Wallace, Idaho

Wednesday we spent washing the RV for a few hours (got rid of the salt spray and dirt from driving in the rain) and as we finished Jeff & Susan Collingwood arrived. After they setup we drove into Wallace , 4 miles, for a pizza supper.

Today we returned to Wallace to play tourist in this historic old mining city. We checked out the visitor center and their mining display. We then took a trolley ride from downtown to the Sierra Silver Mine tour. This was a mine opened about 1930 based upon a vein of quartz in a rock outcropping. No precious metals were found to the mine was closed. In the 1950s it was reopened and miners went deeper into the mountain, again without success; the mine is a dud. A few years ago it was opened up to tours which are lead by retired miners. Randy, be glad I wasn't a miner and you followed as a miner. The power air drills, scrappers for dragging the ore from the shafts and wagon loaders were all demonstrated and quite loud. Not an enjoyable profession. After lunch we toured the Oasis Bordello. It was opened in the late 1800's and closed in 1988. It employed 5 working ladies, 1 madam, 2 housekeepers/cooks, and 1 bouncer. Prior to closing it was making over $1M annually. It was closed very fast when the local sheriff called the madam and told her the FBI were on their way over. The dirty dishes, full ashtrays, grocery bags and rooms as they were in 1988. Prices and services are still posted on the walls. We then went through the local train museum hosed in the original depot. If you have seen the movie "Dante's Peak" you have seen Wallace, it was filmed here. The entire town is on the National Historic register.

Osburn, ID

We packed up this morning as the CG sprinkler system came on, sweet, the way we prefer our "rain" after 2 months of it in OR & WA. Dave & Trish.....why are ya still there? We traveled 180 miles out of WA and are in the Rockies near the top of ID about 15 miles from MT. We saw more snow topped mountains. In WA we saw a coyote trotting along and in ID we saw a Moose spashing through a wet area. No photo opportunites because of being on I90 going east. There's a historic old mining town (Wallace, the entire town is a National Historic Site) 5 miles from here that sounds interesting so we'll spend a couple days here. We also found out Jeff & Susan Collingwood will be here tomorrow so we can play together. Dave, we'll have a cold one (or two or....) for you.

Freedom Tour

Today we drove to an small airport 75 miles south. The country was at first just like MI, flat, all farm land with trees between the fields. It then got hilly with larger hills a few miles to our west. As we arrived at the airport a B25 Mitchell bomber flew over us and landed. When we got to the airport we got a close look at the plane. About 1/2 hour later a P51 Mustang flew in followed by a B24 Liberator then a B17 Flying Fortress. I was nice to see and hear these WWII planes land and taxi up to us. There were a couple hundred people there and we enjoyed seeing the activities. We stopped a fueled the trucks main tank for the trip to Idaho tomorrow but diesel is 10 to 15 cents a gallon cheaper there so we didn't fill the auxiliary tank. It was another beautiful day. We saw more 747s flying low around Moses Lake as there is a 747 pilot training center here and we see them all the time circling low overhead.

Moses Lake, WA

We didn't do much Saturday or Sunday. We are just enjoying all the great weather after OR & WA. Judy has been to Curves and water arobics at the CG pool. We went to church Sunday and on the way home we stopped at the county fairgrounds to see the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall. There were a couple hundred people there, many were bikers. We saw the real one in DC a couple years ago but still a somber experience. I watched the race in the afternoon and the evening we washed the truck.

Grand Coulee Dam

Another beautiful day. In fact it was a dam nice day. We drove north about 75 miles to the Grand Coulee Dam. On the way we stopped at the worlds largest dry waterfall. About 13,000 years ago when the glaciers melted there was a waterfall here over 3 miles wide and about 900 feet tall which formed much of WA, ID & MT. The glaciers backed up several rivers for decades until they burst through the glaciers. This happened dozens of times.

We were both surprised to see the geography which is desert and tall cliffs, not many trees and no forests. Reminds us of the Grand Canyon.

The dam is one mile long and almost as tall underwater as it is above. We took the dam tour and at the visitor center watched a video of it's construction. After dark there is a laser light show projected on the dam (worlds largest screen) but we didn't want to wait 5 hours until 10pm.

Moses Lake, WA

Wednesday, our last day in Fall City was spent with Judy going to Curves and a few errands. In the afternoon I helped Dave arrange his storage site then we discussed many topics at the local tavern. Judy did the dirty work, the laundry. Of course it rained some more.

Thursday was a banner day, we pulled out at 10am and made the right turn heading east!! The only sad thing is we are leaving Dave, Trish & Tank; but we'll see them in 3 months. The roads took us over a couple passes and we saw lots of snow on them there mountains. Just as we were impressed leaving the Arizona desert for the lush green valleys of California when we crossed over the mountains we were likewise impressed leaving the wet, soaked, heavily forested, overcast and dreary (50s) western Washington for green, rolling hills with just a few trees, dry (the fields are irrigated), warm (hi 70s) and sunny central and eastern Washington. We stopped at a rest area on I90 to streach our legs, got out of the truck, and pulling in beside us were Lanny & Lois from MI who we met last September at the Elkhart Escapade!!! Small world huh? Ain't it amazing??

See the blue sky and Judy's shadow in the picture, we were afraid she had lost her shadow. Yippee!!!!!!

Fall City, WA

Today was a laid back day. We went out to lunch with Trisha and Dave, had a good burger at Ruby's Dinner. Stopped at the post office and spotted these two tall chain saw carvings. Yes, it rained most of the morning and is raining again now. I think we will have to trade the fifth wheel for a boat, or better yet an ark, to get out of here. We are closely watching the Snoqualmie Pass on I90 for snow and ice when we leave Thursday. The state road department has good weather info and live pictures of the pass online.