Day 40 Washington to Idaho

On the drive to Idaho, we went through two cities near the border between the states, Spokane in Washington and Coeur d’Alene in Idaho.

Spokane is the largest city in the stretch between Seattle and Minneapolis. It is the midpoint of the 40-mile Centennial Trail, a paved, non-motorized trail that follows the Spokane River from Nine Mile Falls to the Idaho State Line. We parked near Spokane Falls, where the river cuts through the city. We walked with the dogs through the beautiful Riverfront Park, which was the site for the 1974 World’s Fair. The park is still the biggest tourist attraction in the city and many buildings have been erected just outside the park, including a very large Convention Center. The city is also home to Gonzaga University. Before we left, we stopped by the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, constructed in the early 1900s, but the doors were locked so I could not go inside; this was the first time I ever encountered a locked church in the middle of the day.

It was short drive from Spokane to Idaho and the city of Coeur d’Alene (translation – Heart of the Awl), another beautiful city. The name originates from French traders and trappers who encountered the Schitsu’umsh tribe in the late 18^th century and gave the name to the tribe for their sharp trading skills, with “awl” referring to a pointed tool used to pierce leather. The city sits on the northern end of the very large lake of the same name. We walked through the city park, and watched a tourist sea plane take off and land near the marina.

We left the city and drove for 45 minutes around the lake to our campsite at the southern end of the lake at the Heyburn State Park.

The first four pictures are from Spokane. The second four are from Coeur d’Alene, including the dogs enjoying the views from the lake. We had to hold Gipper back from taking a seven-foot jump down from the wall to the beach.