13 Sept 2012

Ione WA to Priest River ID 62 miles (TNV 414 miles)

All I do is think about bears on this trip. Brown bears, black bears, grizzly bears. As we were approaching the town of Priest River via Highway 2, which, by the way, has a very “worthy” gas station stop (i.e., ice water and ice cream) a few miles before town, Gina asked me the name of our motel for the night. Picturing their website in my mind’s eye, I was tempted to reply to her “The Bear’s Inn” or “The Country Bear Jamboree” or something similar, for all I could visualize was these, of which there are heaps in their motel photos (and in person):

And yet the place is named “The Eagle’s Nest Motel.” I don’t get it. I did not see a single carved eagle. However, it is the “newest and cleanest” hotel in the area, built in 1994. 1994! It’s nice to know that 1994 is still considered recent. My wardrobe certainly appreciates that sentiment.

Today’s ride was most definitely fantastic, nearly all of it spent cycling on a back road tracing the meandering Pend Oreille River. A delicious second breakfast, no traffic, only one loose little dog that was all bark and no bite, and a replication of Stonehenge for our viewing pleasure. And if that weren’t enough, we chased it all down with tacos and margaritas.  Thanks, Idaho, for such a welcoming return.