Red Lion River Inn Hotel Spokane

Finally got the truck back, all fixed and running beautifully. Decided to get on the road, though it was already 2 pm. Headed south along Flathead Lake through green forests and valleys to I-90, then west, west, west. All uphill, what a climb, to Coeur d'Alene in Idaho, then downhill into Washington State. Spent almost two hours trying to find Riverside State Park in the city of Spokane, finally set up the camper and tried to settle down for the night.

... halls full of culinary arts, horticulture, poultry barn, beer garden etc.  We went to the critter corner and there were birds and reptiles including Big Al an alligator reared from birth and available for a photo – Lily and Fynn were first up (Edie not so keen) and sat with Big Al on their laps. 

We did not have too much time at the Fair as we had promised to be with mum and dad at the Armstrong’s (Karen and Jack’s) cabin in Plains for supper so with ...

... cleansed with a basil and lime sorbet (to die for), trout and fennel, shredded beef and a cheese dish which incorporated a fusion of blue cheese with other cheeses.  All the bread accompanying the meal, pastries and desserts were all prepared and not one item frozen.  The wine was from Washington.    As I sit here I am finding it hard to remember all the ingredients and really annoyed that I did not write it down.  A memorable meal and we are only ...

... rakes for clearing the bunkers! I teamed up with Tim to form a Brits team against Rob and Steve – the Yanks- in a Ryder Cup style four-ball match. Tim and Rob played really well with Steve and I contributing on some holes with the match going down to the last green for me to hole a 6 footer to halve the hole and win the game 1 up. A fantastic game on a gem of a course.

... struggling with a sore foot and was unable to run as fast but he too had a great time hacking just holding onto long reigns and flying around corners.  A fabulous ride and from here on a mellow trek was out of the question.

That evening we were entertained around the campfire by a white bearded cowboy by the name of Tom Lamb.  Born and bred in the area Tom’s talent was cowboy poetry and country songs.  He silenced us all with an ...

... and never grip the side of the horse with your legs.  The stirrups were longer and you bottom wedged into the saddle pretending that you were balancing a bowl of punch between your legs with a curved back – as if you were riding a Harley. Forget posture, slouch those shoulders and you are off.  The only similarity was that the balls of your feet were on the stirrups. 

It was hard to erase all that we learnt and we looked a couple of ...

We were so looking forward to a bed.  As much as the RV is comfortable there is only a limit to how much time you can sleep on foam.  We drove around the Coeur d'Alene lake  and all had a good feeling about what was to come.   Up into the mountains along a dusty lane we were being encouraged to go further to find Red Horse Mountain Ranch.  We drove to the ranch house and was met by your stereo typical wrangler or wranglet, Ashley in jeans and gingham shirt ...

Sunday morning. Only two days until take-off. The bed is finally cleared. Sammi (cat), Hunter (dog) and I can all sleep there comfortably once again. I'll sure miss them on this trip - and, I believe, they will miss me. The big duffle bag is packed. I have eliminated more than 1/2 of the clothes and stuff. It still weighs in at a little over 40lbs. Too heavy for me to deal with and right at the top of the limit. I hate the thought of unpacking it and ...

... to have something to wash down the carbo-bomb pastry that I had eagerly waved my finger at in the display case. With drinks in hand, we searched for a place to seat ourselves. It became clear that our options were limited. We ended up sitting at a round table very close to the stage. The volume of the microphone was quite overpowering. As we sat down to relax and chat, the impassioned songster occasionally burst forth with something that was ...

It was a good day to pull out of the Seattle area. We had some rain this morning and I think it was going to continue. It was a beautiful dive to Spokane, WA. The first couple of hours were lush and then we started to get into 'farmland.' As pretty as Oregon and Washington were, it was nice to have some change. It took us about 5 hours to get to Spokane ...