Day 10: To Spokane, WA

Well, earlier in the week I told the family that it helps to look for the "surprise of the day", so that an unexpected change of plans or turn of events does not throw you for a loop as easily. Yesterday, it was most certainly the cold temps! Today, we had a bigger "surprise of the day": While driving on Interstate 90 toward the Montana/Idaho border, one of the tires on the camper blew out! As usual, I was following Daryl, and suddenly noticed a smoking and burning smell and smoke coming from the camper. I thought it was something about the exhaust at first, tried to call Daryl on the cell phone, but had no service (it has been on and off in the mountains all trip!). So I pulled up next to him and gestured to pull off the road, and fortunately there was a big safe pull-off area (shoulder). We tried to call Roadside assistance, which Elaine and Leroy have through AAA, but none of us had a phone connection, plus Daryl would have nothing of that idea! He thought he could change it himself quicker and just as well, and got right to work. He worked for about an hour or so, jacking the right side of the camper up with a manual jack and got the spare tire put on. Unfortunately from driving on it and bearing the whole weight on that side for a little while, the other tire on the second axle had been slightly damaged, too.

 

Fortunately, we were only 3.4 miles from our destination, the Hiawatha bike trail, where Daryl and the boys and I had planned to do a scenic, historic, rails to trails bike ride. While we rode the trail, Leroy called a service place and they came there and replaced the other damaged tire, as well as one on the opposite side, using the old one as a new spare. Thank you, Leroy and Elaine!

The Hiawatha trail ride was incredible! Never in my life have I has such a spectacular bike ride, it is called the "crown jewel of all rail-to-trail projects". It started out with a 1.7 mile tunnel, in which it was pitch dark (we had to rent headlights for the bikes, as well as 2 extra bikes) and freezing cold (I was thankful for my sweatshirt). The trail then continued for 14 miles or so, all gently downhill, dropping 1000 feet total going through another 6 tunnels (shorter ones), and over numerous beautiful trestle bridges! It was so scenic! I held the camera in one hand for the first 9 miles straight, since I did not want to miss any of the awesome Kodak moments! Here are a few of the best ones.

One of the highlights for the boys was when a couple of chipmunks came right up to them at one of the stops we made. It seemed they might have been used to being fed by people, but we had no food. Instead, Ben poured water from a water bottle into the cap, and the chipmunk came right to it and drank thirstily. It was so cute. They kept running away briefly, then coming back and drinking more water from the little cap. They boys really enjoyed that!

At the end of the trail, there was a shuttle bus (an old modified school bus actually!), that took us back up to the first 1.7 mile tunnel so we could ride through that again back to the car. The bus ride up was hairier than the bike ride down, a narrow dirt road with switchback turns, frightening drop offs and steep inclines. It was a lot of fun!

This lovely waterfall was right outside of the exit of the long tunnel!

After that adventure, Daryl was tired and so we only made it to Spokane, WA, where we are now at a truck stop, Petco Stopping Center. Pretty fancy place for a truck stop! You can buy a shower, which includes a bar of soap, a bath mat and 2 towel rental for $13! It also had a Subway and a real sit down restaurant. We did NOT spend $13 on showers, but I did go across the street to McDonalds to get wifi to write on my blog.
Tomorrow we will be in Oregon!