Map of the USA

For those of you who cannot picture where Idaho is, I have included this map. I also visited the states of Washington and Montana, so these are included also. I took a 7:00 a.m. Southwest flight from Burbank to Oakland and then flew on to Spokane, Washington. Before departing Oakland, our pilot treated us to two harmonica solos and then a stand–up comic routine––he assured us that he can fly an airplane better than tell jokes! All this was really odd, even for Southwest Airlines, but our pilot really had me laughing. I was heading up north to attend a family reunion on my father’s side.

Idaho Map

My route for the day was from Spokane (prounced “Spo–can,” its name coming from the Spokane Indian tribe, meaning “Children of the Sun”), Washington; to Couer d’Alene (pronounced “Core da lane,” its name also coming from an Indian tribe, which was given to the tribe by the French traders in respect of the Indians’ shrewd trading practices––Couer d’Alene meaning “Heart of the Awl” or “Shrewd”); to Bayview, Idaho (it has a view of the Hudson Bay on Lake Pend Oreille––pronounced “Lake Pond–o–ray). I circled all three places on this map.

Riverfront Park, Spokane

I rented a Saturn with a Gamin GPS at the airport, and before heading off to Idaho, I drove to Spokane’s Riverfront Park. When looking for a parking garage, I found myself right in the back of a parade, which I was told later was a Gay Pride Parade, complete with a Gay Pride Festival in the park.

Riverfront Park

The 100–acre park is along the Spokane River and the Spokane Falls. It was the site of the 1974 World Expo and still has some leftover buildings, etc., from the Expo.

Riverfront Park

View of the park and the Clock Tower which dates back to 1902 and which was part of the Great Northern Railroad Depot until 1972. The Gay Pride Festival’s music could be heard throughout the park, which made my park walk somewhat festive. The steel structure on the left back of the photo is from the 1974 World Expo and I don’t know exactly what it is or was for. You can also see from the photos that the weather was quite overcast, but it wasn’t too cold.

Riverfront Park

It was also Street Law Day at the park. I ran into one of the Street Lawyers on my walk and told him that my son practices LA Law and he would get a kick out of the Street Law Day. The Street Lawyer told me that he used to practice LA Law and also San Diego Law before moving to Spokane, a place to live that he greatly prefers to living in Southern California––perhaps the difference of living in a city of 200,000 people (and even with that small population, Spokane is Washington State’s second largest city) from that of LA’s four million.

Riverfront Park

There are a number of sculptures in the park. This one is Thomas R. Adkison’s “Theme Stream” from Expo ’74.

Riverfront Park

Probably park of “Theme Stream,” overlooking the Spokane River.

Riverfront Park

Plenty of squirrels in the park to feed peanuts to, which one man was doing.

Riverfront Park

A head shot of the squirrel.

Riverfront Park

Spokane Falls in the park.

Riverfront Park

Another view of the falls.

Riverfront Park

A Skyride is offered for a close–up view of the falls farther down the river. Skyride cable cars.

Riverfront Park

There weren’t many people interested in taking the Skyride this day so I was given my very own cable car to ride in––good for taking photos but not good in case I panicked and needed reassurance that we would get back safely to where we started. Just about right here in the photo, I got a cell phone call from my son Brett. I told him that I couldn’t talk to him as I was at least 50 feet off the ground and somewhat nervous––nervous because the cars kept being stopped, sometimes leaving me dangling for four minutes or more. When cars returned to the starting point, they would go in very slowly and then stop for unloading and loading passengers, hence stopping all the other cars, wherever they were at that time. View from the cable car.

Riverfront Park

Photo taken from my cable car of another cable car “dangling” over the falls. The falls are part of a hydroelectric system in the park.

Riverfront Park

Another view of the falls.

Riverfront Park

Going back up, ever so slowly.

Riverfront Park

After surviving the Skyride, I went in search of a restaurant for lunch and walked past this absolutely great scupture in the park: “The Joy of Running,” by David Govedane (1984), which celebrates Spokane’s Bloomsday, the largest timed road race in the world. There are more figures in this scupture, but the Gay Pride Festival was right here and it was difficult to take a really good photo.

Riverfront Park

After eating, I walked around the park some more and saw this 1909 Charles I.D. Looff Historic Carrousel. There is also an amusement park in another area for the children.

Riverfront Park

A view of the Clock Tower from another side.

Riverfront Park

The aluminum “Centennial Sculpture,” by Harold Balazs, 1978, that can be seen in the river in the last photo.

Riverfront Park

Riverfront Park

A giant Radio Flyer sculpture, “The Childhood Express,” by Ken Spiering, 1990. There were many more sculptures in the park but by now I was too tired to see anymore.

Riverfront Park

I thought that this Spokane Sister City signpost was interesting: If Spokane was about 300 miles to the west, if would be equidistant from both Limerick, Ireland, and Jilin City, China. I went back to the parking garage to find my rental car––I remembered where I parked in the multistory garage, but couldn’t find my car when I got there. I knew I had a Saturn with Oregon plates that was white in color––no white Saturn anywhere on my walk on just about all of the multistories trying to find it. Some panic here. Finally, I saw a silver Saturn just where I thought I had parked my white Saturn and tried opening it with the remote––it worked!!! My daughter’s boyfriend suggested that we dummies among us hang something recognizable on the rear view mirror until we can remember what our rental car looks like.

Driving to Idaho

I got a bit turned around trying to get out of Spokane, but it wasn’t my fault. The on–ramps to the I–90 East were all closed due to construction and no one thought of placing detour signs anywhere. I finally figured out that if I got on the I–90 West my GPS lady, after getting upset with me for not following her directions, would direct me back to the I–90 East, which she did. Rain greeted me when I crossed the Idaho state line. I drove on to Couer d’Alene, about 30 miles from Spokane, where I was to meet the reunion people for dinner at our reunion organizer’s (cousin Alan) daughter’s house. Alan lives in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Most of those who were attending the reunion were already at Margaret’s house. Total reunion goers I believe were 22, coming from Boise, Idaho; Nashville, Tennessee; Dallas, Texas; Latrobe, Pennsylvania; Alexandria, Virginia; among probably some other places. Some of my cousins who attended I have been very close to for many years; some of the other reunion people I was meeting for the first time––and them, me. (Photo safely taken with Eddie’s little camera while I was driving.)

Driving to Bayview, Idaho

Bayview

The rain had stopped by the time we arrived in Bayview, about 45 minutes later (a shorter drive from Couer d’Alene at other times of the day). We were staying in cabins at the MacDonald’s Hudson Bay Resort on Lake Pend Oreille (Pond–o–ray). There were six cabins on the hill and four larger cabins by the water’s edge. My one–bedroom cabin was one of these on the hill and I had it all to myself––price, $96.50 per night.

Bayview

My cabin’s kitchen, complete with dishes, coffee maker, etc. You are required to wash your own dishes and take out your trash. You get clean towels every two days and a change of linens once a week.

Bayview

My cabin’s living room.

Bayview

The bedroom. The bed is a bit small for two people, but the couch can be made into a bed. I was really surprised at how large my cabin was.

Bayview

Picnic table outside my cabin.

Bayview

Beautiful irises outside the cabin.

Bayview

Bayview

Close–up of what I have been told are called float houses, not house boats. A house boat can be easily moved from one place to another; a float house needs a barge’s help to get from one place to another.

Bayview

I think that this is the best cabin of them all––cabin no. 12, with two bedrooms and right on the water. The inside of it is modern––cost $150.12 per night.

Bayview

The view from the dining table in cabin no. 12.

Bayview

Cousin Alan’s sailboat, which he winters here. Its name is Non Troppo, meaning “not too much; in moderation.” I didn’t get a chance to sail on it as I seemed to be elsewhere when it was being sailed. You can rent here fishing boats, sailboats, canoes, etc., and also take sailboating lessons.

Bayview

Lake Pend Oreille seen from Hudson Bay. The lake is 43 miles long and 1,200 feet deep. During World War II, a major naval training base was located here. There is now a small naval base where acoustic testing for the stealth submarines is conducted.

Bayview

Wildflowers and boats.

Bayview

Lighthouse across the bay, though probably not a working lighthouse as I could not see any lights on it at night––which means that I was still awake sometime after Bayview’s late sunset past about 9:15 p.m. It was a long, fun day for me.