Silver Lake Motel Coeur d'Alene

Here I am trying to pack for yet another trip. Everything out ready to put 1/2 back....then another 1/2 back in a day or so. The good news is that we have really no restrictions on weight (other than the standard 2-bags at 50lbs each) and neither Southwest nor Mexicana is charging for baggage. No way I'll need that baggage limitation but I still worry about having to carry the stuff around!<br ...

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.

It was a very sad morning, saying farewell to our ranching chums.  Sid and Nancy left very early for Philadelphia, Robert and Kelly to Indiana, Jill, Fred and William (who came for a long weekend) back to Dallas and the heat and Jane, Jim, Steve and Judith off to Spokane for their afternoon flight to San Francisco.  The Greens and Priests set about loading their RVs ready for the next stage of our holiday - us to drive to Plains, Montana (about 2.5hours away) and The Greens to San ...

... 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 ...

... at home and this was a Ford Focus but that didn&#8217;t stop him breaking the world record rally course time and nearly giving Steve a heart attack on the way! We got there in one piece and off we went to the clubhouse to sign in. Here I found that we were playing a top 50 US course famous for one particular hole "The floating green at Coeur d&#8217;Alene!" &#8211; the ...

... poem about two loyal friends who mined and one promised the other that should he die that he would cremate him so he finishes his day warm.  It is funny how little country /western songs you know especially when our music library only has a few Johnny Cash cds so we are fairly green on Tom&#8217;s country/ blue grass music repertoire.  Mind you he was good and we sang along when we could, thankfully the American contingent held their own. 

<br>dä 'Glaci** Nationalpark', scho dä feuft park wo mir bsuecht händ. Im unt**schied zu dä and**e, isch dä ab** fascht nöd mit strasse **schlosse, was us min**e sicht zwei grossi vorteil hät. D'natur bliebt unb**ü**t** und äs hät spürbar we***** bsuech**. Diä einzig strass wo dur dä park fü**t isch däfür umso imposant** und gseht us wiä in b**g inegschnitzt. Im gägesatz zu dä pass-strasse bi eus, händs da kei 180 grad ...

... 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 &#8211; 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.  <br><br>It was hard to erase all that we learnt and we looked a couple of ...

... our fellow guests and identified that one family (the RV drivers) were from the UK "where from" (always the first question) &#8220;London&#8221; &#8220;oh where&#8221; (second question if familiar or connected to London), &#8220;Wandsworth&#8221; &#8220;never, where do you live&#8221;  and then we find out that we are with Tim and Elizabeth Green who used to live on Frewin Road and whose children went to Finton House.  They were here with Elizabeth's mother ...

... Swiftcurrent Lake and hiked to Apikuni Falls. It looks like most the good stuff to see in this area you have to backcountry hike/camp to see. I continued south to the St Mary entrance and got a campsite there. Went to see Sunrift Gorge, St Mary's Falls and Jackson Glacier. There was a very pretty sunset tonight while I was making my cup o' noodles (didn't have the camera handy).