Day Tripping

June 15 – We had a super day today, aside from changing the bed and doing laundry!  We had a leisurely morning and after a nice breakfast we showered and headed north to Sandpoint, ID.  It took about an hour to get to Bill’s nephew, Doug’s, house there.  It’s back in the woods on the Pack River.

We didn’t know we would not be the only guests but it was great meeting Shannon’s (Doug’s wife) brother, son, son’s girlfriend and her dad, Bob, from Australia.  Everyone was so warm and friendly and it was a day of laughs and joking!  Once we had the tour of the house and all the info on what the plan for expanding the house

Doug's Catch



Bob's Catch

will be, we walked down to Pack River where they have a “party” area set up and ready to go!  There’s a big tent with tables, seating, coolers, corn hole and right on the river’s edge are chairs and sun umbrellas.  Bob picked up his rod and on his first cast caught a cutthroat trout about 7-8 pounds.  They are endangered so he couldn’t keep it, but did just long enough for photos.    Shortly after, Doug picked up the rod and he cast and darn if he didn’t catch one almost a big on his first cast!  We laughed and laughed over how “great” of fishermen there were!

Doug, Kelly & Bill

Shannon prepared quite a spread for lunch and we all chowed down!  There were sandwiches, and a relish plate to drool over, along with 2 kinds of chips and a rice salad.    I provided a batch of chocolate truffles and Shannon also made chocolate chip cookies.  Then once the crowd thinned she brought out some homemade huckleberry ice cream and some vanilla.  Double delicious!  I could have eaten more but was trying to share and not make a pig of myself!

To wear off some of the food coma, Doug, Shannon, Bill and I went for a walk out to the road and up the road to Shannon’s aunt’s house.  It is a gorgeous REAL log house.  I would trade mine for it in a heartbeat!  It has huge log beams inside and the loft is 3 times the size of mine.  The stair rails were log, it was just so rustic and beautiful!  Another Aunt is staying there as well and they were both the sweetest ladies.  We had a very nice visit with them until it was time to head back down the road and for Bill and I, really head on back down the road.

On the road back to Coeur D'Alene

The drive back seemed shorter than the drive up.  We checked on Molly and relaxed a bit and I put laundry in.  We left at 6 to go to dinner at Seasons. It’s a bit upscale and down on the lakeshore.  We were lucky to get a parking spot right behind it.  It looked like there had been an event downtown today as there were still big white tents up on several green areas.

My mule and my meal

I ordered an Idaho Mule (huckleberry vodka, huckleberries, sliced ginger and ginger beer).  Bill doesn’t drink but he said that was really tasty.  I nursed it the whole meal!  I had fresh halibut over couscous and sautéed veggies and Bill went with buttermilk breaded chicken over smashed potatoes and veggies.  He also had tiny little biscuits.  We were stuffed so no dessert!  Of course once dinner settled, back home I had an ice cream sandwich and he had a little cup of vanilla that was in the freezer.

Time to blog and read!