After finishing the Route of the Hiawatha bike trail, we continued west and officially entered another new-to-us state ... Idaho. When most people think of Idaho, they think of potatoes. But for us, Idaho is ''berry heaven'' since we have fond memories of feasting on fresh blueberries and raspberries while making new friends in the northern Panhandle of Idaho.
First Stop: The CCHC Ranch in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
After biking along the northern Montana/Idaho border, we arrived for a four day stay in the cute lakeside town of Coeur d'Alene arriving at the lovely ''ranch'' of our Boondockers Welcome hosts, Collin and Holly.
It would have provided the perfect place to rest, except that Doug got interested in Collin's latest project, the construction of a bunkhouse/storage shed. Three hours later, they had the roof sheeted. The Habitat for Humanity Care-a-Vanner program may still be shut down because of Covid, but we were happy that Doug can get his hammer gun ''fix'' while helping out some wonderful new friends!
While admiring their gardens, Holly invited us to help ourselves to the abundant herbs and berries. I was excited to be able to add fresh basil and rosemary to my pasta sauce. And the raspberries became a part of a special dessert that we shared with our new friends, when I realized that I had all the ingredients to make raspberry crepes. My small van kitchen doesn't produce homemade sweets very often, so it was a treat to be able to enjoy a ''berry'' delightful dessert with our new friends on their patio.
The next day we biked another beautiful stretch of the Trail of the Coeur 'dAlenes that started in the small town of Cataldo. As we biked along the river, we enjoyed views of mountains, moose, and a mission church. Sacred Heart Church, located in Old Mission State Park, is the oldest building in Idaho (built in 1850).
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| Can you see him?? |
Chore Day Before a Visit to Spirit Creek Farm
After four days in Coeur d'Alene, we said our goodbyes to our gracious hosts at CCHC Ranch. What a lovely stay! Not sure who is going to miss the other more ... Doug or their dogs, Rowdie and Tooie. I know I was going to miss fresh berries and herbs, but not as much as the nice conversations with our new friends.
Before leaving town, we went down to Lake Coeur d'Alene for another bike ride on the Centennial Trail. It was nice that the park was less crowded than on the weekend, as I could take time to admire the flowers and sculptures that adorn this beautiful lakeside city.
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| I love this one ... ''The Valentine'' I look forward to growing old with mine! |
After doing our ''chores'' in Coeur d'Alene ... ie: dumping, filling, laundry, showers, and grocery shopping, we traveled 30 miles north into the country to another Boondockers Welcome location. The goats, llamas, horses, turkeys, ducks ... and owners of Spirit Creek Farm warmly welcomed us and gave Baby Beest a comfortable resting spot for a few nights in one of their pastures of their hobby farm.
Twenty miles to the east of Spirit Creek Farm lies Farragut State Park on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. During WWII, this area housed the world's second largest Navel training base. This site was chosen because the deep inland lake was considered a perfect location for submarine training. Today hikers, campers, and boating enthusiasts enjoy the beauty of this large park. We did a few hikes, checked out the four different campgrounds, and found a shady parking spot near the lake to relax and have dinner ... another benefit of always having your ''house'' with you!
Up North in Sandpoint, Idaho
From there we continued north to the resort town of Sandpoint, Idaho which is located 50 miles up the road on the northern tip Lake Pend Oreille. We parked alongside the city beach and watched families enjoy some summer fun. After lunch, we got out our bikes and found yet another fabulous bike trail that took us alongside the lakeshore. That evening, through our Harvest Host membership, we were able to stay in the parking lot adjacent to Wildwood Brewing after enjoying a delicious meal and craft beer on their patio.
The next day we drove up Schweitzer Mountain to the local ski resort for another hike with amazing views. We were told by some friends that if we hiked up the mountain, we could ride the ski lift down for free, so that is what we did. After hiking two and a half miles up the mountain, we were definitely ready to enjoy the beautiful ride back down.
That evening we discovered the ultimate berry heaven as we stayed at another Harvest Host location. Riley Creek Blueberry Farm is a family run farm that allows RVers to park on their property for the night.
What a joy to have arrived at the PEAK of their blueberry harvest! Doug and I quickly filled our red bucket without a second thought about where we were going to store (or how we were going to eat) six pounds of blueberries. Fortunately, it has not been a huge problem ... blueberry crepes, blueberry parfaits, blueberry pancakes ...
... and blueberries all by themselves, because they are just that good!
We would love to hang around and wait for the blackberries to ripen, but we have another new-to-us state to explore ... Washington.
Idaho, we have enjoyed you ''berry'' much!
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