Jul 16, 2012 - Hudson's in Coeur d' Alene

Coeur d' Alene is a medium sized city with just over 40,000 residents living there year round. The summer is another story with all the vacationers and visitors. Coeur d’ Alene is also a college town. The down town area is a quaint, trendy community offering up scale boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, many with outdoor seating. There is also Hudson's hamburger joint (as seen on TV). The rumors are true: This 100-plus-year-old local burger joint ran Mickey D's out of town. Burgers are basic and come with the following: pickles, onions and...

Jul 14, 2012 - Tubbs Hill

Tubbs Hill is a 120 acre forested peninsula state park that’s right in the city of Lake Coeur d' Alene adjacent to the city’s marina. There is a city managed parking lot there and the first two hours are free. The park features numerous trails, beaches, scenic overlooks and side trails which go over the top of the hills and down to small coves and beaches. The main trail is 2 miles long bringing you back to the trail’s starting point. The city park or hiking trail is beautiful and a must if you are ever in the area. The park was named for...

Jul 13, 2012 - The Old Mission

More than several times, we have driven from Kellogg to Coeur d’Alene which is about 60 miles away and just a beautiful trip over July Fourth Pass. Each time we passed the Old Mission in Cataldo, Idaho we said to each other, “We have to go there one time.” As a result, we made it a morning trip on Tuesday and found it to be a very interesting place. It is also known as the Mission of the Sacred Heart or Cataldo Mission. It contains the church itself, the parish house, and the surrounding property. It is also the oldest standing building in...

Jul 10, 2012 - Moon Pass and Hutton's

Friday we headed out on the Harley for a criuse around Coeur d’ Alene Lake, a trip of about 130 miles (it’s a big lake) down through Plummer, Harrison and St. Maries, then back up to one of our favorite stops, Hutton’s General Store. This has got to be one of the most beautiful, scenic lakes in the entire country. Hutton's general store has the look and feel of a 1940's old-time general store, complete with a soda fountain and candy counter selling your favorite goodies. Here you can mingle with members of the local community and swap...

Jul 5, 2012 - 4th of July, Kellogg, Idaho

Here it is the 4th of July already and we made no plans. I think we are still recouping from the trip and our re-supply outing to Costco, just 40 miles away. Oh, and don’t forget Wally World – what would we do without Wally World? In Kellogg they have a small IGA and a Yokes which is not a bad grocery store by Kellogg standards. Around 11 a.m. we discovered that there is a 4th of July parade in town. Yeah! Who doesn’t love a parade? Keep in mind that Kellogg has a population of 2,120 residents and decreasing as we speak. Some say half the...

Jul 2, 2012 - Kellogg, Idaho

We arrived in Kellogg after driving three and a half days, stopping over night in Washington, Utah, our first night, Pocatello, Idaho, the second night and Butte, Montana, the third night. This will be our second year in Kellogg and renting the Jackalope Lodge on Slaughterhouse Road. For the sake of argument let’s just say “rustic” would be a stretch. Kellogg is named after a prospector named Noah Kellogg. Legend has it that his donkey wandered off one morning and Kellogg found him several hours later at a large open vain of silver ore...

Jun 30, 2012 - Tator TOT 2012 - Views on the Trail of the Couer D'Alenes

Tator TOT 2012 was the sixth year for this "Trike Optional Tour". It started as a Trike Only Tour, but quickly changed to include the many riders of other pedal powered vehicles. This year it was scheduled (a very loose term for Tator TOT) for June 24-27, but more than a few riders came several days early, while others stayed beyond the posted end date. It is really more of a happening than a structured event. The two attractions are the camaraderie of fellow trikers/bikers and the absolutely wonderful Trail of the Coeur D'Alenes...

Aug 19, 2011 - Winthrop, WA

Tuesday, August 16, we left Kellogg on the bike and headed to Winthrop, WA which is one of our favorite little towns in the northwest and compares in some respect to Tombstone, AZ. Both are western relics which we love. Our route there was one through golden wheat fields and hills and valleys and huge apple orchards ready for harvest. In Wilbur, WA we stopped for lunch and as often happens, we encountered a very interesting café, owned and run by a mother and daughter from Alaska. The restaurant is decorated with all sorts of Alaskan...

Aug 2, 2011 - Grand Kids Visit

On Thursday Tom’s daughter Cybill arrived with her three girls, Madisen, Sydnie and Taylor. That was the beginning of a wonderful weekend spent doing lots of fun and interesting things. On Friday we all went to the Crystal Mountain Gold Mine just east of Kellogg. It was a productive gold mine for years and then for some unknown reason the miners disappeared leaving all their equipment behind. No one knows why. Today the mine offers tours and teaches kids gold panning. So, we all donned hard hats and with flashlight in hand, we got to see...

Jul 27, 2011 - Flathead Lake, Montana

On Saturday, July 23, we jumped on the Harley and set out to visit good friends in Rollins, Montana on Flathead Lake. Terry is a retired Marine and he and Kay will have been married for 47 years this September. To get there is a short three hour trip but it is along the prettiest country ever! The Coeur d’Alene River followed us for some distance and then we happened upon Flathead Lake which is gorgeous. The Fourth of July Mountain Pass was a snap to cross this year as opposed to two years ago when we foolishly did it in pouring rain all...

Jul 19, 2011 - Lake Coeur d' Alene

We have been riding the Harley around Kellogg and Coeur d’ Alene the last couple of days. The ride around Coeur d’ Alene Lake is probably the most beautiful scenic ride we have been on so far this year. The lake is huge, over 25 miles long stretching through some of the most beautiful, hilly and mountainness country in the Idaho panhandle. Every few miles you haphazardly stumble upon a tucked away treasure: on a hillside overlooking the lake we stopped at a wonderful old fashion type general country store that was filled with delightful...

Jul 15, 2011 - Kellogg, Idaho for now...

We are now residing in a rented house in Kellogg, Idaho. Jackalope Lodge (the given name of our abode by the owner) is nestled in the foothills of the Silver Mountain which is a huge ski resort in the winter and not much in the summer. The house is high on a hill and the name of our street is Slaughterhouse Gulch; no one else lives on this hill. Is it because the ski lift (gondola) moves directly over the roof of the house? Hmmm, that wasn’t in the rental ad! I wonder! It is, however, reassuring to know that our designated garbage can is...