Great day trips from Spokane (South Hill, Newport: houses, school, camp)

[Yeledaf]

I'm starting a thread about nice day trips one could take starting out from Spokane. I hope other posters might want to contirbute one ortowo of their own. (I'm a motorcycle guy, so mine will involve that kind of travel...)

Okay, here goes: up early on a beautiful sunny spring day, pack a little lunch and a thermos of coffee, load it into the saddlebags, and check my gear. Throw my leg over the Triumph Bonneville black, fire up that silky British twin, and let it idle for a minute to warm the oil and off we go....

From my home on the South Hill, always with an eye on avoiding traffic, head east to Moran Prairie, down the hill to Eighth avenue, turn east, cruise over to Park, and make my way up the back way to the Newport Highway. Heading north, the traffic gets heavier around Mead, but starts to thin out once I pass the Greenbluff turnoff. Except for one last little clot around Riverside with that uggggly trailer park.

Then we start getting into the country. Chatsworth. Elk. Cross into Pend Oreille County. Just before Newport, take the cutoff to Usk and it starts to get even more remote. My Bonnie hums through the beautiful meadow just south of Sacheen Lake, and I skirt the shore at the crossroads with its swamp filled with songbirds.

A couple miles farther north, and I have a choice: straight on up the east side of the big Pend Oreille River, or cross that steel bridge and take the more rural road up the east side. Today, I'm looking for peace and quiet and a chance to dig nature up close and personal, so it's an easy choice. Over the bridge, bend the Triumph over into a quick left, and it's due north onto the Kalispell Nation land.

The trees start to darken the day on both sides; the sunny road ahead is like a tunnel as I accelerate easily up the macadam. Funny how this road is nearly always deserted. I move along at a steady 40-45, passing Indian houses on each side. A couple of kids wave to me. Hello, hello!

Approaching the tribal headquarters I slow down and look off to the prairie on my left that slopes gently down for a quarter-mile or more to the river. And I spot what I'm looking for: the Kalispell buffalo herd, peacefully grazing some hundred yards away: the big bulls off by themselves, many of the cows nuzzling the toffee-colored spring calves. I pull up to the fence, shut off the bike, and take a break.

Somehow, I never get tired of watching these animals. I unscrew the thermos lid, pour myself a cup, and ponder the fate of the American bison, slaughtered in the millions throughout the West, first for their hides, then just for the hell of it, by sportsmen from all over the world. It was done out of ignorance, I think, not malice. Who could have predicted that they would have been driven to the brink of extinction?

There's no clearer example of the difference between the worlds of the Native Americans and the European/Americans. The former took buffalo for granted as their means of sustenance, deified their spirit, and defined and organized their lives around the movements of the great herds. The latter took them for granted, as well, and worked their will upon them with their power. Two different ways of looking at life. Now the Indians survive on their reservation lands, struggle to keep their culture alive with the tribal center, and maintain this symbolic herd. Across the big river, the white people have second homes -- lavish (and not-so-lavish) fishing cabins and docks that reach down to the water, from which they launch their boats and jet-skis. Two different ways of looking at life.

But hey. Enough philosophy. I still have some miles to cover. I throw away the dregs of my coffee, screw on the cap, stash it in my bag, and fire up the Bonnie. I'm headed north up the east side of this broad, blue-then slate-then turquoise-colored river, crossing back over to the west side just south of Ione (I could have continued ahead and skirted Sullivan Lake -- pretty quiet up there and the chances are I could have seen some flowers poking through the late snow. Not today, though.)

Climbing now. Past the Box Canyon dam. Threading up through the trees and past the fishing resorts. All those little dirt roads up the mountains to my left as I zoom past. Gotta explore them some day.

Through Ione, past the Tiger turnoff to Republic (another great ride!), then coming into Metaline. Gotta slow down. Speed limit 25. Probably pay the police salaries with quick tickets! In fact, there's a sheriff's car just ahead. I wave and smile, angelic in my observance of the speed limit. The Vietnam Vet jacket probably doesn't hurt, either. He waves back. Everything is cool in mid-morning.

Humming along, I accelerate up the hill past the beat little Metaline downtown area and the old abandoned school that used to be a hippy colony in the 1970s, then was abandoned for many years, and now is a furniture warehouse. Still looks like big old brick schoolhouse, though, even with the trucks lined up outside.

Approaching Metaline Falls, I cross the graceful WPA concrete bridge and look off to the left toward Boundary Dam (which was supposedly used as a visual in the film "Waterworld"). Metaline Falls is suddenly in view. I make a quick right up the hill, zip into the one-street downtown, and it's lunch time.

At the little cafe, it's a BLT, a dill pickle, and a coke for me. I exchange greetings with the folks there, talk a little about the weather, answer some questions about 'that there motorcycle I'm a-ridin', and walk outside to stretch my legs with a stoll up and down Main Street.

Soon I'm back in the saddle and headed up the corkscrew and through the deep woods to the Canadian border. Waving at the US border guards, I putter on up to the Canadian lady in her perky little hat staffing the outpost and give her a big old grin, which is not returned in this cold, cold twenty-first century.

I reach for my passport, and....hey that's enough for now.

Somebody else's turn!

[WendyK]

Tried to rep you on that one but I need to share the love with some others first...great description of your day trip! My hubby and I did that one on a motorcycle, too, when we went up to Nelson. The scenery was awesome and you get to smell the trees when you're on a bike.

[Yeledaf]

Originally Posted by WendyK

Tried to rep you on that one but I need to share the love with some others first...great description of your day trip! My hubby and I did that one on a motorcycle, too, when we went up to Nelson. The scenery was awesome and you get to smell the trees when you're on a bike.

So true. Like a horse that never gets tired. Don't you just love Nelson?

But hey, you stole my thunder! That was going to be Part II!

[WendyK]

You can keep on going....you're much more descriptive than me. I'd love to hear how you portray a visit to Nelson

[Yeledaf]

Actually, I'm hoping to hear from some of the other folks. David A, I'm sure, has got some good destinations to describe...

[elousv]

Metaline is a nice day trip, but going to Nelson is better for a weekend. You can do the Selkirk Loop this way. From Nelson go to Balfour and catch a ferry. You cross Kootenay Lake.





Once across you follow a nice windy road along the water. You enter the US in Idaho and continue through Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint and Priest River to complete the loop.

[StealthRabbit]

How about Palouse Falls, (SW). Jaunts south through Fairfield and Rockford. Then up around Harrison, ID and up the east side of CdL Lake. I also like the spring trips down through the Palouse to Moscow and into Kendrick. (my favorite ID 'ole-fashioned-farm-town')

[Yeledaf]

Originally Posted by elousv

Metaline is a nice day trip, but going to Nelson is better for a weekend. You can do the Selkirk Loop this way. From Nelson go to Balfour and catch a ferry. You cross Kootenay Lake.





Once across you follow a nice windy road along the water. You enter the US in Idaho and continue through Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint and Priest River to complete the loop.

That is a great loop. It's also nice to tack on a quick run up the lake to Ainsworth Hot Springs before doubling back to catch the ferry the next day. Soaking in that hot pool surrounded by the Selkirk mountains, looking out over that frosty lake....oh yeah!

And hey. If you're really adventurous, you can continue on past Ainsworth up to Kaslo. Among other things, there's a small museum there that features artifacts from the Japanese internment camp operated by the Canadians during World War II -- something that very few people are aware of.

http://thelangham.ca/

Of course, as you point out, now we are definitely into weekend trip category as opposed to day trips -- which is also very cool!

[Yeledaf]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

How about Palouse Falls, (SW). Jaunts south through Fairfield and Rockford. Then up around Harrison, ID and up the east side of CdL Lake. I also like the spring trips down through the Palouse to Moscow and into Kendrick. (my favorite ID 'ole-fashioned-farm-town')

Sounds great. Tell us more.

I hear St. John is also worth a visit. Been there?

[pw72]

The Grand Coulee Dam is a long day trip from Spokane, but definitely worth it. Not just for the dam, but for surrounding geography which is quite fascinating.

Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce Welcomes you to the Coulee!