Today I went on a road trip. I was on a mission, but of course there’s always time for side trips and photos.

I was headed west to Spokane. Actually the general Spokane area. I ended up going south of there and went through several small towns and saw some pretty cool stuff.

This was the first big trip in my Frontier, and it was also the first trip with the dogs in the back. They did not know what to think at first but they had plenty of room to sprawl out. I think I will start strapping their crates inside there just to make it easier – when I open up the back they want to jump out and I don’t need a vet bill. When I pack the bed of the truck for a trip they will be in them anyhoo to make packing easier plus they will sleep in them. It will also keep them out of stuff and safer in case of an accident.

The best way from the Kalispell area is to go south on US 93, then take MT 28 through Hot Springs to Plains, then take a left & go about 8 miles to the right turn for St. Regis, MT. There you can catch I-90 west and go all the way to Seattle. Unfortunately, I had to stop way short of there. It is a beautiful drive and I have talked about it before.

I got to Coeur d’Alene (CdA as it’s known in shorthand) and went south on US 95. I took a few turns and ended up in the hills of the Palouse. I have been in the area before working for Washington State Parks and it is really a beautiful place, especially in Spring when the crops start to green up. It would be a fantastic place to ride a motorcycle on a Spring day. You can visit the area yourself if in Spokane – an easy 45-minute drive south and you will see some beautiful landscapes.

I drove around some of the back roads and found some small towns dotted around the area. Some were seeing new small businesses come in to fill some gaps, but many big empty buildings and farming are still the rule it seems. But, those types of towns have a real community spirit – holiday festivities, parades, craft fairs, etc. They are not going down easily. One town I drove through a woman smiled & waved at me while taking her young kids for a walk.

I have been in small towns before and it can be hit or miss. Some do not like outsiders – we ran into that in Colorado when driving through one certain town when we were going four-wheeling. No problem…bye. Of course, being an old hippie type with 10 earrings can have a jarring effect on some people in rural towns.

One of the cool things I saw was this old train trestle bridge that is part of the “Palouse to the Cascades State Park Trail” rail-trail. I have seen one of the other bridges in another section farther west before but not this one near Tekoa, WA.

Driving through the little towns in America (like everywhere else) there is always something interesting to see.

On the way back I made a few stops. The dogs and I got to get out and stretch. I took a few pictures and also was checking out some campsites. I found some really awesome sites in a couple of Recreation Areas. I think those are free but I will have to check on that to make sure. They are not campgrounds, but have what looks to be dispersed camping along a road. One of those areas was under this railroad bridge:

…and the road through it went down to riverfront camping under THIS bridge:

So today I saw some cool stuff in a beautiful place, and I also got to scope out some great camping in a couple of new forests in other beautiful areas. Yesterday I also got out and went to check on the camping situation in a nearby State Park. There is still time to camp but they will be closing for the season in a couple of months. Some of the USFS sites are behind gates (the campgrounds usually are) and will be closed for the season at some point. Some were just down roads so they may be “open” year ’round, with “open” being subject to interpretation. Having a trailer has its limits for access sometimes, but the incredible campsites I saw today really were amazing and most had plenty of room.

The dogs riding in the back of the truck was definitely the way to go. I am SO glad I invested in the shell. No dog hair in my new truck, no dirty feet, no wet coat from swimming, no nose prints all over the windows. The truck itself was comfortable – it was an 11-hour day of travel; not what I like to do these days but with the places so far apart out west shorter drives can be fewer.

If you are planning a trip from western Montana into Idaho they are STILL working In the road. It is insane. Every. Single. Time. I have been through there that stretch is ALWAYS under construction. I have been on those roads in winter conditions and those conditions (along with de-icers & extra weight under maxed-out vehicles) wreak havoc on pavement. But the parts they are finished with are really nice.

One thing you might want to see after reading about it is “The Big Burn” (links to a lengthy article) or sometimes called “The Great Fire of 1910” signage on I-90 W. If headed west over 4th of July Pass there are some signs on the right; same thing when coming up from the west. I did not have the time to stop today but it is something I want to see. I remember reading the old signs but they have been replaced. That fire was huge and one of the worst fire disasters in the US. Three million acres across parts of Washington, Idaho and Montana. That is huge! It also brought about some changes within the newly-created USFS and many of these changes are still in place today.

Anyhoo, That whole area around 4th of July Pass west down to Mullan & Wallace and even a bit farther west has a lot of mining history if you are interested. On the west end of Wallace is a very interesting mining history museum with docents who were miners back in those days. Wallace is a cool old town. Lots of shops, coffee, restaurants & history.

Well, there’s another adventure in the books. Thanks for riding along!

Shawn