COEUR d’ALENE, SPOKANE AND THE OPPRESSIVE HEAT OF 2021

June, 2021

If 2020 had been untainted by the pandemic we would have started out in the spring making our way in early summer to Coeur d’Alene before turning westward towards the Olympic Peninsula.

Coeur d’Alene was to be summer 2021’s third anchor stop; grandkids, Voyageurs National Park and then Coeur d’Alene – dig? But we almost had to change our plans. The Coeur d’Alene triathlon was scheduled for part of the time we wanted to be in town – finding a decently rated campground was tough – our first choice had been booked for almost a year! But John and Cheryl Williams had made plans to be in town, and we wouldn’t miss a time to reunite, catch-up and spend time with BFF’s from last winter in Mesa. Fortunately 12 miles to the west we found the perfect campground in Post Falls, Idaho.

June temperatures in Coeur d’Alene average a high of 75 degrees Fahrenheit and low of 48; in July it becomes a bit warmer averaging 85/53. When we arrived the forecast for the next couple of days called for unusually hot temperatures with highs nearing 100 degrees and overnight lows into the low 80s/high 70s. And then the potential for unknown high temperatures was very, very possible. We had planned to see the sights, visit Spokane and bicycle a rails to trails ride on the Idaho/Montana border – we couldn’t allow a little heat to slow us down.

We discovered during a long trip along the Lake Coeur d’Alene scenic by-pass that the Lake is a water lover’s paradise with beautiful scenery, many, many boat slips, and 109 miles of shoreline. The Lake is 25 miles at its longest and averages 1-3 miles wide. The area is an Osprey hatchery in spring and early summer, and as an annual stop for the winter’s bald eagle migration.

We took a very nice walk through one of Post Falls city parks – Falls Park. What we found was a delightful family- friendly city park with placards describing the early history of the city, and the importance of its founder’s lumber mill business to the growth of the town.

What we didn’t expect was how much the Western US drought affected the Spokane River.

Barbara’s best friend earned her undergraduate degree from Gonzaga University in Spokane – which is approximately 20 miles west of Post Falls. We visited campus, wanting to surprise Susan with a picture of the school’s mascot, The Bulldog, in order to also let her know we were there, and, of course, thinking of her.

We had done our homework and found a number of places in Spokane worth a stop. First up on the list was Riverfront Park.

When we entered the park from the north (?) what greeted us is a slide made to look like a little red wagon. How cool is that?

Centennial Trail is the common name given to the walkways in Riverside Park. Throughout the Park the views were exceptional…

Atlas Obscura recommended finding Spokane’s Garbage Eating Goat in Riverside Park. A favorite of kids and families the mechanical goat does indeed grab trash from the beholder’s hand and makes a bit of a munching sound before coming back to rest.

For kids of all ages there is the chance to ride on the beautifully re-constructed 1909 Looff Carousel…

Commemorating the Spokane tradition of Bloomsday a corten steel sculpture depicts runners of all kinds. Bloomsday claims to be the largest timed road running race in the world.

By the way, we had no idea what Bloomsday is or why it is celebrated. From google: “Bloomsday is a commemoration and celebration of the life of Irish writer James Joyce, observed annually in Dublin and elsewhere on 16 June, the day his 1922 novel Ulysses was published, and the date of his first outing with his wife-to-be, Nora Barnacle, and named after its protagonist Leopold Bloom.” So there you have it – Bloomsday!?

This is drought affected 9 Mile Falls…

Another Atlas Obscura must see is the the bison head guardians mounted on the pedestrian pavilions of the Monroe Street Bridge. The pale, unconventional ornaments peer out over both the people crossing the overpass and the river “rushing” below.

Originally built as the U.S. Federal Pavilion for Expo ’74, the Pavilion was a gift to Spokane from the United States government. Since then the Pavilion has been turned into a flexible use event space able to host everything from the Hoopfest Nike Court game and the Bloomsday Award Ceremony to a summer concert series and an outdoor giant screen film festival. During the summer months there are scheduled evening light shows.

Within walking distance of Riverside Park is the Historic Davenport Hotel. When it opened in 1914, The Davenport Hotel, was the “most modern hostelry” in the United States. It was the first hotel with air conditioning, a pipe organ, a central vacuum system, housekeeping carts and accordion ballroom doors. Unfortunately, by 1985 it was in disrepair and had been shut down. Local entrepreneurs Walt and Karen Worthy bought the hotel in 2000 and set about making it grand again. During the renovation, the hand-painted frescoes, ornate woodwork and European-inspired marble were all meticulously restored, including the genuine gold leaf around the lobby hearth and the year-round lit fireplace – both hallmarks of Davenport hospitality since the hotel opened its doors more than a century ago. Grand rooms like the Spanish Renaissance lobby or the Hall of Doges, Spokane’s oldest and most exquisite ballroom, draw tourists and architectural aficionados alike. Such extraordinary features have helped The Historic Davenport Hotel earn a prized spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The Hotel generously provides a booklet to assist in visitors’ self-guided tours.

When the Benewah Creamery opened a store on West Garland Avenue and North Post Street in Spokane in 1935, it used a rather fitting beacon for dairy lovers: a giant milk bottle. The creamery was originally one of several retail outlets owned by dairy merchant Paul Newport. Using local farmers’ raw milk to make products such as cheese and ice cream, the Newport family sold their wares at the store until it went out of business in 1974. By that point, the unusual building had become a Spokane landmark. Even when new owners transformed it into a store selling second-hand furniture and knickknacks, the milk bottle remained. The looming white structure almost disappeared for good when a fire tore into the building in 2011. The milk bottle was restored, and today it graces a diner—Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle—that sells burgers, sandwiches, and, naturally, highly praised milkshakes and ice creams. Had to stop in for a most delicious lunch, and even Barbara, the empress of ice cream, found the milk shakes to be the real deal – first class!

Penn State University shares something in common with Washington State University. Both universities offer various agricultural majors; the Knott Dairy Center at WSU and the Penn State Creamery are focused on teaching and research associated with the dairy industry and dairy products. While Penn State may be most widely recognized for its ice cream, WSU is known for a sharp white cheddar cheese: Cougar Gold. FYI-it’s the Washington State University Cougars.

We listened to our friends the McGibbons and the Williams rave about Cougar Gold, and thought it would be a nice surprise, as long as we were in the neighborhood, to pick some up for them.

In doing our research we found out that WSU’s dairy store on the main campus in Pullman was the only location guaranteed to stock Cougar Gold for sale, but the store was closed the days we could have made the trip. Next best locations according to the internet would be at either of the WSU Cougar stores in Spokane. Yeah? One store had been closed and not reopened due to the covid pandemic, and, well, we just couldn’t find the other store. So maybe, the internet suggested, Trader Joe’s might just perchance maybe conceivably perhaps have a supply in stock – no such luck. Undaunted, we asked the store manager at Trader Joe’s and she directed us to Ferrante S Marketplace Cafe, an Italian Restaurant located in Spokane’s South Hill. A quick call confirmed that a supply was available, and 25 minutes later 2 cans (only sold in 30 ounce cans) of the delicious aged curds were in our possession.

For the record, it is pretty damn good cheese. Of course it would have to be after our hunt for Cougar Gold!

We were able to share a can of Cougar Gold with John and Cheryl Williams – they pulled into Coeur d’Alene the next day. We had a superb reunion, played a mess of cribbage, and just flat out enjoyed our time together.

Part of our plan while staying in Coeur d’Alene was to spend time with Mesa friends Jerry and Barb Beck who have a home 7 miles north in Hayden, Idaho. But during the time we were in town a 100th birthday party for Barb’s mother some 200 miles away had already been scheduled. Unfortunate. However, Barb suggested that we not miss The Hiawatha, a rails to trails bicycle ride located on the border of Montana and Idaho.

The Hiawatha is a 15 mile 1.5 degree downhill bicycle ride that goes through 10 tunnels and over 7 trestles along the way. The longest tunnel is 1.67 miles of pitch darkness, which also starts and finishes the ride; a shuttle returns riders from the bottom to just short of the tunnel which then must be ridden through to return to the parking lot. We made our reservations. Tickets for the trail and the return shuttle are picked up at a location a few miles from the trailhead. Saddle up, helmet on, make sure your flashlight is working and off we went. It is an easy fun ride for all ages and the views are magnificent.

What no one expected was that the summer of 2021 would include “satanic” heat of biblical proportions exactly when we would be in town. We’re talking an atmospheric inversion/heat dome bringing record high temperatures and shattering heat records stretching from Montana to the Pacific coast…117 degrees Fahrenheit in Portland; multiple days in Coeur d’Alene around 109. Brutal.

Heading west from Coeur d’Alene our next stop would be Cle Elum, Washington. The route from here to there would have us travel across the middle of the state through the eastern part of Washington. It’s high desert and farm country, flat and not much in the way of cover from what was now unrelenting sun and heat. We spent 2 additional days in Post Falls waiting for the day temperature to dip below triple digits and morning temperatures to fall into the 70s before hitting the road. It just wasn’t safe to stress the drive train or tires at such extreme temperatures.

Spokane is cool. Coeur d’Alene is beautiful. The Hiawatha was a truly fun bicycle ride. Being with good friends is simply the best!

Barbara and Brian

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.“ – Henry David Thoreau