Northeastern Washington and parts of Idaho

The last 170 miles or so into Spokane is high desert looking ...  shrubs and dead grass instead of trees, and no mountains.  Occassionally there was a crop gowing; since a sign announced they were the highest potato producing county in the county, I'll take a guess and say the crop was potatoes.  Quite a change of scenery since before I entered Oregon several weeks back.

 I'm currently camped in Newport, Washington ... less than 10 miles from the Idaho border.

This is on the road into the campground.  I thought it was fun ...

Fishing for mail??

On one of my drives I stopped at the Litehouse Blue Cheese Factory - Litehouse, a producer of dressings, dips, marmalades, and glazes, is best known for its Idaho Bleu Cheese, handmade with a recipe hundreds of years old. The company is one of the largest bleu cheese suppliers in America and actively supports the Sandpoint community. Unfortunately, the only "tour" they provide is a film and a window into the processing area.

 

Lake Coeur d' Alene

This is really a beautiful area.
I really didn't expect there to be a lake and beach area in downtown Coeur d' Alene.

In the park they were setting up for the Ironman.

The Museum of North Idaho displays the history of the Coeur d'Alene area.

Albeni Falls Dam

Located above the Spokane River in Riverfront Park, this enormous (12 feet high and 27 feet long) red Radio Flyer wagon can hold an small army of children -- the maximum capacity is 300  Named The Childhood Express, the 26-ton plaything is an interactive monument to childhood.  Visitors can climb up a ladder on the back and slide down the handle.

I took a walk around the block in Spokane .... which turned into 4 miles as the street was along a hill and it never turned "left."  I had to go back the way I came, but was able to take this snap of  Spokane over the rooftops.

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

Crosby's Academy Award Oscar, gold records, certificates, and trophies

These are pictures of Bing Crosby's home and the high school (now a college) he attended across the street from his home.

Gonzaga University

And this is where I ate lunch .... it was a good hamburger and way too many flavors of shakes.

Paul Bunyan Pak-Out is a local fast food joint with a wooden cut out of Paul Bunyan right in front of the building.

I also got to drive through Athol (population 676) on my way back ....go ahead, say the name out loud.  ha.