2016 – Idaho and Montana – Two Top Ten Lists

Amy: There were a few places I knew I had to visit during the US road trip phase of our travels. We were departing from Oregon, one state I had been excited to visit for the first time, and were moving on to two other western states I hadn’t yet experienced. First, we decided to head into northern Idaho and then move on to Montana.

 

With a relatively quick drive through southeastern Washington (with a much appreciated stop for some Rainier Cherries), we made our way across the border for our introduction to Idaho.

Here are my top ten highlights from our visit:

1- Checking out the charming park and interesting dam in the city of Post Falls.
2- Perusing the shops and people watching in downtown Coeur D’Alene.
3- Watching a family of ducklings cruising through the waters on Lake Coeur D’Alene…along with lots of jets boats, parasailers, and beach goers.
4- Driving far up a mountain road to find some free camping and some respite from 100+ degree weather.
5- Hiking the short distance up Honey Mountain for views of tree-covered mountains and valleys, followed by a stunning sunset.

6- Spending the day at the Silverwood Theme Park and getting Jon on almost all of the roller coasters (Yep…Jon who loves adventure doesn’t love roller coasters. Yet he braved the rides to make me smile.) Bonus Highlight: Having a blast at the water park with the lazy river, wave pool, and awesome water slide.
7- Camping at the well-kept Army Corp of Engineers “Springy Point” campground on the Pend Oreille Lake, skipping stones across the waters, and chatting with the lively caretakers.
8- Enjoying window shopping and a long walk in the adorable town of Sandpoint.
9- Tracking down another free campsite on “Green Bay” while braving a terrific storm and being rewarded with a glorious rainbow.
10- Helping out the Forest Service by cleaning up many bottles and quite a bit of garbage at the free campground and trying to leave the beautiful campground better than we found it.

 

 

 

Next we brushed up close to the Canadian border and made our way into Big Sky Country. Jon had visited Montana three times in his late teens and early twenties for some painting workshops and, in turn, fell in love with the mountains. These trips had a major influence on Jon’s desire to live near the mountains and our move to Colorado.  Since Jon and I met in 2001, I’ve wanted to visit Montana and was excited to share it with him.

 

Here are my top ten highlights from my first visit:

1- Hiking to Kootenai Falls and crossing the river over the swinging bridge.
2- Spending the night in Libby and grilling some steaks at the Sandman Hotel.
3- Enjoying a couple of nights with Jon’s longtime friends, Wanda and Les, in Eureka with some delicious home-cooked meals.
4- Happily watching dozens of hummingbirds fly, play, and eat around our friends’ log home in the mountains.
5- Visiting two waterfalls in the Eureka area and heading down some country roads to the HA Brewing Company.

 

 

6- Camping in Glacier National Park at Sprague Creek Campground, loving the views of Lake McDonald, and visiting the shops in Apgar Village.
7-Hiking up to Avalanche Lake on the western side of Glacier to see many waterfalls running down the nearby mountain faces.
8- Checking out a group of mountain goats and some striking mountain lakes on our drive to the eastern side of Glacier National Park.
9- Spending the night at Saint Mary Campground and viewing the large peaks on the eastern side of the Park from the lake of the same name.
10- Heading up to the Canadian border to experience both sides of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.

 

 

Jon will share more on our time in Canada in our next post. See you in our next country!

(Dates: June 3-14, 2016)