Day 14. Coeur D'Alene, ID

We stayed at a really nice campground outside Coeur d’Alene.  A nice benefit was being told by management about a nearby restaurant that offered a good deal on an “early bird” special.  So we dined on delicious prime rib, hot sour dough rolls, a fantastic salad bar, New England-worthy clam chowder, and huckleberry ice cream.  An all on a floating restaurant.  Enjoyable!  

The wind blew and the rain came, but we didn't care because we were hoping for some cleaner air.

Day 13. Missoula, MT

We arrived in Missoula with the plan to drive downtown near the University of Montana.  Charlie had been there several years before with a couple of college buddies and remembered finding fun bars and neat restaurants.  We wandered around in the car while trying to keep our orientation to the big M on the mountainside behind the University.  This was not at all easy, however, because the smoke from the fires in Idaho and Washington had descended on the town.  There actually were ashes raining down on us! 

See the mountain?  See the M?

We were lucky enough to arrive in Missoula on the first day of their Roots Festival.  Downtown there was a section of streets closed to traffic and where merchants of food, drink, and crafts had set up tents and were offering their goods.  We decided on a polish sausage for dinner, not the best choice because it lacked the grilled onions and bell peppers that we enjoyed at Baltimore’s Polish festivals when we were in college at Towson.  But there was some fun bluegrass entertainment.  Great time and totally serendipity.  Loved it. 

Stay tuned for the video that will

be inserted here when I have

decent signal strength!

Day 12. Bozeman, MT

The drive from Yellowstone National Park to Bozeman was uneventful.  The sky was smokey and the mountain views were faint at best. 

When we arrived, we asked the registration desk lady whether she had a recommendation for lunch.  Without hesitation she suggested the Kountry Kitchen nearby.  It was so nice.  The wait staff was friendly and the food good.  Charlie enjoyed breakfast since we'd left in the morning with only coffee.  One look at the pies in the dessert display had us agreeing to return for dinner just so we could have some.  We didn't, but it was a delicious thought.