A shot I took with my iPhone in July of 2013 as we cruised past on a Celebrity cruise liner. A different look of the mountains from what we are used to as we see them from the Alberta side daily. Very stark contrast as they rise out of the ocean as compared to the foothills and prairie on our side.
You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don’t they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!
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Our second day was not as sunny and beautiful as the previous day. The Follow The Sun Tour had hit a roadblock. We decided to make the best of a crappy day and went for a short (yah right) shopping trip. I am sure happy that Kohl’s hasn’t hit Canada yet. An entire store, warehouse sized and not a diversion for guys anywhere to be seen. Glad I had my phone. After spending what seemed liked a week in there, we went for a country drive. We had heard of an interesting road (thinking it was Cammie from the night before, we had a piece of paper with some highlights of the area written on it and I know it wasn’t in either of our handwriting). It is the Coeur d’Alene Scenic Byway. Sounds scenic ay any rate. Here a few snaps we took.
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We had also noticed in the 1000 Places To see Before You Die book that there was a restaurant out here that was a must go. So, go we must. Unfortunately, they did not know we were coming and were closed. They should have known. The name of the place is the Wolf Lodge Inn. We had to take a few pictures. Read the sign, very funny.
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We finished touring and headed back to town and supper. The plan is to get up and head for the sun, wherever that may be.
Why don’t you ever see the headline “Psychic Wins Lottery”?
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Our follow the sun tour started out in Banff, Alberta. We stayed at the Banff International Hotel. Do Not Stay Here. Run down and noisy. After much discussion, we decided our first stop would be Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. We booked a room on-line at the Coeur d’Alene Resort and took off. We headed south and hit the USA border early in the afternoon. It really has a border look here, something I never noticed crossing over on the prairies. There is actually a line carved into the terrain. Check out the picture. That line is cleared bush up the side of a mountain.
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Leaving the border (yes, they let us in), we made our way towards our destination. The highway was great, with lots of scenery, and, it was glorious day, sun shining and warm. Exactly what we were looking for. As we continued south, we realized we must be close to our destination. Lori went crazy all of a sudden as Kohl’s came into view. My worst nightmare, a shopping trip. I managed to feint left and duck right and got away. We arrived at our hotel, The Coeur d’Alene Resort. Very impressive. We checked in and at the same time booked an extra night. It seemed like a great place to spend a few days and there was lots to do. We headed up to our room and discovered a great view. Nothing adds to a stay somewhere than looking out your room’s window and seeing something spectacular.
After settling in, we headed out for a bite to eat. We decided to try out a place called Tito Macaroni’s, an Italian place on the main street downtown. Bad choice. The food started out okay, but as you dug deeper it became very greasy. Tip to the restaurant, cut back on the oil. The best part was Pinot Noir that we tried. Very good.
From Tito’s, (we needed to leave) we headed for a place I had spied that advertised live music. Right up our alley as it was called “The Wine Cellar“, meaning it covered off two ticks right away. music and wine. We headed in. We were immediately seated and we were served by a terrific young woman named Cammie. We were discussing our upcoming trip to Portugal and she noted that her background was half Portuguese. we ordered some Port (we are in training) and settled in to listen to the band. It was a great evening. I only wish I had recorded more but, we were busy socializing in a very friendly establishment. The performer was Max Daniels and his band. Loads of fun. Here is a sample.
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The evening ended and we headed back to our room, looking forward to exploring the countryside.