfortunately there was no fish. Unless you count the fish tacos that Warren is making for dinner tonight. Let me explain. First there was the $450 dollars for the boat rental. Next, another $350 for the two special poles and reels with lures and bait that was "almost guaranteed" to catch the 30 or 40 pound fish swimming around in Flathead Lake. Four hours on the Lake and not even a nibble!

They did, however, have a great time today on the Lake making it all worth it. The Lake is beautiful and so large it was almost like being in the ocean. In some places it was over 65 feet deep. There were some pretty big waves in the morning, but the weather was cool and the pontoon boat was really plush and comfortable. The Kathies enjoyed the sunshine, riding in the boat listening to music and reading. The guys had fun even without a that big fish to bring home.  

The fish stories that we heard from owner of the boat rental shack and the lady at the bait store made us think we were in for a big fish dinner. 

Oh well, after a couple of Margaritas, I'm sure the fish tacos will taste just as good.

WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM

Well, technically they are Bison not Buffalo. The adventure today was a trip to the National Bison Range which was about an hour away from where we are camped. There was some talk last night about all of five us going together in one car. We doggies didn't want to be squished in the back seat with the Kathies for 4 hours, so we declined the invite.

The National Bison Range is a 18,766 acre refuge located near the center of the Flathead Indian Reservation. The Red Sleep trail that they drove was a 19 mile loop, one way gravel road that takes about 2 hours and gains 2,000 feet in elevation. There were lots of switchbacks and 10% grades along the drive. Good thing they were in a Jeep.

They kept looking and looking and didn't see any of the over 300 bison that are roaming the preserve. Finally, they were just a couple of miles from the exit when herds of bison started coming down the steep hillside to cross the road right in front of them. 

The two very large herds were crossing the road to reach the river. They walked within feet of the Jeep.  It was very cool, and of course everyone was snapping pictures. It was very exciting. They weren't supposed to get out of the car, but some one did to take this close-up! 

 

MIRACLE OF AMERICA

While I was home sleeping, everyone else left for an excursion to the Miracle of America Museum in Polson. From what they told me, it's a miracle that anyone could collect so much stuff in one place. They paid ten dollars to enter and spent the whole afternoon wandering around. They certainly got their moneys worth! 

There were 40 buildings on the property and each one was filled with all manner of stuff, police and military vehicles, bicycles, snowmobiles, motor cycles and really old cars. There were entire buildings dedicated to washing machines, dairy equipment, fishing, hunting, and antique toys and games. They toured several little shops; a bank, a  shoemakers, saddlery, millinery, and even saw some space ships. You can't even begin to imagine all the things stuffed into each building. 

Of course the guys liked all the tools, weapons and vehicles and thought that the museum was amazing. The Kathies just walked around and marveled at room after room of the weird things that people collect. Kathe recognized the EASY washer that her Mom used in the basement of her house in New Jersey, sometime in the 1950's. That machine washed and wrung out the clothes and her Mom then hung them on the clothes line. Memories! 

In front of the museum there was some other interesting stuff, to get you excited to come inside. Here is a picture of a metal sculpture that they claim was "Messy" the Loch Ness monster of Flathead Lake. It was once used at the lumber mill to blow out saw dust. It's about 20 feet long. Now it's just gathering dust on the highway.
    

ALL ABOUT THE DRIVE

Today we had a wonderful drive from Coeur D' Alene to Polson, Montana. It was a bumpy ride and a very windy road, up and down the mountain passes, but oh, so beautiful. I know because I was standing up in my crate the whole way. That's the only way to balance yourself when the coach is swaying back and forth. 

We started out this morning on the I-90 then drove the State roads 135, 200, and 95 all of which have the dots on the map that mean they are the scenic highways.  It truly was the scenic route! Kathe tried to take pictures from the window to show you the drive, sorry that they aren't so great.

We passed lots of rivers, lakes, and pine forests all day long. We saw very few other cars. It was really a special day.

Our RV Park is very nice, the kind of place where people spend the whole summer. We are on Mountain time now here in Montana and its still light outside even through the clock says its 10:00. 

Time to get in my bed!

COEUR D' ALENE

So nice and cool here under the giant pine trees. No air conditioning needed at night, and the days are in the 80's. Our site is shaded and we are right next to a campers patio with a waterfall. It's a little crowded, but then again its summertime and everyone is traveling. 

Today was a shopping day. I wasn't invited, but I'm not much of a shopper unless we are going to Petco, where I can browse the lower shelves for treats.  They went into the town of Coeur D' Alene and walked up and down the little old town shopping area. Kathy T. is always on the look out for Christmas stuff and wasn't disappointed today. She brought home a box bigger than me! Jim and Kathe did some olive oil tasting and purchased some flavored oils and champagne vinegar for cooking. They topped off the afternoon with a Costco run, the first Costco they have seen in awhile. Not enough room in the freezer to make the trip worthwhile I'm told. As long as there is plenty of frozen chicken for me I'm a happy dog.

When they came back to the coach, Kathe and I went for a little walk. Then she talked Jim into  going down to see the Lake and taking pictures. 

They had pizza for lunch today so a little extra walking was necessary. It's really a pretty Lake and they watched people boating and swimming in the late afternoon. They even saw a baby moose! Don't think he wanted his picture taken.

PARTY WITH JIM

We left the land of Integras, Allegro Buses, and Dutch Stars this morning and headed to Coeur d' Alene. We only had to drive about an hour to arrive at the Tamarack RV Park. It's as different as night and day! It's an okay park, but it's right on the highway and a culture shock for all of us. After 5 days of peace and quiet, this place is noisy and very busy. The dog park (which is really just the lawn out in the front of the park) had a gazillion doggies out there tonight. Crazy! We are only staying  for two nights, but the people we have met here are very nice.

Today was Jim's birthday. Thank you to all the people who called, sent videos, and texted him birthday wishes. It's hard being away from home on your birthday, but all of you made it a very special day for him.

Gianni and I dressed up this evening to have our picture taken with Jim. The Kathies painted special scarves for his birthday.
I think we look very happy, and so does Jim.

OVER THE BORDER

This is our last day here in Blanchard, so there was a little more activity with my humans!  First up was a morning bike ride all around the Resort. Kathe wanted to show them the lakeside homes that she saw yesterday when Jim and Warren were napping. They also checked out the Activity Center that had a huge indoor swimming pool. I'm sure that's very popular in the winter when there is four feet of snow here. The bike/walking path goes all around the perimeter of the Resort and there are great views of the surrounding mountains. There are these little bird houses along the path. Interesting, because there are hardly any birds here at all. I saw one quail, and a couple of robins, that's it.

This afternoon they all piled into the car again for an adventure into the town of Newport, Washington. It was only about 30 minutes away, right over the Idaho border. It was a good size town with a great historical museum. Lots of cool old stuff. There was a hunters cabin, pioneer cabin, church, school, fire  lookout tower and a caboose that you could investigate.

Lots of old logging equipment, washing machines, and a collection of blow torches were of interest to my guys! They had lunch in a restaurant that was built before the town had electricity, and explored a couple of antique shops in town.

Tomorrow it's off to Coeur d Alene for a two night stay. It's only 30 minutes away, so we will be there in plenty of time to celebrate Jim's birthday.