L&K Take America

I need to be in Seattle by Saturday, August 20th to pick my sister, Jackie, up from the airport. She will be traveling with me for the next week from Seattle to San Francisco. She will fly out and Mom will fly in the following day to travel with me for the following week. It will be a test of all of our patience to be in such tight quarters, but I think it’s great that they want to be part of the adventure. Plus, Luna needs a lap to sit on.

My timeline to get to Seattle gave me just a couple of days between Yellowstone and Saturday. Originally, I was planning to go up to Glacier National Park in Montana, but after some discussion with others who had made the trek, I think it would be too rushed and I would be arriving in Seattle under pressure and that’s definitely not what this trip is about. Instead, I decided I would go West on 90 and head to Idaho. It just so happens that Dad bought some property in St. Maries, Idaho that was not too far from the route. In fact, there is a little resort town called Coeur d’Alene right off of 90 that several people had suggested I stop in on my way to Seattle. This happens to be where you get off to head to Dad’s property. It seemed a little too convenient to not have this be my stop on the way to Seattle, despite how much I’m against him moving there and tend to deny it’s existence.

Dad and Janice have made the drive out to Idaho before, on the very road that I was taking. However, they failed to warn me that it would be terrifying as I crossed the Rockies entering Idaho. Dad said he told me, but didn’t emphasize it because he didn’t want to cause me anxiety…he didn’t tell me and mental preparation would have been GREAT! It was possibly the worst I have encountered thus far. It was a 7% downhill grade, on the edge of the damn mountain, with just one lane going in either direction due to construction, twisting and turning the whole way, and just a Jersey barrier and then the edge of a cliff straight down for miles and miles. I kind of wish I had a GoPro that was videoing it to give you the full effect. Needless to say, I had to pull over at a pullout to dry my hands and allow the line of traffic behind me to pass. TERRIFYING!

Once we safely arrived, we found that the campsite in Coeur d’Alene was very nice and even had a dog beach on the lake for Luna. We arrived, set up quickly and set out for St. Maries, where Dad’s property is. Dad told me it was only 40 minutes away. When I asked the front desk, they said an hour and a half. When I plugged it into the GPS, it said an hour and 15 minutes. It took me about an hour and 45 minutes due to construction. Dad…you really need to provide accurate times to future guests.

Dad had actually warned me about the road to his property being pretty unnerving. It wasn’t too bad compared to the experience earlier in the day, but I sure wouldn’t want to do it in the winter, or at night, or tired, or with any sort of distractions.

What I will say about all these roads out West is that the speed limits seeming excessively high. Many of the two lane roads through Wyoming and Montana were 70 miles an hour. Holy moly! Why do you need to be going that fast?? Many of the highways are 70 if not 80 miles an hour! Why?!?! Slow down! Where are you rushing to? I am not comfortable going that fast and it just seems unnecessary. Don’t you have decreasing gas efficiency after 65 mph anyway? Needless to say, I go much slower than everyone else. I’m quite comfortable with people passing me at this point. I smile and wave as they go by. I found this to be the same heading to his property. The roads had a speed limit of 60 mph in most places, but I just couldn’t do it on the curves and slopes, even without the trailer. When did I become such a wimp? Rhetorical question.

When we got there, I then had to find the keys to get into the garage, apartment and barn they have built. The plumber had left them for me in a super secret place. Of course the grass was up to my shoulders (not exaggerating) where he had hid it, so I initially thought that couldn’t possibly be where it was, but it was. So after I hiked through the grass to get it, I felt like things were crawling on me for the rest of the day. I need a word for the shivers, but you get the idea.

We went in and saw the apartment and garage first. It was beautiful, but Luna wanted to be outside and threw a fit about it. Something else I should have videoed for your viewing pleasure but neglected to. So we went outside, went and saw the big beautiful barn, and walked down the driveway because I wouldn’t let Luna walk in the tall grass despite how much she wanted to. I’m scared of snakes and what not and I’m sure they have some serious ones out here!!

At the end of our visit Luna refused to get back in the car and I actually had to pick her up from her bulldog “I’m not going!” stance and put her in the car to leave.

I’m not sure if she smelled Dad and Janice and expected them to show up or if she was just sick of the car. Regardless, it was pretty funny. Every other time, she usually gets into the car after I prompt her a few times.

I’ll admit that it’s pretty out there, but I’ve seen a lot of pretty country already. This is too far. I’m still against it. Sorry Daddo.

Lesson of the Day: Don’t move away from your children, no matter how pretty the landscape is.