September 8, 2017. Scenic (but smoky) drive

CAMPGROUND:  3rd night at Riley Creek Army Corps of Engineer Campground.  3rd night with our friends Tony and Jenny.

 

LOCATION:  Northern Idaho, in the skinny part, near Sandpoint.

 

WEATHER:  Great temps, but smoky

 

Our plan today was a 120-mile scenic route loop that the visitors' office had recommended.  We first headed north, almost to the Canada border through the Silkirk Mountains (which we could not see due to the smoke), then east into Montana.  

 

The drive took us by pristine lakes with pine trees soaring to the tops of the mountains.  Unfortunately, we couldn't see much of that, due to the smoke.  We'd like to return another year when there is no smoke, to compare.

 

We stopped at a Park Service site that is a grove of ancient red cedar trees, some older than 500 years.  The trees are beautiful.  We hiked on a trail through the grove.

 

This one had been hit by lightening, years ago.

 

This one is really tall --- Tony and Jenny are tiny figures at the bottom.

 

Here is Jenny trying to get a photo of the top of that tall tree.

 

The trees are really big around, too.

 

On the road into the cedar grove, we stopped to talk with some firefighters.  They told us that they had just arrived from Arizona, to help with the Montana fires.  There weren't any fires around us, but the grass and trees are brittle brown, and looked like they could go up into flame so easily.

 

Then, our circular route brought us back west and south to Idaho.  We stopped in Hope at a restaurant aptly called The Floating Restaurant.  It is on a big ramp with boats moored around it.  You cannot see the lake through these boats due to the smoke.

 

Next to Hope, Idaho, there is also even tinier east Hope, then of course, someone had to name another location Beyond Hope.  Cute.

 

We saw lots of wild turkeys on the drive, some deer, dead skunks, and a coyote.  There are lots of fruit stands.  Trees are loaded with apples, and people are selling huckleberries, which we want to try.

 

 

DINNER:  We joined forces again with Tony and Jenny, and made grilled Rueben sandwiches on the George Forman grill.  Really good!