Do you ever just want to take off and go somewhere to get away from everyday and world event pressures? Take a tiny trip somewhere.
Okay. I’ll admit it. The past month broke my spirit a bit and it was difficult to come back to earth. But I’m back now and ready to share a recent trip with you.
I’m a Washington State resident. I’m also am a grandmother and part of a loving extended family of many generations. These include aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Seeing family is often at the root of our travels when I have a need to escape the nest, so visiting family seemed just the prescription for a vacation from the world.
When I finally conned my husband into getting away from work (his favorite place in the world is home), the first stop on this trip was across the state to Spokane to visit my daughter’s family.
We played with our grandchildren, which is always an antidote for a tired soul. But even more fun was the opportunity to see their new pets: small puppies. An Akeda, Buddy and a Black Lab, German Shepard mix, Cinder.
It was fun watching the grandkids enjoy them. Somehow I managed to get away without even a photo – not like this grandma, but I’m trying to learn a new digital camera and just plain didn’t do it. Of course, I got pictures of the kids, though.
Next Stop for the Night, Missoula, MT
After getting our fill of kids and grandkids we took off from Spokane to do some northern sightseeing: up to Newport, Idaho and on down and across to Missoula, Montana – then from Missoula to Idaho Falls. If you want to just travel and see some of the most beautiful country in the world, then I recommend the drive between Coeur d’Alene, ID and Missoula, MT. Expect some snow and chilly temps this time of year, though.
We stayed in a beautiful lodge in Missoula called the Come On Inn just off Exit 101 – five hot tubs and a huge pool inside a cavernous log building with a continental breakfast to boot. Just what you’d expect in a Montana town. BIG and nice. Reasonable prices, but a new Motel 6 is also at the same exit if you’d like to stay there.
We did a lot of sightseeing in Idaho, so you can easily do the driving trip from Spokane, WA, to Idaho Falls, ID, in nine hours with two meal stops and various other “necessary” stops if you don’t want to take a Missoula break.
Idaho Falls, ID – “A River Runs Through It”
If you don’t exit there you might just see the huge Budweiser Beer towers full of barley and forget to exit into the city. Then you might have a differing opinion. If you don’t go downtown the freeway doesn’t lend much of a view that would even make you want to stop by. It’s a stop to make, though, and there’s a two-mile walk around the falls and portions of the Snake – over a bridge or two of course.
The Snake River is a beautiful river and the landscape around it throughout Idaho is mesmerizing. We took a little jaunt on I-20 from Idaho Falls and saw a beautiful mini-Niagara Falls, the Upper Mesa in Targhee National Forest.
My uncle has a new Golden Retriever, Theo, so he was fun to see. My uncle and the pup, actually! (Love all those doggie babies on this trip!) My uncle’s a great cook with a great sense of humor – he spoiled us. We had our own room and his full attention while there!…