# 2 Moses Lake to Bonners Ferry

June 5, 2018

Before leaving the RV Park we visited with our neighbors.   The couple just recently retired and entered the RV life style to avoid the summer heat of their Scottsdale, AZ home. Fortunately several family members live in the northern latitudes and provide them with destinations.

 The road east encompasses miles and miles of mostly flat land rolling across some bumps and small mounds in the terrain.






Some mounds display exposed rock eroded by the seasons of time.

 Acres of sagebrush make a patchwork quilt with acres of farm land.  Some fields look like wheat, hay, potatoes or canola.  Some fields are left to the grasses this year.

Here and there silos rise from the flat surface. Black cattle graze in the green grassy pastures.

 Trains trudge across the landscape carrying their products to market.

 Farms sit on the little hills whiles black cattle seek tender green morsels in the pastures.

I missed a photo opt!  While driving through miles of sagebrush a deserted looking structure appears. A HUGE sign greets oncoming traffic.  In the past it might have read: EATS or GAS.  Today it read: CANNIBIS, and caused me to chuckle.

 Just before Sprague we passed an interesting campground sitting right on the shores of Sprague Lake. The Four Seasons Campground didn’t look fancy, just quiet and nice.  It may be for sale, but we saw rigs parked there. 509-257-2332 if you want to check it out.

Eastbound I-90 fills the slopes with mostly fir and cedar trees on the West side of the mountains.  On the east side of the mountains pine trees and deciduous trees fill the area.  The closer we got to Spokane pine trees grew in abundant groves. I had forgotten how many lakes , ponds and little rivers occur in 
Eastern Washington. 

The pines reminded me of Spokane where I spent the first 8 years of life.   I did so much gawking as we passed Spokane I forgot to take photos.

However.....if you are in the market for an RV, I suggest taking a trip to Spokane.  The east side of Spokane, looming along I-90 sit acres of every kind of vehicle that might tickle your fancy!

Hello Idaho!    

We chose to stop in Post Falls, Idaho and top off all our fuel before entering Canada.  Diesel was available farther north, but not DEF.  DEF stands for Diesel Exhaust Fluid….I think.  It is an additive that cleans the exhaust and helps the environment.  It is now on the newer RVs.  The fuel stops in Bonners Ferry only have DEF in bottles and we prefer to pump it at a truck stop. So we stopped in Post Falls and filled up on diesel, DEF and propane.   Canada here we come!

 Northern Idaho emits a serene, rural feeling.  Pine trees cover the hills and line the highway. 

 Many lakes and water ways sit close to the highway. You come around a bend and there sits some gorgeous homes perched either above or peacefully right on the lake shore.  The lakes are surrounded by trees.

Lake Cocolalla is another example of houses on lakes.

  



Farms and ranches open the land to crops and cattle between sections of forest.

Trains tracks follow the highway north.  We heard them from where we camped later. We know when camping in Canada, the parks are never far from tracks.

We entered Sandpoint, Idaho via a long bridge or causeway. The town sits where the Pend Oreille River meets the Pend Oreille Lake.

A train passed by across the Pend Oreille Lake.  The bridge coming at us across the water supports the trains coming into Sandpoint.

We followed a school bus from Post Falls all the way to where it exited in Sandpoint…a distance of 50 miles.  Sandpoint looks like an interesting place to visit. The train depot caught my eye.  If we had the time, Sandpoint beckoned to further investigation.  Silverwood Amusement park looked inviting as we drove by.  We did notice several school buses in their parking lot.

 We continued northward and arrived in Bonner’s Ferry. Suddenly we realize that we missed the turnoff to the RV Park where we made reservations.  The park is actually listed in Bonners Ferry, but has a Naples address. So we found a place to turn around and drove nine miles south over the road we had just traveled.  Road signage exists, but you need to look for it carefully and quickly.  So happy to have Google Maps!  We found the road, slowed to turn and we see the ROAD CLOSED sign.  A railroad crew was fixing the tracks and the intersection we needed to cross.  We could wait until 5 pm for the road to open, but it was just about 3 now.  We opted to change plans.  We drove south until we could turn around again…..not a lot of turn arounds spaces big enough for us on this rural road. We cancelled our reservation and let them know we couldn’t get there.  Meanwhile I’m searching for another park. 

Found one!  Just south of the Canadian border!

Idyl Acres Campground!  However: no Wi-Fi, no cell phones, no computer, no satellite and thus no Google Maps. 

 No need for a reservation, we will be the only ones in the park.  

A little old couple, 88 and 90 years old, own and run this park.  They are both a little deaf and her eyesight is going.

This park sat out into this little lake.  We could walk down to the shore and enjoy the view.

We found this to be a pretty little place, where birds chirp, Aspen leaves flutter and the quiet is only interrupted by the occasional highway noise, or the trains in the distance. If you need to "unplug" this is the place!

Two days on the road and two hiccups in planning.  Hope this isn’t a trend.  Today’s change may create another change tomorrow.  Each one adds to the adventure.

RV rule#1:  Stuff happens!   Laugh, deal with it and go on to whatever awaits you next!