Idaho

Stories from the Road
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
August 17, 2015

The air was filled with smoke, as we made our way down the barren lands of Eastern Washington, after traversing the Northern Cascades via highway 20. We never ran into a fire, but we knew they were close.  Around 5:00 we reached Coeur d’Alene, and my Garmin GPS took us to the Hampton Inn, where we are staying.

The wedding in Anacortes was creative and fun. Patty Pavilnac, the bride, has a doctorate from the University of Washington in Epidemiology. Studying diseases in Africa, she has money from the Gates Foundation. She was recently promoted to assistant Professor at the University. She wrote her wedding vow, which started out and ended with, “You are the one”.  In a powerful voice, after describing her future husband’s qualities, she said, “ I choose you”.  Her statement, delivered in a strong voice, moved the guests.

The ceremony was held on an old dock. The warehouse behind it has been turned into an event center, and the reception and dinner were held there. The setting was funky and cool. I could look down at the floor and see the water below. I sat next to an attorney from Connecticut with a dry sense of humor. It was fun to talk with him and his wife.

The next day we drove over the Cascades on the scenic route. We passed a group of bikers, who were riding from Seattle to Glacier National Park in Montana. This was a commercial trip with van support, and at one point we stopped at a rest stop, where the bike staff were waiting for the riders to arrive. The ride was up and down hills several miles long, and it was grueling. The staff person told me he was glad he was driving the van that day and not riding. The riders were covering 80-100 miles a day, and I was surprised how fresh they looked at the end of the climb to the rest stop.

When we checked into our hotel last night, one of the employees somehow got into a comedy routine about how he came to Idaho with four dollars in his pocket. After a while I said I would write a country song about his trials and tribulations and sang a couple of bars. The other staff person laughed, and it was the most fun check in I have had!