It has been a busy 3 weeks since our trip to Heyburn State Park on Lake Chatcolet, which is the end of Lake Coeur d' Alene in the beautiful state of Idaho.

We arrived on friday afternoon to have a weekend with our son, family and friends. The weather did not permit fishing which was the plan for our son and granddaughter. The rest of us kind of laid back and visited around the campfire. The cell phones did not work so we played a gamed of mexican train and a good time was had by all. It is amazing how we can still survive with out the modern age of technology. Actually carring on conversations the old fashion way.

Heyburn State Park is the oldest state park in the northwest. It was created by an act of congress in 1908. Heyburn includes 5,744 acres of land and 2,333 acres of water. Much of the early construction was performed by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930's.Many of these facilities are still in use. Fishing, boating, water sking, sailing and canoeing are also popular pursuits. Over 20 miles of trail for hikers or horseback riders are shaded by 400-year-old Ponderosa pines.

The Trail of the Coeur d'Alene's is 72 miles rated easy to moderate and is paved.
It runs between the towns of Plummer and Mullen, Idaho.

Saturday was a beautiful day, but as been par since we arrived here in Spokane it opened up and poured on our drive back to Spokane on Sunday.

Our grandaughter (10) road as my co-pilot. This was quite an adventure as the motorhome gives such a big picture out the window of where you are going.

As it turned out the rain fell like buckets of water pouring out of the sky. This has been the wettest and coldest spring on record for the Spokane area since they have been keeping records.

We are now the next friday and are headed to Colfax, Washington to go to an Escapees Rally. This is always a good time with old friends and any new SKP's that come buy. All are welcome. It seems the the things we do best are eating and talking. Seems we always have a couple of potlucks and a chapter dinner.

Several of the people took a tour of Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, and a trip to Palouse Falls. Palouse Falls is a cascade of 198' into a round salt-rock canyon then the water travels south to the Snake River which eventually joins the Columbia River on it's way to the Pacific Ocean. The falls are unique because they emerge from the channeled scablands of southeastern Washington State which is a arid landscape.

Lower Granite Dam is just one of the dams along the Snake River. The electricity from this and other dams produce electricity that is fed into the Bonneville power grid. This power grid feeds the northwest part of the United States.

Mike and I took a side trip up on Steptoe Butte. This butte rises 3618' into the sky and offers a spectactular 360 degree view of the Palouse. The Palouse is the wheat and grain farming lands of southeaster Washington State. It is 3.1 miles to the top by road. It makes 3 turns around the butte. It can be walked or driven.

While on top of the butte we were able to watch a crop duster dusting the fields for weeds. It is different to look down on top of the plane. Some of the fields have been plowed for fall planting and some are comming up with spring wheat that will be harvested in the late summer. The contrast is quite beautiful.

The view makes you wish you were an eagle. What they must see.

While on top of the butte I met a young indian boy (now 20) that had gone to the indian school at Desmet, Idaho. He was telling me that at age 7-8 there school made a trip by foot from the school to the top of the butte. This must be a trip of about 25 miles. He and his teacher were the first to arrive. How proud he and his family must have been. What a privilage it was to talk to him.

One other trip we made was to the town of Colfax. In 1938 the town of Colfax played a football game against the neighboring town of St. John. The game was replayed in 1988, 50 years later by those still around. There is 4-65' chain carved Red Cedar poles tied together and make a commerative pole. They call it the Codger Pole for all the old codgers that replayed the game. On the poles are the faces of all the players. This is the tallest chain carved structure in the world.

We also visited the Washington State University Campus and had ice cream. They have a factory that teaches the students how to make cheese and ice cream from the milk that the school dairy produces. They make a cheddar cheese called cougar gold. Very good cheese. This university has a great vetenery school.