Friday, May 23, 2014--Baker City, OR to Boise, ID
Today was mostly a re-positioning day to get us back to Boise for our flight home tomorrow. We did, however, do a few things after arriving here.
We went immediately to the Old Idaho Penitentiary which is one of the most popular museums in the city. It is one of only 4 old federal territorial prisons that is open as a museum in the country. The prison, which operated for 101 years (up to 1973) had a number of buildings representing various periods in its history. We saw the visitation room, the various cell block buildings, the solitary confinement building, the women's compound, the hanging room, the workshop, the laundry, etc. We also toured the next-door Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology.
From there, we went to Costco to buy gas for the car, and it was "happy hour." They had some of the best samples ever--quarter slices of ground Angus beef, small chunks of roast beef, chunks of garlic chicken, breaded chicken with salad dressing, Irish cheese, Asiago cheese, thin bread with melted cheese, garlic bread, stir-fried vegetables, chips with hummus, fruit-flavored waters, trail mix, frozen Greek yogurt.... I may have missed something, but it was a LOT of samples!
While there, we got a drink and just watched the shoppers as they left. Boise is mostly a city of white people. And most people seem to be healthier (as indicated by body size) than people in Texas. They were buying all kinds of things for the Memorial Day holiday weekend--picnic supplies, flowering plants to put in their lawns, supplies for working on their grass lawns, kayaks, summer clothing, etc.
In the evening we went downtown stopping first at the Boise Train Station which is a beautiful Spanish-style building. In front of the station building is a nice, small park. People were there taking photos, picnicking, etc. In the center of downtown, we walked the streets to watch people enjoying the warm weather at sidewalk cafes. Everyone seemed happy and to be especially enjoying being able to wear shorts, sandals, etc. Boise has a couple of streets (Main and 8th) which seem to be the center for most of such places. We also saw a moving outdoor bar--the Boise Bike Bar, a cart that seated maybe 10 people who used petal power to move the bar along while a non-drinker served as the driver in the front.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Small Towns in Eastern Oregon
Thursday, May 22, 2014--Circular Trip Out of Baker City and Back
We decided to stay at our hotel another night in Baker City because it is a bargain (about 40% of the price of most of the other places where we have stayed), and because there seemed to be interesting places to explore in the area. We fly back to San Antonio on Saturday, and we didn't want two more nights in Boise. Therefore, we followed some back routes near here and returned at the end of the day.
We headed first to Medical Springs. Today, it is really just a crossroads with an old hot springs pool and a hotel building that probably is used only as a private home. While there, however, we took a loop road into the national forest there filled with tall pines and cedar trees. We stopped at a lake and walked for a while.
Leaving Medical Springs, we passed the Catherine Creek State Park and turned back to hike on a trail there that took us up a mountain and back. People were arriving at the park with their recreational vehicles and getting settled for a long camping weekend related to Memorial Day.
We drove onward to Union, OR, an interesting small town with nice older homes, lots of local businesses, and an unbelievably large old hotel. We just drove through the downtown area and continued onward to Cove, OR, which has a warm springs pool. Unfortunately, the gate to the pool said it is open only from 7:00-9:30 each morning, and it was already 11:00!!
Our final destination was La Grande, OR. It's the largest town in the area--the main shopping city and the home of Eastern Oregon University. We parked downtown and walked the streets looking at the types of businesses there. I was surprised to find an old-fashioned, downtown J. C. Penney store--the kind with a main floor and a mezzanine. I didn't know any of those existed anymore. The only thing different from the similar stores I knew from Greenville, Commerce, and other towns in the area where I grew up is that this one did not have the pneumatic tubes to send the bills and cash up to the mezzanine for the cashier to handle and then send back the receipt and change in another tube container.
The movie theater was showing films we might have enjoyed seeing, but the first scheduled showings were around 16:00. We considered staying and going to one, but as we explored the town further, we tired. We went to the Eastern Oregon University campus, walked across it, and entered some of the buildings. It's a peaceful, nice, and small campus. Eventually, we gave up on waiting for a film and headed back to Baker City. We will be staying in our room tonight and watching TV, I guess.
We decided to stay at our hotel another night in Baker City because it is a bargain (about 40% of the price of most of the other places where we have stayed), and because there seemed to be interesting places to explore in the area. We fly back to San Antonio on Saturday, and we didn't want two more nights in Boise. Therefore, we followed some back routes near here and returned at the end of the day.
We headed first to Medical Springs. Today, it is really just a crossroads with an old hot springs pool and a hotel building that probably is used only as a private home. While there, however, we took a loop road into the national forest there filled with tall pines and cedar trees. We stopped at a lake and walked for a while.
Leaving Medical Springs, we passed the Catherine Creek State Park and turned back to hike on a trail there that took us up a mountain and back. People were arriving at the park with their recreational vehicles and getting settled for a long camping weekend related to Memorial Day.
We drove onward to Union, OR, an interesting small town with nice older homes, lots of local businesses, and an unbelievably large old hotel. We just drove through the downtown area and continued onward to Cove, OR, which has a warm springs pool. Unfortunately, the gate to the pool said it is open only from 7:00-9:30 each morning, and it was already 11:00!!
Our final destination was La Grande, OR. It's the largest town in the area--the main shopping city and the home of Eastern Oregon University. We parked downtown and walked the streets looking at the types of businesses there. I was surprised to find an old-fashioned, downtown J. C. Penney store--the kind with a main floor and a mezzanine. I didn't know any of those existed anymore. The only thing different from the similar stores I knew from Greenville, Commerce, and other towns in the area where I grew up is that this one did not have the pneumatic tubes to send the bills and cash up to the mezzanine for the cashier to handle and then send back the receipt and change in another tube container.
The movie theater was showing films we might have enjoyed seeing, but the first scheduled showings were around 16:00. We considered staying and going to one, but as we explored the town further, we tired. We went to the Eastern Oregon University campus, walked across it, and entered some of the buildings. It's a peaceful, nice, and small campus. Eventually, we gave up on waiting for a film and headed back to Baker City. We will be staying in our room tonight and watching TV, I guess.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Canyon and Wagon Trains
Wednesday, May 21, 2014--Ontario, OR to Baker City, OR
We stayed right on the border of Idaho and Oregon last night. Our motel was in Oregon. We bought gas across the river in Idaho because it was cheaper there. Eating was less expensive in Oregon, because there is no sales tax on restaurant meals.
This morning, we drove northward continuing to straddle the Idaho/Oregon border. Our destination was the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway. It's a remote area with the mountains coming down to the water on each side. It is the deepest canyon in the world, but it wasn't as impressive as we expected, because the mountains mostly slant away as they rise up. Also the effect is less impressive because there are dams which have raised the water level higher than it was when the river flowed at the bottom of the canyon. As I told Wes, "It is no Santa Elena!," referring to the impressive canyon at Big Bend National Park in Texas which is the most impressive one I have ever visited. However, we enjoyed the drive which alternated between being on the Idaho side and the Oregon side for about 23 miles (40 km).
We took a back road from there to Baker City, an old mining town in eastern Oregon. Before entering the town, we stopped at the National Oregon Trail Interpretive Center--a museum that tells the history and the hardships of those who traveled westward following the Oregon Trail in wagon trains in the mid-1800s. The exhibits were informative, and there were nice recreations of what life was like on the trail. The location of the museum was at a point where the original tracks from those making the trek over the trail. From the hill, we could see the tracks of 2-3 trails they traveled.
In Baker City, we walked the sidewalks downtown. It is a large for a town of only 12,000 people, but it was the major city for this area of Oregon 100 years ago. We went inside an art gallery, and we explored the Geiser Grand Hotel, an old, elegant place. Otherwise, we just walked the streets.
Our hotel is having trouble with its wifi, so we came to McDonald's to eat. We are both using the free wifi before returning to our room.
We stayed right on the border of Idaho and Oregon last night. Our motel was in Oregon. We bought gas across the river in Idaho because it was cheaper there. Eating was less expensive in Oregon, because there is no sales tax on restaurant meals.
This morning, we drove northward continuing to straddle the Idaho/Oregon border. Our destination was the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway. It's a remote area with the mountains coming down to the water on each side. It is the deepest canyon in the world, but it wasn't as impressive as we expected, because the mountains mostly slant away as they rise up. Also the effect is less impressive because there are dams which have raised the water level higher than it was when the river flowed at the bottom of the canyon. As I told Wes, "It is no Santa Elena!," referring to the impressive canyon at Big Bend National Park in Texas which is the most impressive one I have ever visited. However, we enjoyed the drive which alternated between being on the Idaho side and the Oregon side for about 23 miles (40 km).
We took a back road from there to Baker City, an old mining town in eastern Oregon. Before entering the town, we stopped at the National Oregon Trail Interpretive Center--a museum that tells the history and the hardships of those who traveled westward following the Oregon Trail in wagon trains in the mid-1800s. The exhibits were informative, and there were nice recreations of what life was like on the trail. The location of the museum was at a point where the original tracks from those making the trek over the trail. From the hill, we could see the tracks of 2-3 trails they traveled.
In Baker City, we walked the sidewalks downtown. It is a large for a town of only 12,000 people, but it was the major city for this area of Oregon 100 years ago. We went inside an art gallery, and we explored the Geiser Grand Hotel, an old, elegant place. Otherwise, we just walked the streets.
Our hotel is having trouble with its wifi, so we came to McDonald's to eat. We are both using the free wifi before returning to our room.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Probably the Best Mountain Drive in Idaho
Tuesday, May 20, 2014--Twin Falls, ID to Ontario, OR
After our "Sunrise Breakfast" (which included biscuits and gravy, freshly-made waffles, instant oatmeal, cereal, breads, cinnamon rolls, apples, butter, jam, apple juice, orange juice, and coffee as choices) at the hotel, we were off for another day of exploring. We started there in Twin Falls driving through the downtown area and by the College of Southern Idaho campus before heading to the Snake River Canyon and the Shoshone Falls. Unfortunately, downtown there is dead. The college campus was clean and attractive, but small. The canyon is a wonderful sight to see, and is the location of an attempted jump from one side to the other by Evil Knievel. Shoshone Falls are dramatic with water cascading from a dam, then breaking into several parts as it continues over and around rocky drops in the riverbed. The falls are not nearly as wide as Niagara Falls, but they having a longer drop.
We followed three of Idaho's scenic byways today, and the first two were among the best we have explored--lined on both sides by LONG strings of high, jagged, snow-capped mountaintops. The Sawtooth Scenic Byway was probably the best. Tall peaks were on each side of the highway. The Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway began at the end of the previous one, with the mountain pass where they joined being above the snow level so that we were passing mountainous stands of pine trees above a ground surface covered with 2-3 feet (up to a meter) of snow.
We covered one more short byway, the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway. It took us westward and downhill from the other byways through a narrow canyon with rocky sides and eventually a valley.
Our destination was Ontario, Oregon, on the border with Idaho. Tomorrow, we will explore one more scenic byway--one which may be even better, or at least as good as those today. Will write about it tomorrow.
After our "Sunrise Breakfast" (which included biscuits and gravy, freshly-made waffles, instant oatmeal, cereal, breads, cinnamon rolls, apples, butter, jam, apple juice, orange juice, and coffee as choices) at the hotel, we were off for another day of exploring. We started there in Twin Falls driving through the downtown area and by the College of Southern Idaho campus before heading to the Snake River Canyon and the Shoshone Falls. Unfortunately, downtown there is dead. The college campus was clean and attractive, but small. The canyon is a wonderful sight to see, and is the location of an attempted jump from one side to the other by Evil Knievel. Shoshone Falls are dramatic with water cascading from a dam, then breaking into several parts as it continues over and around rocky drops in the riverbed. The falls are not nearly as wide as Niagara Falls, but they having a longer drop.
We followed three of Idaho's scenic byways today, and the first two were among the best we have explored--lined on both sides by LONG strings of high, jagged, snow-capped mountaintops. The Sawtooth Scenic Byway was probably the best. Tall peaks were on each side of the highway. The Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway began at the end of the previous one, with the mountain pass where they joined being above the snow level so that we were passing mountainous stands of pine trees above a ground surface covered with 2-3 feet (up to a meter) of snow.
We covered one more short byway, the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway. It took us westward and downhill from the other byways through a narrow canyon with rocky sides and eventually a valley.
Our destination was Ontario, Oregon, on the border with Idaho. Tomorrow, we will explore one more scenic byway--one which may be even better, or at least as good as those today. Will write about it tomorrow.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Long and Beautiful Drive
Monday, May 19, 2014--Missoula, MT to Twin Falls, ID
We headed back into Idaho today and took two of their scenic byways. It was a long trip through very remote areas. The biggest town along the route had only 3,000 people. Most had under 1000, although we traveled 385 miles (660 km). Distances between towns were great.
Traveling through Montana was nothing special for a long distance. Then we started paralleling the Bitterroot Mountains which are beautiful. The route was one followed by Lewis and Clark when they explored this area. The mountain pass where we moved into Idaho was spectacular--the Lost Trail Pass. It was over 7000 feet (2000 m) in elevation, and there was still snow on the ground everywhere including the ski runs there.
The ride remained wonderful from there until just a short distance before we reached Twin Falls. Just beyond the border we stopped in Salmon, an historical mining town just across the border and walked the streets exploring. Then we began the Salmon River Scenic Byway from there to Challis. At that point, we switched to the Peaks to Craters Scenic Byway which we drove in its entirety. We passed high mountains. We we drove through huge, wide valleys. Toward the end of the latter byway, we stopped at the Craters of the Moon National Monument. Although interesting, I found it to be a disappointment. So many times, I have heard that it is so much like the moon that the astronauts trained there. But it really is a desert terrain with lots of growing brush. There are sections with a rocky lava terrain that make it worth seeing, but no one should go there thinking it is going to be like visiting the moon. (It's interesting to note, however, that most people try to take photos to show it being barren, since we probably all come here thinking it will truly be like the moon. Note how the photos at the link emphasize the barren areas although most of the terrain, in reality, is rugged brush.)
We drove into Twin Falls for the evening. We were tired and decided to wait until tomorrow morning to explore the town.
We headed back into Idaho today and took two of their scenic byways. It was a long trip through very remote areas. The biggest town along the route had only 3,000 people. Most had under 1000, although we traveled 385 miles (660 km). Distances between towns were great.
Traveling through Montana was nothing special for a long distance. Then we started paralleling the Bitterroot Mountains which are beautiful. The route was one followed by Lewis and Clark when they explored this area. The mountain pass where we moved into Idaho was spectacular--the Lost Trail Pass. It was over 7000 feet (2000 m) in elevation, and there was still snow on the ground everywhere including the ski runs there.
The ride remained wonderful from there until just a short distance before we reached Twin Falls. Just beyond the border we stopped in Salmon, an historical mining town just across the border and walked the streets exploring. Then we began the Salmon River Scenic Byway from there to Challis. At that point, we switched to the Peaks to Craters Scenic Byway which we drove in its entirety. We passed high mountains. We we drove through huge, wide valleys. Toward the end of the latter byway, we stopped at the Craters of the Moon National Monument. Although interesting, I found it to be a disappointment. So many times, I have heard that it is so much like the moon that the astronauts trained there. But it really is a desert terrain with lots of growing brush. There are sections with a rocky lava terrain that make it worth seeing, but no one should go there thinking it is going to be like visiting the moon. (It's interesting to note, however, that most people try to take photos to show it being barren, since we probably all come here thinking it will truly be like the moon. Note how the photos at the link emphasize the barren areas although most of the terrain, in reality, is rugged brush.)
We drove into Twin Falls for the evening. We were tired and decided to wait until tomorrow morning to explore the town.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
...Where the Buffalo Roam, and the Deer and the Antelope Play...
Sunday, May 18, 2014--Kalispell to Missoula
After a leisurely morning, we departed Kalispell around 10:30 headed southward along a roadway passing through the Flathead Indian Reservation where it was fascinating to see the highway signs written in the Salishan language. The views were spectacular with Flathead Lake to our right and the Mission Mountains rising up from the opposite side of it.
Around noon, we arrived at the National Bison Range, a reserve for American bison, antelope, deer, elk, and other animals. There is a 19-mile long loop drive, and we spent 3 hours exploring it. The experience was wonderful. The scenery was unbelievable. Within the loop were green, wildflower-covered hills; forests; native-grass plains; and rivers and creek beds. The first animals we saw were two bison just past the visitors' center. One was standing while the other was wallowing in the dust on its back. Next came two antelope which were casually eating the grasses. At the end of a quarter-mile (0.4 km) hiking trail, we saw our first herds of bison totaling maybe 100 separated into two groups--one scattered around and near a watering hole, and the other grazing on the grass. As we continued the loop, we saw more bison, more antelope, a deer, and an elk. But just as wonderful to see were the views. The green hills covered in yellow wildflowers were magnificent. And in the distance in two directions were high mountain ranges with snow-capped peeks.
It was late afternoon when we reached Missoula, our stopping point for the night. We checked into our hotel and went exploring. First, we headed to the old Ft. Missoula to see its buildings and the old neighborhood nearby. From there, we went to the University of Montana campus. It's near downtown and has a nice mixture of modern and older buildings. Unfortunately, while walking the campus, it began to rain with small pellets of hail. We had to rush back to our car and drive around its perimeter to finish the tour. Finally, we drove the streets of downtown Missoula. It's a large, lively one just a few blocks from the campus. It's obvious that most of the businesses appeal to the student population. There are galleries, restaurants, clubs, and unique shops.
The rain stopped about the time we arrived back at our hotel. As we got out of the car, we could see a beautiful double rainbow in the sky. It was a perfect end to a very nice day.
After a leisurely morning, we departed Kalispell around 10:30 headed southward along a roadway passing through the Flathead Indian Reservation where it was fascinating to see the highway signs written in the Salishan language. The views were spectacular with Flathead Lake to our right and the Mission Mountains rising up from the opposite side of it.
Around noon, we arrived at the National Bison Range, a reserve for American bison, antelope, deer, elk, and other animals. There is a 19-mile long loop drive, and we spent 3 hours exploring it. The experience was wonderful. The scenery was unbelievable. Within the loop were green, wildflower-covered hills; forests; native-grass plains; and rivers and creek beds. The first animals we saw were two bison just past the visitors' center. One was standing while the other was wallowing in the dust on its back. Next came two antelope which were casually eating the grasses. At the end of a quarter-mile (0.4 km) hiking trail, we saw our first herds of bison totaling maybe 100 separated into two groups--one scattered around and near a watering hole, and the other grazing on the grass. As we continued the loop, we saw more bison, more antelope, a deer, and an elk. But just as wonderful to see were the views. The green hills covered in yellow wildflowers were magnificent. And in the distance in two directions were high mountain ranges with snow-capped peeks.
It was late afternoon when we reached Missoula, our stopping point for the night. We checked into our hotel and went exploring. First, we headed to the old Ft. Missoula to see its buildings and the old neighborhood nearby. From there, we went to the University of Montana campus. It's near downtown and has a nice mixture of modern and older buildings. Unfortunately, while walking the campus, it began to rain with small pellets of hail. We had to rush back to our car and drive around its perimeter to finish the tour. Finally, we drove the streets of downtown Missoula. It's a large, lively one just a few blocks from the campus. It's obvious that most of the businesses appeal to the student population. There are galleries, restaurants, clubs, and unique shops.
The rain stopped about the time we arrived back at our hotel. As we got out of the car, we could see a beautiful double rainbow in the sky. It was a perfect end to a very nice day.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Glacier National Park
Saturday, May 17, 2014--Kalispell to Glacier National Park and Back
We headed out to Glacier National Park this morning after a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. The park is only about 45 minutes away from Kalispell. We stopped first at an Alberta, Canada, information center that had some nice exhibits (T-Rex dinosaur, bear, chuck wagon, a 4-man bobsled, etc.) and promotes the idea of tourists visiting Waterton, the Canadian portion of the mountains that form the international park spnning the border of the two countries.
At the official US visitor center for Glacier, we were helped by a very nice, young ranger with a beard and wearing a ranger hat. We told him we wanted to hike, and he asked a few questions before recommending a circular hike of about 3 miles (5 km) near Johns Lake. Then he recommended stops along the way to there and further up the mountain from there.
Our first stop was at the bottom of Lake McDonald, a long finger lake with views of the snow-capped mountains beyond. The lake was very placid and two men were kayaking over it in the distance.
Our next stop was the Lake McDonald Lodge, the old hotel that has been at the park for most of its history. Although not as large as the old lodges at Yosimite and other national parks, it has a rustic and dramatic style. The lobby is a two-story atrium surrounded by a balcony and decorated in native-American/western American style. The lodge was not open to the public, but employees were busy cleaning it and getting everything in place for its seasonal opening next weekend which made it easy to sneak peaks inside without being detected.
The circular hike that included John's Lake took us through tall cedar trees and along trails that were sometimes quite soft from fallen leaves and other matter. Eventually, it took us over the McDonald Creek at a point where there was a rushing waterfall. At that point, in trying to follow the ranger's directions on the map, we made a wrong turn. It took us about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) in the wrong direction. We eventually realized it was wrong and turned back. It was through a beautiful, remote area of the park that allowed us to see more waterfalls, to climb over fallen trees that were as thick as 1 yard (1 m), and to be far away from any other persons in the park, so we didn't mind the extra experience. We backtracked to find the route we should have followed, and that extra distance made our total hike about 4.5 miles (7.5 km)--1 1/2 times as long as it would have been if we had stayed only where the ranger suggested we hike.
At one stop along the McDonald Creek to see a falls, I noticed a butterfly on a man's hand. When they left, I went to the same point he stood, and the butterfly was still fluttering around. I held out my hand, and it landed on it. I guess that it has become used to the tourists and likes landing on them--somewhat of a domesticated butterfly!
Back at the car, we drove to Avalanche on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. That is as far as the road is open so far this year. Generally, it takes them until mid-June to clear the snow from the highest elevations of the drive, so they open it section-by-section as they can. At Avalanche, we took another circular hike on the Trail of the Cedars. It was very populated with walkers and was paved/planked for easy access by the handicapped. We didn't really see anything that special along it, but there was an interesting series of 5-7-5 Haiku poems to read along the route.
We had been at the park about 4 hours by then, so we headed back to Kalispell. We went through two sporting goods stores--Cabella's and Sportsman and Ski Haus--which are very similar kinds of stores. Also, we ate dinner. We were tired by the time we got back to the hotel around 7:00 p.m.
We headed out to Glacier National Park this morning after a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. The park is only about 45 minutes away from Kalispell. We stopped first at an Alberta, Canada, information center that had some nice exhibits (T-Rex dinosaur, bear, chuck wagon, a 4-man bobsled, etc.) and promotes the idea of tourists visiting Waterton, the Canadian portion of the mountains that form the international park spnning the border of the two countries.
At the official US visitor center for Glacier, we were helped by a very nice, young ranger with a beard and wearing a ranger hat. We told him we wanted to hike, and he asked a few questions before recommending a circular hike of about 3 miles (5 km) near Johns Lake. Then he recommended stops along the way to there and further up the mountain from there.
Our first stop was at the bottom of Lake McDonald, a long finger lake with views of the snow-capped mountains beyond. The lake was very placid and two men were kayaking over it in the distance.
Our next stop was the Lake McDonald Lodge, the old hotel that has been at the park for most of its history. Although not as large as the old lodges at Yosimite and other national parks, it has a rustic and dramatic style. The lobby is a two-story atrium surrounded by a balcony and decorated in native-American/western American style. The lodge was not open to the public, but employees were busy cleaning it and getting everything in place for its seasonal opening next weekend which made it easy to sneak peaks inside without being detected.
The circular hike that included John's Lake took us through tall cedar trees and along trails that were sometimes quite soft from fallen leaves and other matter. Eventually, it took us over the McDonald Creek at a point where there was a rushing waterfall. At that point, in trying to follow the ranger's directions on the map, we made a wrong turn. It took us about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) in the wrong direction. We eventually realized it was wrong and turned back. It was through a beautiful, remote area of the park that allowed us to see more waterfalls, to climb over fallen trees that were as thick as 1 yard (1 m), and to be far away from any other persons in the park, so we didn't mind the extra experience. We backtracked to find the route we should have followed, and that extra distance made our total hike about 4.5 miles (7.5 km)--1 1/2 times as long as it would have been if we had stayed only where the ranger suggested we hike.
At one stop along the McDonald Creek to see a falls, I noticed a butterfly on a man's hand. When they left, I went to the same point he stood, and the butterfly was still fluttering around. I held out my hand, and it landed on it. I guess that it has become used to the tourists and likes landing on them--somewhat of a domesticated butterfly!
Back at the car, we drove to Avalanche on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. That is as far as the road is open so far this year. Generally, it takes them until mid-June to clear the snow from the highest elevations of the drive, so they open it section-by-section as they can. At Avalanche, we took another circular hike on the Trail of the Cedars. It was very populated with walkers and was paved/planked for easy access by the handicapped. We didn't really see anything that special along it, but there was an interesting series of 5-7-5 Haiku poems to read along the route.
We had been at the park about 4 hours by then, so we headed back to Kalispell. We went through two sporting goods stores--Cabella's and Sportsman and Ski Haus--which are very similar kinds of stores. Also, we ate dinner. We were tired by the time we got back to the hotel around 7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Into Montana
Friday, May 16, 2014--Sandpoint, ID, to Kalispell, MT
It was a long driving day today. The direct route would not have been so long, but we made some detours to be able to see some sights off the regular path.
The Idaho panhandle is narrow, and Sandpoint is near its eastern border, so we were out of Idaho early and spent most of the day in Montana. We followed scenic byway routes going southwestward from Sandpoint on ID 200/MT 200 to MT 56 which we took northward to US 2. Tall evergreens lined the roadways, and snow-capped mountains were ahead of us and to the eastern side of us.
Once we got to US 2, we turned northwestward back toward Idaho and then took MT 508 further northward. Our main goal was to see Yaak Falls. This route (US 2, MT 508, and MT567) forms a loop route that is highly recommended in the travel literature. Yaak Falls was great--rushing water cascading over giant stone boulders. We were able to get right up next to them.
There is an unpaved shortcut road that would have allowed us to miss part of the loop. We turned onto it, but it was blocked after 1 1/2 miles causing us to have to turn around. Probably it is still blocked by snow. We were surprised later to find that even the MT 567 route was only open to light-weight vehicles (which ours is). It was a great road to follow--very narrow and twisting and winding high up into the mountains with snow banks still on the sides of the roadway. The thick tree growth came right up to the edge of the roadway. And the mountains above us were still covered with snow.
Back on US 2, we back-tracked a short distance to see Kootenai Falls and to walk across a swinging bridge that crosses the river there. The Kootenai is a much wider river than the Yaak, so the rush of the water was more dramatic. The long swinging bridge allowed us to walk across the whole river and explore the other side. There, we found two young guys who were putting their kayaks into the water planning to go down the river, but they were studying the roughness of the water. It was still churning quite a lot just below the swing bridge. We all walked back across the bridge together which made it swing much more than it did when it was just two of us on it before.
After that, we just wanted to take US 2 all the way to Kalispell where we are staying for two nights. It was about a 90 mile trip through valleys with the mountains of Glacier National Park gradually becoming evident the closer we got. We will go there tomorrow to explore the portion of the park that is open so far this year.
Two interesting notes:
Most of the area we drove through today was created by a giant glacier 12000 years ago. It resulted in the beautiful valleys between the mountains and in a large number of natural lakes that still exist.
Montana highways have small white crosses along its roadways for each person who has died in an accident. If more than one cross is in a place, it means that more than one person has died there--in the same accident if on one post and in multiple accidents if on separate posts. We saw one single post that must have had over 20 crosses on it today--probably the result of a bus accident.
It was a long driving day today. The direct route would not have been so long, but we made some detours to be able to see some sights off the regular path.
The Idaho panhandle is narrow, and Sandpoint is near its eastern border, so we were out of Idaho early and spent most of the day in Montana. We followed scenic byway routes going southwestward from Sandpoint on ID 200/MT 200 to MT 56 which we took northward to US 2. Tall evergreens lined the roadways, and snow-capped mountains were ahead of us and to the eastern side of us.
Once we got to US 2, we turned northwestward back toward Idaho and then took MT 508 further northward. Our main goal was to see Yaak Falls. This route (US 2, MT 508, and MT567) forms a loop route that is highly recommended in the travel literature. Yaak Falls was great--rushing water cascading over giant stone boulders. We were able to get right up next to them.
There is an unpaved shortcut road that would have allowed us to miss part of the loop. We turned onto it, but it was blocked after 1 1/2 miles causing us to have to turn around. Probably it is still blocked by snow. We were surprised later to find that even the MT 567 route was only open to light-weight vehicles (which ours is). It was a great road to follow--very narrow and twisting and winding high up into the mountains with snow banks still on the sides of the roadway. The thick tree growth came right up to the edge of the roadway. And the mountains above us were still covered with snow.
Back on US 2, we back-tracked a short distance to see Kootenai Falls and to walk across a swinging bridge that crosses the river there. The Kootenai is a much wider river than the Yaak, so the rush of the water was more dramatic. The long swinging bridge allowed us to walk across the whole river and explore the other side. There, we found two young guys who were putting their kayaks into the water planning to go down the river, but they were studying the roughness of the water. It was still churning quite a lot just below the swing bridge. We all walked back across the bridge together which made it swing much more than it did when it was just two of us on it before.
After that, we just wanted to take US 2 all the way to Kalispell where we are staying for two nights. It was about a 90 mile trip through valleys with the mountains of Glacier National Park gradually becoming evident the closer we got. We will go there tomorrow to explore the portion of the park that is open so far this year.
Two interesting notes:
Most of the area we drove through today was created by a giant glacier 12000 years ago. It resulted in the beautiful valleys between the mountains and in a large number of natural lakes that still exist.
Montana highways have small white crosses along its roadways for each person who has died in an accident. If more than one cross is in a place, it means that more than one person has died there--in the same accident if on one post and in multiple accidents if on separate posts. We saw one single post that must have had over 20 crosses on it today--probably the result of a bus accident.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Traveling a Portion of the Selkirk Loop
Thursday, May 15, 2014--Spokane to Sandpoint with a Side Tour to Bonners Ferry and the Canadian Border
We knew we wouldn't be traveling far today, so we took our time in the morning. After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we went back to the campus of Gonzaga University and toured the Jundt Art Museum. Their special exhibit was the works of one of its ceramics professors and of the works of his students. I really liked some of his pieces, and some of the students' work was also good. The main gallery of the museum had a glass exhibit which included a number of donated pieces by Chihuly.
There is a circular route called the International Selkirk Loop that goes from Spokane northeastward through Idaho into southern Canada and back down to Glacier National Park before returning through southern Idaho to Spokane. We decided not to drive to Glacier that way because there is also a very interesting route from the Idaho Panhandle along Route 2 to Glacier. Therefore, today we started the Selkirk Loop and drove it as far as the Canadian border. Then we backtracked 60 miles to Sandpoint, ID, where we had made a reservation for tonight.
To be honest, the portion of the Selkirk Loop we drove today was not nearly as pretty and as exciting as the scenic routes we took going northward within Idaho a few days ago. However, the last portion from Sandpoint to Bonners Ferry to the Canadian border did have higher, more dramatic snowcapped mountains beside it. That latter portion followed a long valley that had been formed by a receding glacier about 10,000 years ago. Right at the border was an interesting agricultural area filled with tall poles. Reading a sign, we discovered it is the largest contiguous hops field in the world. Today, the hops plants were barely protruding from the surface of the earth, so it will take several weeks/months for them to climb so that the poles are needed to support them.
We got the last hotel room we could find in Sandpoint last night when we searched for reservations. Upon our arrival, we discovered why. They are having their annual Lost in the '50s celebration. The parking lot of our hotel is half filled with classic cars. The front cover of the local tourist magazine shows one of them and touts the festival.
Apparently Sandpoint is a major tourist destination throughout the year. There are ski areas in the nearby mountains for winter activities, and Lake Pend Oreille, the largest and deepest lake in the state, is here for summer recreation. It's a nice town with lots of shopping and entertainment available.
After our return from the Canadian border late this afternoon, we did some shopping at Wal-Mart and at the Dollar Store. We checked on he features at the cinema next door to our hotel, but none were of particular interest to us. We would have enjoyed going back to the downtown area to explore it more and to see whether tickets were available for a live theater event for the Lost in the '50s celebration tonight, but we were afraid that all the parking spaces at the hotel would be taken when we returned. We decided just to relax and plan our travels for the next two days.
We knew we wouldn't be traveling far today, so we took our time in the morning. After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we went back to the campus of Gonzaga University and toured the Jundt Art Museum. Their special exhibit was the works of one of its ceramics professors and of the works of his students. I really liked some of his pieces, and some of the students' work was also good. The main gallery of the museum had a glass exhibit which included a number of donated pieces by Chihuly.
There is a circular route called the International Selkirk Loop that goes from Spokane northeastward through Idaho into southern Canada and back down to Glacier National Park before returning through southern Idaho to Spokane. We decided not to drive to Glacier that way because there is also a very interesting route from the Idaho Panhandle along Route 2 to Glacier. Therefore, today we started the Selkirk Loop and drove it as far as the Canadian border. Then we backtracked 60 miles to Sandpoint, ID, where we had made a reservation for tonight.
To be honest, the portion of the Selkirk Loop we drove today was not nearly as pretty and as exciting as the scenic routes we took going northward within Idaho a few days ago. However, the last portion from Sandpoint to Bonners Ferry to the Canadian border did have higher, more dramatic snowcapped mountains beside it. That latter portion followed a long valley that had been formed by a receding glacier about 10,000 years ago. Right at the border was an interesting agricultural area filled with tall poles. Reading a sign, we discovered it is the largest contiguous hops field in the world. Today, the hops plants were barely protruding from the surface of the earth, so it will take several weeks/months for them to climb so that the poles are needed to support them.
We got the last hotel room we could find in Sandpoint last night when we searched for reservations. Upon our arrival, we discovered why. They are having their annual Lost in the '50s celebration. The parking lot of our hotel is half filled with classic cars. The front cover of the local tourist magazine shows one of them and touts the festival.
Apparently Sandpoint is a major tourist destination throughout the year. There are ski areas in the nearby mountains for winter activities, and Lake Pend Oreille, the largest and deepest lake in the state, is here for summer recreation. It's a nice town with lots of shopping and entertainment available.
After our return from the Canadian border late this afternoon, we did some shopping at Wal-Mart and at the Dollar Store. We checked on he features at the cinema next door to our hotel, but none were of particular interest to us. We would have enjoyed going back to the downtown area to explore it more and to see whether tickets were available for a live theater event for the Lost in the '50s celebration tonight, but we were afraid that all the parking spaces at the hotel would be taken when we returned. We decided just to relax and plan our travels for the next two days.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Exploring Spokane
Wednesday, May 14, 2013--Spokane, Washington
It was nice to have a day in a city after two days of traveling. But exploring a city can also be tiring!!
We drove to the downtown area and parked. First, we explored Riverfront Park, the area where the Spokane World's Fair was held in 1974. It consists of a couple of islands in the center of the Spokane River and the grounds on either bank. Like most former World Fair sites, this one is less than overwhelming. There are remains of a couple of buildings that still house an entertainment complex with an ice rink, an IMAX theater, and some shops. There is also the Looff Carousel which is an old one with hand-carved animals, but it does not play the calliope music that most carousels have which lessens the excitement. Most of the grounds are a green park with little development. What makes visiting there exciting are the views of the falls on the Spokane River. Especially this time of the year with all the snow melt, there are wonderful rushes of churning water running down the falls areas.
After leaving the park, we explored the nearby downtown area. We followed the pathway for an historical architecture tour which took us to some quite interesting buildings. Probably the best was the restored Davenport Hotel with its elegant ballrooms including The Isabella Ballroom and The Hall of Doges. One that was disappointing on the exterior was the Fox Theater, but images of its interior look very interesting.. But there are many interesting buildings. Spokane is lucky to have grown quickly in the late 1800s after a fire that destroyed over twenty blocks of the downtown area. The downtown has lots of old office and warehouse buildings, therefore, from that period. And downtown is quite alive with popular restaurants, winery tasting rooms, offices, department stores, museums, etc.
After about 3 1/2 hours downtown, we headed to Manito Park where we hiked through the various botanical gardens and drove the loop trail. The Lilac Gardens were in full bloom, and a long wall was lined by two rows of brightly-colored (white, purple, yellow, etc.) freesias.
Next, we drove to the Browne Addition, a section of town known for nice, old homes that have been well kept. The houses are no match for the King William District in San Antonio, but there is a wonderful park right in the middle of the district, and there is a nice traffic circle nearby with small cafes around it.
We took a break to eat a late lunch, then we went to explore the campus of Gonzaga University near our hotel. It's a Jesuit school with about 7800 students. It is best known nationally for having basketball teams that are regularly ranked among the top teams and enter the playoffs for the championship. It's a nice, clean campus with many new buildings and a beautiful lake.
It was 6:30 by the time we left there, and we were tired from being out all day. We returned to the hotel to relax and watch the fifth playoff basketball game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trailblazers.
It was nice to have a day in a city after two days of traveling. But exploring a city can also be tiring!!
We drove to the downtown area and parked. First, we explored Riverfront Park, the area where the Spokane World's Fair was held in 1974. It consists of a couple of islands in the center of the Spokane River and the grounds on either bank. Like most former World Fair sites, this one is less than overwhelming. There are remains of a couple of buildings that still house an entertainment complex with an ice rink, an IMAX theater, and some shops. There is also the Looff Carousel which is an old one with hand-carved animals, but it does not play the calliope music that most carousels have which lessens the excitement. Most of the grounds are a green park with little development. What makes visiting there exciting are the views of the falls on the Spokane River. Especially this time of the year with all the snow melt, there are wonderful rushes of churning water running down the falls areas.
After leaving the park, we explored the nearby downtown area. We followed the pathway for an historical architecture tour which took us to some quite interesting buildings. Probably the best was the restored Davenport Hotel with its elegant ballrooms including The Isabella Ballroom and The Hall of Doges. One that was disappointing on the exterior was the Fox Theater, but images of its interior look very interesting.. But there are many interesting buildings. Spokane is lucky to have grown quickly in the late 1800s after a fire that destroyed over twenty blocks of the downtown area. The downtown has lots of old office and warehouse buildings, therefore, from that period. And downtown is quite alive with popular restaurants, winery tasting rooms, offices, department stores, museums, etc.
After about 3 1/2 hours downtown, we headed to Manito Park where we hiked through the various botanical gardens and drove the loop trail. The Lilac Gardens were in full bloom, and a long wall was lined by two rows of brightly-colored (white, purple, yellow, etc.) freesias.
Next, we drove to the Browne Addition, a section of town known for nice, old homes that have been well kept. The houses are no match for the King William District in San Antonio, but there is a wonderful park right in the middle of the district, and there is a nice traffic circle nearby with small cafes around it.
We took a break to eat a late lunch, then we went to explore the campus of Gonzaga University near our hotel. It's a Jesuit school with about 7800 students. It is best known nationally for having basketball teams that are regularly ranked among the top teams and enter the playoffs for the championship. It's a nice, clean campus with many new buildings and a beautiful lake.
It was 6:30 by the time we left there, and we were tired from being out all day. We returned to the hotel to relax and watch the fifth playoff basketball game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trailblazers.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Scenic Byways in Idaho for Two Days
Monday, May 11, 2014--Boise to Moscow
Idaho is a state with few people and a LOT of scenic byways. Usually they are the old back highways rather than the newer, faster ones. The first two days of our trip beyond Boise have been dedicated to following such highways as we slowly make our way around the state. Today we went from Boise to Moscow which is the home of the University of Idaho.
Most of the byways we traveled today followed rivers. Usually, old train tracks followed the same routes on the other bank of each river. Among those we followed were the Payette, the Salmon, the Clearwater, and the Snake Rivers. The names of the byways were the Payette River Scenic Byway, the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway. The latter followed the route that Lewis and Clark followed when exploring a path to get to the Pacific Ocean and went through the Nez Pierce Indian Reservation, the home of the Indian tribe that helped them survive. Along the way we went through canyons, valleys (both high and low ones), forests, and bare mountains. Snowcapped mountains were in the distance on both sides of us at times.
There were small towns (most under 1000 people and only about 3 reaching 2000 or more) along the way, and few people lived between them except in the valleys. Cell phone service was not available along most of the routes we followed. The towns tended to still be "alive," meaning that they had stores providing most of the basic services probably due to the fact that they were so far from any cities. The architecture was mostly western US style--false fronts, covered sidewalks, etc. The closest town in Texas I could compare them to would be Bandera, TX. One interesting thing I had never seen anywhere before was the system they used for pedestrians to cross the street: Several of the towns had red flags on short polls deposited on each corner. To cross the street safely, one was supposed to pick up a flag and walk with it hoisted high. At the corner across the street was a place with more red flags where one should place the flag he had just used.
We stopped in two places along our route--McCall and Lewiston/Clarkston. McCall is the biggest and most developed of the small towns along the way, although it has only about 3000 people. It is a popular resort with lots of cabins, hotels, RV parks, etc. It is on a lake which even includes sandy beaches for summer activities and has mountains in back of it for winter activities. It also has a large ice arena for year-round use. We walked the streets there to stretch our legs and take some photos.
Lewiston and Clarkston are border towns with the former in Idaho and the latter in Washington. People travel back and forth for shopping, entertainment and education. Lewiston has a very pretty old downtown with nearby Lewis-Clark State College. Clarkston has a new shopping district with Costco, Wal-mart, and other major stores within 2-5 blocks after crossing the bridge between the two cities. We ate at Costco for a late lunch/early dinner.
Our destination was Moscow. We reached it around 17:30. Our motel is just across the street from the University of Idaho campus. After riding all day, we felt the need to walk. We spent about two hours exploring the campus--determining which buildings housed which subjects, evaluating the architecture of both the older and the newer buildings, going up and down the streets housing the fraternity and sorority houses, watching the students play outdoor sports, etc.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014--Moscow to Coeur d'Alene to Spokane
This was a second long day of driving beautiful scenic byways. We started the day, however, by touring downtown Moscow and then driving across the state line to explore downtown Pullman, Washington, and the Washington State University campus.
Both downtowns were nice, yet small. They are tree-lined and mainly serve students at the nearby campuses with restaurants, bars, and specialty shops.
The campus of Washington State University sits on top of a steep hill. We had to walk up sloping sidewalks and up many steps to reach the top. It must be difficult for students to get around campus in the winter when there is snow and ice. Maybe because of the hilltop limitations, many of the buildings had multiple floors--often 6-12 stories tall. Most were functional while not being especially notable architecturally. The new library building was one of the more interesting ones. Although not very pretty when seen from the front, the rear had a long, curved wall and the building had a grassy park on the rooftop. Also possibly due to the hilltop setting, the campus has few straight ways to go across it; the buildings are clustered together and require lots of twisting and winding to get from one to another.
Before leaving the campus, we stopped at the Ferdinand Creamery--an ice cream shop on campus that uses the milk from the cows within the agricultural program to make ice cream which is sold to the public. I got a tin lizzy cone--vanilla with caramel and chocolate chunks. Wes got a peanut-chocolate cone. They were delicious and creamy. I suspect that they use Jersey cow milk for that creamy texture.
The byways we drove today were the White Pine Scenic Byway, the St. Joe River Scenic Byway, and the Lake Coeur d'Alene Scenic Byway. Each was different. Along White Pine, we mostly went through tall stands of pine trees that were growing up the edges of the highway. The St. Joe followed a wild river up into the mountains and was lined with many RV parks ready to be filled by summer tourists. It required us to drive in and back out, since the mountain road we wanted to take to depart from the town of Avery was still closed due to snow. The lake drive followed a very long, beautiful lake with a shore that is lined with beautiful homes and cabins.
We have seen many interesting sights as we have traveled. We saw a huge fox that had been killed today. It was tied to the back of a pickup truck which parked beside us when we were stopped in Avery in the mountains. We also saw rainbow trout in the same town. One interesting sight along all the routes over the past two days has been the old red barns that so many farms have. They add to the atmosphere.
We ended our trip today in Spokane. We are staying at a Howard Johnson's and will be here for at least two nights. It will be nice to explore a town tomorrow and not spend so much time sitting in a traveling car.
Idaho is a state with few people and a LOT of scenic byways. Usually they are the old back highways rather than the newer, faster ones. The first two days of our trip beyond Boise have been dedicated to following such highways as we slowly make our way around the state. Today we went from Boise to Moscow which is the home of the University of Idaho.
Most of the byways we traveled today followed rivers. Usually, old train tracks followed the same routes on the other bank of each river. Among those we followed were the Payette, the Salmon, the Clearwater, and the Snake Rivers. The names of the byways were the Payette River Scenic Byway, the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway. The latter followed the route that Lewis and Clark followed when exploring a path to get to the Pacific Ocean and went through the Nez Pierce Indian Reservation, the home of the Indian tribe that helped them survive. Along the way we went through canyons, valleys (both high and low ones), forests, and bare mountains. Snowcapped mountains were in the distance on both sides of us at times.
There were small towns (most under 1000 people and only about 3 reaching 2000 or more) along the way, and few people lived between them except in the valleys. Cell phone service was not available along most of the routes we followed. The towns tended to still be "alive," meaning that they had stores providing most of the basic services probably due to the fact that they were so far from any cities. The architecture was mostly western US style--false fronts, covered sidewalks, etc. The closest town in Texas I could compare them to would be Bandera, TX. One interesting thing I had never seen anywhere before was the system they used for pedestrians to cross the street: Several of the towns had red flags on short polls deposited on each corner. To cross the street safely, one was supposed to pick up a flag and walk with it hoisted high. At the corner across the street was a place with more red flags where one should place the flag he had just used.
We stopped in two places along our route--McCall and Lewiston/Clarkston. McCall is the biggest and most developed of the small towns along the way, although it has only about 3000 people. It is a popular resort with lots of cabins, hotels, RV parks, etc. It is on a lake which even includes sandy beaches for summer activities and has mountains in back of it for winter activities. It also has a large ice arena for year-round use. We walked the streets there to stretch our legs and take some photos.
Lewiston and Clarkston are border towns with the former in Idaho and the latter in Washington. People travel back and forth for shopping, entertainment and education. Lewiston has a very pretty old downtown with nearby Lewis-Clark State College. Clarkston has a new shopping district with Costco, Wal-mart, and other major stores within 2-5 blocks after crossing the bridge between the two cities. We ate at Costco for a late lunch/early dinner.
Our destination was Moscow. We reached it around 17:30. Our motel is just across the street from the University of Idaho campus. After riding all day, we felt the need to walk. We spent about two hours exploring the campus--determining which buildings housed which subjects, evaluating the architecture of both the older and the newer buildings, going up and down the streets housing the fraternity and sorority houses, watching the students play outdoor sports, etc.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014--Moscow to Coeur d'Alene to Spokane
This was a second long day of driving beautiful scenic byways. We started the day, however, by touring downtown Moscow and then driving across the state line to explore downtown Pullman, Washington, and the Washington State University campus.
Both downtowns were nice, yet small. They are tree-lined and mainly serve students at the nearby campuses with restaurants, bars, and specialty shops.
The campus of Washington State University sits on top of a steep hill. We had to walk up sloping sidewalks and up many steps to reach the top. It must be difficult for students to get around campus in the winter when there is snow and ice. Maybe because of the hilltop limitations, many of the buildings had multiple floors--often 6-12 stories tall. Most were functional while not being especially notable architecturally. The new library building was one of the more interesting ones. Although not very pretty when seen from the front, the rear had a long, curved wall and the building had a grassy park on the rooftop. Also possibly due to the hilltop setting, the campus has few straight ways to go across it; the buildings are clustered together and require lots of twisting and winding to get from one to another.
Before leaving the campus, we stopped at the Ferdinand Creamery--an ice cream shop on campus that uses the milk from the cows within the agricultural program to make ice cream which is sold to the public. I got a tin lizzy cone--vanilla with caramel and chocolate chunks. Wes got a peanut-chocolate cone. They were delicious and creamy. I suspect that they use Jersey cow milk for that creamy texture.
The byways we drove today were the White Pine Scenic Byway, the St. Joe River Scenic Byway, and the Lake Coeur d'Alene Scenic Byway. Each was different. Along White Pine, we mostly went through tall stands of pine trees that were growing up the edges of the highway. The St. Joe followed a wild river up into the mountains and was lined with many RV parks ready to be filled by summer tourists. It required us to drive in and back out, since the mountain road we wanted to take to depart from the town of Avery was still closed due to snow. The lake drive followed a very long, beautiful lake with a shore that is lined with beautiful homes and cabins.
We have seen many interesting sights as we have traveled. We saw a huge fox that had been killed today. It was tied to the back of a pickup truck which parked beside us when we were stopped in Avery in the mountains. We also saw rainbow trout in the same town. One interesting sight along all the routes over the past two days has been the old red barns that so many farms have. They add to the atmosphere.
We ended our trip today in Spokane. We are staying at a Howard Johnson's and will be here for at least two nights. It will be nice to explore a town tomorrow and not spend so much time sitting in a traveling car.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Spring Blossoms in Boise
Sunday, May 11, 2014--Boise, Idaho
It's springtime in Boise. Trees are blooming--lilac, fruit, chestnut, etc. And blossoms are also on decorative plants everywhere. Known as Tree City, the streets are lined with lots of large trees of various kinds, so seeing them in bloom is especially nice. We've driven up and down streets in the older neighborhoods seeing beautifully restored houses with lawns full of blossoming trees and other plants.
We started the day with a visit to the Idaho State Capitol Building. It's a very nice building in traditional design with a dome. It is bright with lots of marble and many skylights. As I have experienced when visiting other capitol buildings on Sundays, it was totally vacant except for tourists. We didn't see a single guard or employee. Of course, there is video surveillance throughout the building. We could not tell whether it was being monitored by an unseen guard or not, but I'm sure it was recording everything that was happening.
We walked through much of the downtown area when we left the capitol. We saw the Egyptian Theater, the Bosque Center and the block of Bosque businesses around it, the architecture of the old buildings that remain downtown along with the more modern buildings. Boise has a downtown that is alive. Much of that is due to the students living on the campus of Boise State University which is just a few blocks away.
We drove to the Julia Davis Park which is home of several museums, the zoo, and gardens. One side of it is the Boise River, a fast-moving, clear stream that has trout in it. The day was so nice that we just explored outside rather than go inside any of the museums. We walked along a path beside the river, we crossed a bridge which took us to the Boise State University campus, we walked through the campus, then we returned to the park where we watched a performance of Marimba Boise, a local group performing African music on their homemade marimbas. They wore tie-died t-shirts. And to the side, a group of dancers in African attire waiting to perform themselves danced in a circle to the beat of the music. A man with a white cockatoo and a parrot entertained the children to the rear of the crowd which sat on the grass in the warm sunshine enjoying it all. It reminded me of the Summer of Love in San Francisco--1967 at the height of the hippie movement.
In the late afternoon, we ate pizza for an early dinner. Then we drove to Bogus Basin, the ski area in the mountains above Boise. It was a beautiful drive lined with some very nice homes sitting on top of hills overlooking the city--the most impressive being the house of Mr. Simplot, a potato magnate whose name is encountered everywhere here in Idaho. Not only was his house nice, but the entire hill it sits on is covered in grass which is regularly mowed. The ski basin was not so impressive. It is small, has only a couple of small lodges for eating or drinking, and has only chair lifts which go to the tops of gently sloping hills. However, I'm sure people here in Boise are very happy to have a place to ski that is so close to their home and is probably quite inexpensive.
By that time, the day was over and we were tired. We returned to the room where we planned our route for tomorrow and I watched the latest episode of Mr. Selfridge on Masterpiece Theater.
It's springtime in Boise. Trees are blooming--lilac, fruit, chestnut, etc. And blossoms are also on decorative plants everywhere. Known as Tree City, the streets are lined with lots of large trees of various kinds, so seeing them in bloom is especially nice. We've driven up and down streets in the older neighborhoods seeing beautifully restored houses with lawns full of blossoming trees and other plants.
We started the day with a visit to the Idaho State Capitol Building. It's a very nice building in traditional design with a dome. It is bright with lots of marble and many skylights. As I have experienced when visiting other capitol buildings on Sundays, it was totally vacant except for tourists. We didn't see a single guard or employee. Of course, there is video surveillance throughout the building. We could not tell whether it was being monitored by an unseen guard or not, but I'm sure it was recording everything that was happening.
We walked through much of the downtown area when we left the capitol. We saw the Egyptian Theater, the Bosque Center and the block of Bosque businesses around it, the architecture of the old buildings that remain downtown along with the more modern buildings. Boise has a downtown that is alive. Much of that is due to the students living on the campus of Boise State University which is just a few blocks away.
We drove to the Julia Davis Park which is home of several museums, the zoo, and gardens. One side of it is the Boise River, a fast-moving, clear stream that has trout in it. The day was so nice that we just explored outside rather than go inside any of the museums. We walked along a path beside the river, we crossed a bridge which took us to the Boise State University campus, we walked through the campus, then we returned to the park where we watched a performance of Marimba Boise, a local group performing African music on their homemade marimbas. They wore tie-died t-shirts. And to the side, a group of dancers in African attire waiting to perform themselves danced in a circle to the beat of the music. A man with a white cockatoo and a parrot entertained the children to the rear of the crowd which sat on the grass in the warm sunshine enjoying it all. It reminded me of the Summer of Love in San Francisco--1967 at the height of the hippie movement.
In the late afternoon, we ate pizza for an early dinner. Then we drove to Bogus Basin, the ski area in the mountains above Boise. It was a beautiful drive lined with some very nice homes sitting on top of hills overlooking the city--the most impressive being the house of Mr. Simplot, a potato magnate whose name is encountered everywhere here in Idaho. Not only was his house nice, but the entire hill it sits on is covered in grass which is regularly mowed. The ski basin was not so impressive. It is small, has only a couple of small lodges for eating or drinking, and has only chair lifts which go to the tops of gently sloping hills. However, I'm sure people here in Boise are very happy to have a place to ski that is so close to their home and is probably quite inexpensive.
By that time, the day was over and we were tired. We returned to the room where we planned our route for tomorrow and I watched the latest episode of Mr. Selfridge on Masterpiece Theater.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Traveling to Boise
Saturday, May 10, 2014--San Antonio to Denver to San Francisco to Boise
Wes and I are on another short vacation. We flew to Boise today in 3 segments, because we could get free tickets using our frequent flier points that way. We will make a loop trip through Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana. It was a long day for traveling today, and it will be a long day when we return to San Antonio on May 24. But it's an inexpensive vacation!!
Our only real hassle with the travel today related to a delayed departure from San Antonio. The plane had arrived late last night due to thunderstorm delays, and the law prevented the crew from working again for a given number of hours. Therefore, we departed this morning about 50 minutes later than scheduled. When we got to Denver, we only had 25 minutes to change planes--20 minutes by the time we got off the first plane. We were at Gate 18 at the very end of Terminal C in Denver, and we had to get to Gate 42 which was about 2/3 of the way toward the other end of Terminal C. We combined running and the use of the moving sidewalks (also while running) and got to our other plan just 5 minutes before they closed the door for the flight.
The size of the Boise airport was a surprise. The Boise metropolitan area is about the same size as Corpus Christi's, yet the airport here is maybe 4 times the size of the Corpus Christi airport and has 4 times the number of enplanements (passengers traveling out) each year.
It was about 19:30 by the time we checked into our hotel here in Boise. It's just across the expressway from the airport (like half the other hotels in the city). We drove downtown passing the Boise State University campus. We drove up and down the downtown streets where there is lots of nightlife. We went out Warm Springs Road which is lined with nice old homes and mansions. Then we came back out Broadway which took us by the Boise State University Football Stadium. That's all the exploring we felt like doing, because we were tired from getting up early and traveling all day.
Wes and I are on another short vacation. We flew to Boise today in 3 segments, because we could get free tickets using our frequent flier points that way. We will make a loop trip through Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana. It was a long day for traveling today, and it will be a long day when we return to San Antonio on May 24. But it's an inexpensive vacation!!
Our only real hassle with the travel today related to a delayed departure from San Antonio. The plane had arrived late last night due to thunderstorm delays, and the law prevented the crew from working again for a given number of hours. Therefore, we departed this morning about 50 minutes later than scheduled. When we got to Denver, we only had 25 minutes to change planes--20 minutes by the time we got off the first plane. We were at Gate 18 at the very end of Terminal C in Denver, and we had to get to Gate 42 which was about 2/3 of the way toward the other end of Terminal C. We combined running and the use of the moving sidewalks (also while running) and got to our other plan just 5 minutes before they closed the door for the flight.
The size of the Boise airport was a surprise. The Boise metropolitan area is about the same size as Corpus Christi's, yet the airport here is maybe 4 times the size of the Corpus Christi airport and has 4 times the number of enplanements (passengers traveling out) each year.
It was about 19:30 by the time we checked into our hotel here in Boise. It's just across the expressway from the airport (like half the other hotels in the city). We drove downtown passing the Boise State University campus. We drove up and down the downtown streets where there is lots of nightlife. We went out Warm Springs Road which is lined with nice old homes and mansions. Then we came back out Broadway which took us by the Boise State University Football Stadium. That's all the exploring we felt like doing, because we were tired from getting up early and traveling all day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
