Idaho Panhandle and beyond

June 15, Saturday, Grand Coulee to Beyond Hope:

Our drive today was from Grand Coulee to Spokane, then to Coeur d’Alene, then turning north to Sandpoint and finally around the northern end of Lake Pend Oreille to the Beyond Hope Resort and Campground.

We began the day with local muffins and coffee at the Columbia River Inn, leaving about 9:00 am.  We drove toward Spokane, passing by the north side of the airport and the entrance to Fairchild AFB.  We quickly crossed the border into Idaho, drove to Coeur d’Alene and then to Sandpoint.  We arrived in time for a late breakfast or early lunch.  We walked to the historic Cedar Street Bridge, which is now a shopping venue and cafe.  I had a chicken, apple crepe and Betsy had quiche with fruit salad.  We ate looking out onto the canal that runs parallel with the main downtown street, with kayakers, SUPers, and small powered boats going by.

We had another thirty minutes to drive to Beyond Hope Resort, which operates mooring docks, has a restaurant and a large campground.  We had reserved a site via the web and after finding the check-in office were chauffeured via a golf cart to pick our specific tent site.

We unloaded our gear at site #6, erected the tent, and then assembled the bikes for a local touring ride around the area.  Beyond Hope is on the lake’s edge a few miles past the villages of Hope and East Hope, hence the name.  The resort is next to the Sam Owen Recreational Area, with a state-run campground, and amidst many private homes, most of which are lakeside and posh.  We only rode a 8 miles but used most of our lower bike gears.  The hills were rolling and rather abrupt.  We reached top speeds of 27 mph going downhill.

A possible restoration project in someone’s front lawn seen while biking

We enjoyed a cool down after dipping our toes in the water at lake front with beer and chips.  We cooked a dinner of smoked sausage stir fry with onions and red peppers and a salad (from a bag).

We took an evening stroll on the resort’s nature path and got chased by mosquitoes.  We saw a small, bright green frog (about the size of nickel), some type of woodpecker, and, while sitting at the docks, watched a Blue-Violet Swallow feed its chicks that were nested in a retaining wall.  I was able to get a not so great photograph of him darting into the right crevice.

Sunset was quite nice, with a full moon opposite.

 

Day 3, June 16th, Sunday, Beyond Hope to Essex, Montana:

Today was pretty much another driving day.  We slept well in our tent last night and enjoyed a cereal breakfast on our picnic table. We  got packed and drove south along Lake Pend Oreille and onto the Clark Fork River.  We stopped at Cabinet Gorge Hydroelectric Plant viewpoint, checking off another PNW power plant.

We turned east and north toward Libby (we didn’t stop at that plant - already have seen it) and onto Kalispell.  We arrived at Essex and the Izaak Walton Inn, a historic site that provided pusher engines for trains going over the Rocky Mountain range and is still a maintenance facility.  It originally served the Great Northern Railway and the inn has lots of memorabilia on the walls and for sale (of course).  Also Amtrak’s trains from Seattle/Portland to Chicago passes through here — the east bound train at 8:50 am and the west bound train at 7:41 pm.

That’s Jan and Ron in front of the Inn

Our friends, Jan and Ron pulled in just after we checked in.  We are going to enjoy a single evening together.  Betsy and I are off to Calgary and Edmonton;  Jan and Ron are spending more time in Glacier and Waterton Parks.  We will join up again in Jasper and then Banff.

We thought we would go for hike up behind the inn and after a mile, the afternoon rains started.  We stood under trees for awhile, but the rain didn’t stop.  Eventually three cars passed us and after ‘passing up’ on the first one, Ron jumped in the second one and Jan, Betsy and I got in the third for a ride back to the inn.  

We enjoyed dinner at the Inn’s restaurant and then watched west bound Amtrak go by, only 1 hour late.

Onto Canada tomorrow.

Canada Bound

Day 1, June 14th, Portland to Grand Coulee:

After stuffing the car to the gills and loading the bikes and pod on top, we drove east past The Dallas, cross the river at Biggs Junction and uphill to the Yakima Valley.


Wind turbines at Goldendale

We headed east, stopping at Vantage for gas and cherries, then onto Dry Falls, a remnant of an ice age waterfall.  The road went along 5 “chained” lakes along the Lower Grand Coulee (ancient canyon/riverbed).

Blue Lake, one of five in the coulee

Dry Falls during the flood

Dry Falls today

We reached Grand Coulee about 5pm, checked into our hotel and went for a stroll around town, visiting the historic sights of Grand Coulee township.  We walked over the bridge to the east side pausing at each interpretive sign reviewing dam construction and geology.  As we walked we saw a marmot/groundhog and a Killdeer doing a broken wing display.

After dinner on the way back to the hotel, we saw a turkey with two chicks, and two deer in town.  Light show at the dam tonight. 

Onto Sandpoint tomorrow. 

Sisters then Ashland

Saturday, June 1:

I am trying "google blogger" again to recall how it works and whether it has improved any features.  I am recounting our current adventure, which includes ou annual visit to Ashland to see plays performed by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival company.

As is our wont, we drove to Sisters on May 25th for a few days before continuing the rest of the way to Ashland. 

We puttered around the yard some, pulling weeds, and I had a day to work in the shop.  The weather was strangely cool and often rainy.  On Tuesday morning, Lisa came for brunch (and to pick up a delivery of hers that we carried over from Portland).  Lisa lived next door to us before moving to Bend several years ago.  After a brunch of a vegetable frittata, sausages, homemade walnut and raisin scones and yogurt parfaits, we drove up Three Creek's Road for a modest walk on Wychus Creek Overlook (good views of the three Sisters) and then down along Wychus Creek.  We got back to the car just before a thunderstorm dumped rain on the area.

On May 29th, we drove from Sisters to Ashland, via the central route, almost to Klamath Lake, then past Lake of the Woods, where we had a picnic, and then over the ridge line and down Dead Indian Memorial Road into Ashland.  This photo below is our view of Mt McLoughlin (which we don't usually get to see covered in snow.

Our first play was Alice, performed on the outdoor stage.  It was a preview (first night) that adapts both Lewis Carroll's books Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.   It was a bit of fluff and well acted, and had only a few miscues on lighting.  Dinner before the play was at Ostra's, a newish tapas place in the main plaza area, very near the theater complex.

On Thursday, we did a 'two-fer' -- two plays in one day (1:30 and 8:00 pm).  After an excellent breakfast at the Iris B&B, we walked into town, stopping by a few of our favorite haunts (artist coop, nature store, and travel store).  The matinee play was Between Two Knees, the Native American story of abuse and misery suffered at the hands of the white peoples, told in a humorous way.  It was written by a group of 5 guys known as 1491 (the year before Columbus came to America and when the land was overseen by indigenous tribes).  It was very will acted, poked fun at a variety of events and even the cast members themselves, though the messages were clear.

Our second play this day was All's Well that Ends Well -- a 'problem play' with lots of couples trying to fall in love.   The plot is well known (i.e., we knew how it would turn out - everybody gets their chosen mate) and this production was pretty standard for OSF, though nothing memorable.

On Friday, we had an evening performance of Macbeth, so during the day, we hiked Grizzly Peak.  The trail is back up Dead Indian Road, starting at over 5,000 feet elevation and 5.25 miles as a 'lollipop' loop (a loop trail with a short out and back).  There are several viewpoints overlooking Ashland, Talent and Medford.  We had fun spotting a few exotic birds - Spotted Towhee, Lazuli Bunting, and Green-tailed Towhee, along with the usual Juncos, Nuthatches, Gray Jays and Ravens.  The photo below is the record shot at the Ashland viewpoint with Mt. Ashland in the left background (the ski runs are still snow covered).  We had earlier views of the Cascade Ridge and the shoulders of Mt. Shasta (the top was shrouded in clouds).

We also saw lots of wildflowers and I did a photo study on Trilliums.  Here are two showing the wide range in color that they go through.

After the hike and on our way home, we stopped off a new winery (Irvine and Roberts) for wine tasting.  We sampled a flight of Chardonnays and one of Pinot Noirs.  Sitting on the outside deck with a view of the hills was very nice.  Just before we were to leave, we saw Ian and Adriane Templeton coming in.  Ian is a former BPAer; they retired to Ashland a couple of years ago and are active volunteers with the theater company.  We had a great conversation, catching up on their activities and the local gossip/news about wineries and Ashland.  They recommended the winery and are members of the wine club.  We decided to buy 3 bottles to take home (one of each color - white, red and rose) and even got a slight deal since the server knew Ian and Adriane.  The Rose is evidently a favorite.

Our fourth play, Macbeth, which we saw Friday evening was also well acted and had rather dramatic lighting.  Again, we and probably all of you, know how it turns out (there aren't many live actors by the end).

Our last play, today's matinee, is the winner for this visit - it is called Mother Road, a commission by OSF that is a sequel to The Grapes of Wrath.  It is very well done, moving and highlights the many injustices suffered by people of diverse cultures and ethnic groups.  Mark Murphy, a very-long time OSF actor plays a dying Oklahoma farmer who is looking for a relative to deed his farm to.  He grew up during the depression and stayed in Oklahoma as opposed to the rest of his relatives who sought a better life in California.  The plot is his journey back to Oklahoma from California, some ways along Route 66 (Steinbeck's "Mother Road"). 

We will enjoy our last dinner here, before driving home to Portland tomorrow.

Cheers!!!