Eastern Washington continued to be a devilish landscape--one I could have gone my whole life without seeing. Being in the sun all day (again!) did not help my mood or my appreciation for the land.
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| Ritzville metal sculptures across from the motel. |
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| We make Idaho at last. |
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| Mountains, trees and water--what a relief! |
But by midday, the land began to give way to more hills and trees began to appear, improving my spirits immensely. Soon, we were climbing again and entered into Idaho. A short drive across the Idaho panhandle, and we swept into Montana, with its high mountains, deep canyons, and thick forests. After a mountain pass, the Interstate followed the paths of rivers as it wended its way east.
Nearing sunset, we entered Alberton, which seemed like the biggest town we had seen since we crossed the border. We stopped at a colorful local bar and the bartender recommended a lovely campground--River's Edge, perched right on the Clark Fork River, about a mile away.
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| Crazy graffitied bathroom. |
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| A saloon festooned with bras on the ceiling. |
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| A peaceful campsite. |
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| The Clark Fork River |
It was so soothing to be in the green of the mountains after two days of endless yellow grassland! The campground had a restaurant / bar where we ate dinner and later stopped back in for drinks. Like every bar in Montana, there were legal gambling machines. I tried my hand, but lost quickly (I only bet $2.00 at a time). But I met some nice people, had a lovely conversation, and Rick kept winning at the poker machine--keeping me in rum and cokes for the evening!
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| The saloon and casino at River's Edge. |
Sleeping in the trailer was more comfortable than I expected it to be, but it did get a little chilly in the morning. Still we slept well and although we got a little late start (10 AM), it was well worth it.
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