~Tuesday, August 25, 2020~
Day 72
Boy, they sure keep this place immaculate. The minute someone leaves their site, a volunteer drives up in their little white cart, cleans up and rakes the space for the next arrival. It’s almost like vacuuming the forest. We feel fortunate that we are able to stay here, and that we are in one of the better loops. It’s a lot bigger, with more loops and wider spaces between sites than Sugar Pine Point in Tahoe.
We thought we’d go check out the Museum at the Brig, located in the park. We had heard amazing things about it, but today, I guess was not the day. They’re open only Thursdays thru Sundays. Luckily we’ll still be here to see it later in the week.
There were a few errands that needed to be done, with Costco being our first stop. Man, in the state of Idaho, trying to get tequila for those thirst quenching margaritas is no easy feat. We’re finally giving up as a bottle that we normally pay $18.00 for in California is $40 here. Obviously, lots of tax built in. Next stop, Trek Bicycle Store in Coeur d’Alene. Really nice shop, with beautiful bikes and a very helpful staff. We found an electric bike (the hot thing right now) for a mere $9,000. Wow….crazy! Even though I own a hybrid, they were able to get us the right tube to do the job. We also purchased a portable bike pump which seemed crazy since we already have one in storage. But that doesn’t help us. Last stop….Petco for Sadie. She enjoyed her 10 minute spa session with the manicurist while we shopped for treats. I miss the more reasonably priced dog treats at Trader Joe’s.
Finally, we’re off to be tourists. Trying to avoid paid parking garages or lots, we lucked out with finding the perfect 2-hour parking spot on the street. Thinking we struck gold, we later found out that paid parking is only $1.00. I guess we need to get California prices out of our head. Instead of focusing on downtown, we had parked next to McEuen Park which is a lakeside park, with several trails, a large playground, and an off-leash dog park. At a cost of $20 million, the 20 acre park’s construction was completed in 2014. The views are stunning with the surrounding Coeur d’Alene mountains, busy marina, and hotels.
You would never know it was a weekday as there were alot of kids enjoying rock jumps, adults hiking and biking, and dogs everywhere. The Tubbs Hill Nature Trail looked like a good one to explore, and it was. The 2.2 mile loop takes you around scenic overlooks and down to beaches around the perimeter of the park. We found a few beaches for Sadie to play on
and get more swimming in. She has definitely had her fill lately. After our hike, we stopped at Kenai-Red Fish Company, on the waterfront, for a refreshing beer before our 30 minute drive back to the campsite. When we got back, Jeff put on the new tube for my bike and realized the portable bike pump we bought is not going to work for us. So we’ll be returning that once we head to Wallace in a few days.
We definitely need to stop these late dinners as we’re having too much fun during the day to stop any earlier. Tonight’s selection...Jeff-a Spam sandwich, and me salmon. Tomorrow, we move sites.