Lewiston, Idaho & Clarkston, Washington

We are holing up for five days in Clarkston, WA, just across the Snake River from Lewiston, ID.  We never like to be on the road driving during holiday weekends.  This will give us a chance to sleep in, read, rest and recharge our batteries.

Looking towards Clarkston, across the Snake River 

Our home for the holiday weekend is Hillview RV Park in Clarkston, WA   Their sites have something we have never seen before.  The site is a pull-through and is entirely gravel except for a small grassy area by ‘the front door’.  What a great idea, no mud since the grass is very thick!

The name Clarkston is a reference to William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame. 

Lewiston, across the Idaho state line from Clarkston, is named for Meriwether Lewis, and is the larger and older of the two cities.  Ironically Lewis and Clark never even set foot on the Clarkston side of the river.  It was first settled in 1862 and was officially incorporated on August 14, 1902.

Lewiston was founded in 1861 in the wake of a gold rush which began the previous year near Pierce, northeast of Lewiston. In 1863, Lewiston became the first capital of the newly created Idaho Territory. Its stint as seat of the new territory's government was short-lived, as a resolution to have the capital moved south to Boise was passed by the Idaho Territorial Legislature on December 7, 1864.



Our second day we visited a  list of adventures Mike made for the area.  Our first stop in Lewiston was the Hellsgate State Park where we went through the visitor center.  The center was completed in commemoration of the 100^th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  It has educational displays, sculptures by artist Rip Caswell, a 32-minute documentary film, “Lewis and Clark:  From the Mountains to the Sea”, which we watched, and is on a two acre piece of land along the banks of the Snake River.

Then up the road a little bit farther to the Jack O’Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center.  We learned Mr. O’Connor (1902-1978) was the undisputed dean of outdoor writers and his articles were featured for many decades in Outdoor Life magazine.  He was a big game hunter, wildlife conservation pioneer and influential gun editor.  He also did a brief stint as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. 

Another stop was Pioneer Park where we saw the Sacajawea Fountain, band-shell and playground. 

Snake River Pedestrian Bridge

Canoe Sculpture

The next morning we each enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at Waffles & More which Mike found out about on Trip Advisor.com.  The parking lot was full and lots of people were outside waiting in line, so we figured it must be good!  We put our name on the waiting list and were told it would be a 20 minute wait, so we went outside in the fresh air.

Then, on to the Lewis & Clark  Interpretive Center. It was a small, informative open-air display of ‘billboards’ giving information about the explorers.  There was supposed to be a dug-out canoe, which wasn’t there.  There was a sculpture done by Nancy Dreher called “Tsceminicum which shows Nez Perce lore.    We walked off some of our breakfast on the walking/bike path, which we were happy about.

  

   

Back at the trailer Mike worked on the blog and Judy took a nap.  Then Judy worked on the diary and Mike took a nap.

It was a nice sunny comfortable day spent in Idaho and Washington.

Philipsburg, Montana

About 50 miles north of Butte we found the quaint little town of Philipsburg,  which is an old mining town.  In 1894 in the Gem Peak area on Rock Creek, the first load of sapphires was shipped from placer mines to as far away as Switzerland.  Before that only North Carolina was a source of sapphires in North America. 

Broadway Hotel

We walked the main street where there were stores selling merchandise, restaurants, and a candy store where we made a purchase.  They had the largest inventory we have ever seen, from what is being sold today all over, and a lot of ‘oldies but goodies’!  They also carried (or made) delicious fudge in all flavors imaginable, salt water taffy, plus hand-dipped chocolates, taffy and truffles.  The first Sweet Palace started in 1934.  The owner and proprietor, Pete Winninghoff learned to make candy while living in Missoula and brought his craft back home to Philipsburg.  He put a genuine sapphire in each of his famed boxes of Sapphire Chocolates!  What a gift!

Visiting here you see the historic Opera House Theatre, restaurants, The Broadway Hotel, The Granite County Museum and Cultural Center which has mining exhibits, real estate offices, gift stores gem and jewelry stores, and more.


Off of the main drag we spotted quite a few church tops so we took a walk upward on the streets.  The town is quite hilly and you develop muscles you didn’t know you had.  We passed the courthouse, the jail, a lot of churches of many denominations.  We saw a young man mowing the lawn in front of the jail who was wearing black and white striped pants. They all were within a very small area.  

Episcopal Church

Formerly 1st Pres Church

Court House

Jail

Not an NFL Referee

Kaiser House

Morse Hall

Opera House

Passing a billboard, Judy started laughing and shared with Mike what it said.  It was for an Italian restaurant and said in big letters, “Legalize Marinara”.  We thought it was very funny AND clever.

Butte, Montana

Butte began as a mining town in the late 19th century in the Silver Bow Creek Valley, a natural bowl sitting high in the Rockies straddling the Continental Divide.  At first only gold and silver were mined in the area, but the advent of electricity caused a soaring demand for copper, which was abundant in the area. The small town was often called "the Richest Hill on Earth". It was the largest city for many hundreds of miles in all directions.  The prosperity continued up to the 1950s, when the declining grade of ore and competition from other mines led the mining companies to switch its focus from the costly and dangerous practice of underground mining to open pit mining. This marked the beginning of the end for the boom times in Butte.

Dusting of snow seen from our campground

We took the historic Butte Trolley Tour.  Our first stop was at the Berkeley Pit Viewing Stand which was once the largest truck-operated open pit copper mine in the U.S.  There we viewed the open pit which operated from the early 1950s to 1982.  At a mile and a half across, three miles around, and 1,700 feet deep, it gives a powerful sense of why Butte was long considered the mining capital of the world.

Berkeley Pit

Scattered around the town are 14 head frames, which are like oil rig derricks and were used to raise and lower the mining cars that brought the miners and supplies in to and out of the mine.  They also brought the ore out.  All the deep mines are now closed. There were mainly three groups of people working the mines, Celtic, Irish, and Chinese.  Today there are few Chinese and Celtic people still here, but many Irish. 

As we drove in and around town our guide/driver pointed out many buildings, etc.  There were many empty store fronts, churches, apartment buildings, office buildings (which were originally built as something else!), homes, etc.  

Copper King Mansion

We went by the Copper King Mansion which was owned by the number one investor in the mines.  It is now a bed & breakfast.  

Most closed mine sites now have signs posted by the site stating the name of the mine, the years it operated, the depth, the temperature, and mine deaths.  One mine we stopped at was deepest.  It was one mile deep and was the world’s largest copper producer.

In the distance on top of a high mountain we saw ‘Our Lady of the Rockies,’ a 90-foot statue sitting atop the Continental Divide.  Countless volunteers completed the six year project of erecting this likeness of Mary, Mother of Jesus.  It is 8,510 feet above sea level overlooking Butte.  We saw it as we arrived in the campground yesterday.  It is entirely nondenominational, and was dedicated to women everywhere, especially mothers.  It was lifted in place with a sky crane since it was not constructed on the mountain top.  It weighs 51 tons, is egg shell white and it is lighted and visible at night.  

Pocatello, ID

Saturday’s first order of business was truck maintenance.  Mike had the oil and fuel filter changed, and the tires rotated.  Next was a visit to Costco.  On the way we passed by the synagogue in town.  It is in a residential area and very small.  A car was parked on the street and the license plate read, “Rabbi”!

We then headed to our friends Rhonda and John Bellusci’s home.  We had a wonderful time spending the late afternoon and evening with them, visiting and having a delicious dinner.  We left their beautiful home at 11:30 and plan to get together tomorrow after they return from church.

Sunday we enjoyed a quiet morning at home and then drove to see downtown Pocatello.  Many businesses in town do not open on Sundays, must be the Mormon influence.

Rhonda and Joan came to the campground about 4:15 and looked at our rig.  Dinner was enjoyed at Ruby Tuesday and then we went to The Sand Trap Bar for a drink.  It was a wonderful day, perfect weather with the sunshine, clouds and great temperatures.  Also making it terrific was spending more time with such nice people.

Grand Teton National Park - An Enjoyable Five Days

It was only a 127 mile drive from Yellowstone National Park to Grand Teton National Park which was created in 1929 but only protected the Teton Range.   In 1950 the park grew to its current size when land protecting the valley floor donated by John D. Rockefeller Jr. was added.  The Tetons are the youngest mountains in the Rockies and were shaped by glaciers that rise over 7,000 feet above the valley floor.  They completely dominate the skyline because there are no foothills to mar the view, and they are are one of the most photographed vistas in the national park system.  We stayed in the park at Colter Bay Campground and RV Park, a large wooded area with large sites and the smell of pine in the air.

Seeing the gorgeous Teton Mountains reminded us of their beauty and how much we love them.  After enjoying a lunch of sandwiches in the trailer, we sat outside in the sunshine enjoying the fresh air and reading among the trees.  After our hectic pace at Yellowstone (driving and hiking) the last two days of R & R have been enjoyable.  We can feel the difference between older and younger bodies. 

Early Recliner

Our first day of sightseeing we took almost every side-road between Colter Bay and Jackson’s Airport, taking 7.5 hours to do it.  Our first stop was the Jackson Lake Lodge, walked up to the second floor and out onto the patio where there is the most gorgeous view of the Teton Mountains.  There we saw different views of the breath-taking mountains and glaciers.

Our next stop was Menor’s Ferry Historic District which we remember seeing on a previous trip, but we luckily got in on a ranger speaking about the history.  The tour took us through the buildings he built.  We saw his one-room white-washed cabin (sitting room/bedroom); the 1895 addition for storage of goods and kitchen; the 1905 west addition of the general store; the ferry he constructed which became a vital crossing for the early settlers of Jackson Hole.  The area was so isolated by the surrounding mountains and had such a harsh climate that it was one of the last areas of the lower 48 states to be settled.  In dry months the river could be forded safely in several locations, but during periods of high water even the most reliable fords were impassable.  After 1894 Menor’s Ferry became the main crossing in the central part of Jackson Hole.  Residents crossed on the ferry to hunt, gather berries and mushrooms, and cut timber at the foot of the mountains.  Bill built the original ferry and cableworks.  The ferry and cableworks are replicas.  The ferry is a simple platform set on two pontoons.  The cable system keeps the ferry from going downstream, but lets it move sideways.  By turning the pilot wheel, the rope is tightened and points the pontoons toward the opposite bank.  The pressure of the current against the pontoons pushes the ferry across the river.  This type of ferry existed in Egypt in ancient times.  The charge was 50 cents for a wagon and team, 25 cents for a rider and horse, and pedestrians rode free.

Ben, the Ranger who gave us this tour was extremely knowledgeable and gave us all the info above!  He then gave a ferry ride to those who wanted it.  Judy stayed on land to take pictures of the crossing of the Snake River.  Mike rode it across the river and back.

We then visited The Chapel of the Transfiguration which served for summer services attended by local residents and numerous guests at surrounding dude ranches.  It was built in 1925 of lodgepole pine, with pews of quaking aspen, cut in the valley.  The chapel is presently owned and operated by St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson and it remains a house of worship today.  The view facing those looking at the pulpit is a view that would increase attendance in many houses of prayer.  Through the plate glass window above the altar one sees the beautiful Teton Mountains. 

 Chapel of the Transfiguration

 Chapel of the Transfiguration

 Chapel of the Transfiguration

The next day another scene greeted us.  The clouds were extremely low and hid much of the mountains, which put a dramatic look to them.  Gorgeous, spectacular, amazing, beautiful, etc., etc., etc.

The next day was an eight-hour day away from the trailer.  It was 52º when we left. Then on to Jackson to window shop and check out their local brewery, Snake River Brewery.  It started raining lightly and then came down pretty hard.  We even saw lightening and heard thunder.  Thank goodness we were wearing jackets because it was chilly;

Jackson's Moose Antler Arch in the Square

Million Dollar Cowboy Bar

 

                                                                       Bison on the Run

It rained during the night and till mid-afternoon our last day.  When leaving this morning to see Jenny Lake Lodge and the Lake it was grey and sprinkled on and off.  We drove a short distance and passed three Park Rangers walking by the side of the road, each carrying a rifle in front of them.  We thought they were probably after a bear someone had spotted in the area.  A few miles further down the road we were stuck in a very long line of traffic.  Finally we could see flashing lights and two Rangers stopping and talking with the people in each vehicle.  When it was our turn, we found out the problem.  The Ranger asked if we had picked up a hitchhiker, to which we answered that we hadn’t.  He then told us not to!  (something new?)  When asked if there was someone who was being searched for, he said, “Yes” and they had many teams out in the park, explaining what we had seen previously. 

We stopped to see Signal Mountain Lodge.  The lodge looked nice, and had a great view, with a marina right there.  Their bar/grill was full of yummy-smelling fragrances, but we weren’t hungry.  The clouds today were not anywhere near as beautiful as yesterday, but did a good job of hiding a lot of the mountains.

Glad we got our pictures yesterday and the days before.

Colter Bay Visitor Center was our last stop where we saw a very nice exhibit of Indian artifacts.

Yellowstone National Park - Biscuit Basin

Today was going to be a day we planned to do nothing!  Mike had read a blog that our ‘new friends’ had published.  In it they raved about one of the sites we passed up in Yellowstone since we had seen it on a previous trip.  It was their favorite one in the park, so we decided to go see it again.  We took off early afternoon and we are glad we went to see it as it is still gorgeous. 

Very shortly after entering the park we spotted two bison right by the road and Judy was able to get a great picture of them out the window of the truck.

We went to Biscuit Basin where it was extremely windy but worth the walk on the boardwalk taking us around all the different springs and geysers there.  This thermal basin is particularly volatile and unpredictable.  In August 1959 an earthquake recorded at 7.5 on the Richter scale had its epicenter just a few miles to the northwest of B.B.  Four days later Sapphire Pool began to erupt violently, blowing away the large rock biscuits around the crater.  Biscuit Basin was named for those biscuit-shaped mineral formations.  Sapphire Pool was sooooooo turquois/blue it was extremely beautiful, and you could see quite far down into it.  We saw Avoca Springs, Shell Spring, Jewel Geyser, and many in between.  We saw waters running, geysers spewing steam, some directing water high into the air; all different and very interesting.

This morning we had the heat on, this afternoon when we returned from the park we had the air conditioner on, this evening it seemed cool so we opened the windows to let in the fresh cool air!  By 8:00 we had to close the windows because it was getting really cool.  We’re loving it!