IDAHO and MONTANA
We left Washington State and entered northern Idaho for a 6 day stay in Coeur d'Alene. The words mean heart of an awl. French traders gave the area that name because they found the native Indians to be hard and sharp traders.
Coeur d'Alene is often found on Best Places to Live or Best Places to Retire lists. It is easy to see why. The 25 mile long lake, carved out by the Missoula Glacial Floods, is gorgeous. The town is nice to walk, the people are friendly.
Thanks to skyauction and an upgrade when we checked in, we had a wonderful room at the Coeur d'Alene Resort overlooking the lake and city. The downside was that it was cold and rained almost every day. Hard to believe it was early June.
Fortunately the weather improved as we made our way to Bozeman, Montana. The drive across the Bitteroot Mountains along the Clark Fork River is spectacular. Home town to about 40,000 people and Montana State University, Bozeman is the 4th largest city in the state. The movies A River Runs Through It and The Horse Whisperer were set in the area. The beautiful scenery, skiing, hiking and fishing make it a popular area with outdoor enthusiasts.
Bozeman has a great downtown and many of the townspeople lined Main Street to watch the annual Gay Pride Parade. After the parade, we met a cousin who lives in nearby Livingston for lunch. As I've said before, one of the best parts of this lifestyle is touching base with far away friends and relatives.
Next stop: Sheridan, Wyoming
