Saturday morning we got up early and had a nice breakfast at the b&b and then headed off to the Kootenai County Farmer's Market. It was a cute little market with fresh fruit, pastries and handmade goods. We didn't buy anything to spectacular....just a few pastries.
Rick did try the aebleskivers that came recommended by Diane, our b&b host. He liked them but he was also full from breakfast so it was hard to get them down.
That bottle I am holding is apple cider syrup. It is used as a marinade or topping on ice-cream. The man who sold it to us says it's great when making pulled pork. That sounded good so I bought two:)
After the market we got some much needed laundry done at the laundromat. We also made a Wal-Mart stop to pick up a few things. Mostly I wanted to get some trinkets for my littles as a surprise. A few weeks ago I had a talk with Rafe about sleeping in his own bed every night. It has become common for both kids to be in Brach and Kendra's bed each night. Thus, they are not getting enough sleep....especially with a new baby joining in. Rafe told me that a flashlight and a nightlight will help him so I picked up those things as well:)
After the errands were done we packed up our stuff and went over to one of the beaches by the lake. We enjoyed resting and reading and playing in the very cold water!
Sunday after breakfast, (and sending an email to Francis) we got to our church meetings in a nice chapel here in Couer d'Alene. We went to the 10:30 block so by the time we got out we were ready for lunch. We had picked up some picnic food and supplies the day before so we gathered it all up and headed to a park by the lake. It was the perfect lunch for us! Rotisserie chicken, cheese, artisan bread, and some goodies. After a relaxing lunch (and maybe a small nap) we got back into the truck and took a scenic drive around the lake. We didn't go all the way around the lake but went as far as Harrison and then turned around and came back. It was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Monday was a really fun day! Last month at my Physical Therapy appointment, I mentioned to my Dr. that we were taking this road trip to Couer d'Alene. He told me of this fun activity that he had done many years before and recommended it to me. He couldn't remember the details but that it was a bike path a ways past Couer d'Alene that used to be an old rail track that was converted into a bike trail. Well, I looked into it after I got home and discovered the "Ride the Hiawatha" trail.
I am so glad that he told me about it because it truly has been a highlight of our trip. We drove up Highway 90 a little over an hour to the Montana border and got off at the Lookout Pass Ski Resort. There we were able to rent bikes, helmets and lights for our SIXTEEN AND 1/2 MILE bike journey. What an incredible journey it was. We loaded our bikes in the truck and drove the extra two miles to get to the East Gate trailhead. Our first 1 1/3 mile was through the first and longest tunnel. (Thus the need for lights) We were in awe of these tunnels hewn out of the rock to make way for the old steamer trains that ran this Hiawatha route. We went through a total of nine tunnels and over seven trestles on our journey. We were amazed at the beautiful vistas and the wonderful smells of the mountain air. My heart was full as I took at God's glorious creation of these beautiful mountains, waterfalls and streams. I told Rick many times along the trail, "this makes me want to go camping!" It was such a wonderful experience for the both of us!
We stopped for a picnic lunch halfway through and gave our rear ends a break. By the end of the sixteen and 1/2 miles I was glad to get off that bike seat! That is a long ride.....but soooo worth it!
That evening we had another adventure. Rick had signed us up to do some parasailing. I had told him a few days before that I didn't want to do anything too adventurous......so when he signed us up I was not too thrilled. We have been parasailing before (in Ixtapa, Mexico) but that was over ten years ago when I was a little younger and I really wasn't feeling it this time. I agreed to go because it was something Rick really wanted to do. I might look happy in this picture as we are taking off on the boat but I was a ball of nerves inside.
There were four couples on the boat and we were the last to ride. My courage increased as I watched the other couples take off and land and heard their exclamations of how wonderful it was. Finally it was our turn and it went very smoothly. Being in the air like that wasn't scary at all and was actually very peaceful:) Toward the end of our ride the captain dropped us down to "dip" our toes into the water. After all was said and done, I was glad to have had the experience!
The next day, Tuesday we packed up and left our b&b and headed south toward McCall. It was a five hour drive. We stayed in a small motel called the Rustic Inn. We enjoyed a Mexican dinner that night and afterward took a drive down to Lake Payette. McCall is a beautiful area! There were quite a few tourists and campers in town but McCall is nice where it still feels like a small town atmosphere. I kind of was expecting Couer d'Alene to be more like that but it was much bigger.
After a good night's rest we golfed nine holes at the McCall golf course. It was sooo beautiful! Cabins lined the fairways and the course was so green and full of trees. On the fourth hole as we pulled up to the green a mama deer and her fawn were just a short distance away grazing on the bushes not even caring that we were so close. We saw a few more deer as we continued through the course. Just a wonderful setting to play a round of golf! Pictures just do not do it justice!
After our round of golf we stopped at the McCall (small) farmer's market and bought a few goodies for the road. It was another 4 1/2 hour drive to get to Sun Valley. We have been staying in a condo since Wednesday night.. We were supposed to go white water rafting yesterday but unfortunately Rick got sick Wednesday night, and we were not able to go:( We had a laid back day instead. By noon I was ready for something to eat so we rode into town to the Burger Grill and got a bowl of soup. Afterwards, we walked around a few shops while Rick made some phone calls. We also drove over to the Sun Valley cemetery where Ernest Hemingway is buried. I didn't care to see his grave so much but I did read that there are some pioneer graves there so we went looking for 'old timers' in the cemetery.
We went back to the condo for more "down time" and then later in the evening went back to Burger Grill for more grub.
It was a laid back day but a nice way to end our trip. After dinner we watched not one but two movies. Pure Luck (one of our favorites) and You Again.
Here are some pictures of our condo. It cost us just as much to rent this for two nights as a hotel room would have cost here.
The balcony overlooking the golf course.
The living and kitchen area.
Rick slept in this bed the night he was sick:( He didn't want to keep me awake.
The master bedroom
The front door
Our two week long road trip is coming to an end! It has been really great going to FIVE new temples and seeing the North Western area of Idaho. It is such a beautiful place! The long drives getting from place to place were filled with wonderful mountains, streams, rivers, farmland, little towns, and lots of sky. We have made many memories and enriched our relationship by spending good quality time together! Now we're excited to get home to our family!
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