-----> Plan your RV trip with our NEW State By State Guide To State And National Park Campgrounds. <-----

Monday, May 22, 2023

On The Road Again, Kootenai Falls Park, MT, Lunch In Idaho, Spokane, WA

Do you often find yourself on the road again? Well, lucky you and safe travels!

If you are traveling with your RV, take a look at our list of 10 Items You Should Have On Your RV Camping List before you hit the road.


2022 Cross Country Road Trip Stop 10

Lucky for us we struck up a conversation with a fellow hiker while waiting for the shuttle bus in Glacier National Park the day before we were leaving for Stop 10 of our cross-country road trip, Spokane, WA. She told us that we would be passing very close by Kootenai Falls Park and it was really worth a visit. We were so glad we followed her suggestion and did stop here.


The trail she mentioned started right behind the information posters which was to the right of the parking lot and just past a restroom and small stand selling snacks and souvenirs.


There were a couple of spots along the trail that were very picturesque so we stopped a few times to take pictures and take in the beauty.


The trail was an easy trail but not easy enough to make it handicap accessible. 


Then we came to the bridge. It was one of the longest and nicest suspension bridges we have ever been on.


The views from the bridge were incredible.


Once we crossed the bridge, we headed to the falls where we were treated to more amazing views.


We were all very glad we stopped here. Now it was time to drive through Idaho where we were stopping for lunch. None of us had ever been to Idaho. Our criteria for being able to officially say we have been to a state is to vacation, stay over or, at the very least, have lunch in the state. We were not vacationing or staying over in Idaho so that left have lunch.


We googled and found a restaurant in Priest River, Idaho but it was closed. We wound up instead at AJ's Cafe and had one of the best meals of our entire cross-country trip! 


Me and JT are still talking about the delicious, huge homemade biscuits that came with our lunch.


After eating our delicious meal, we were back on the road again. We had two more stops to make, Walmart and Costco, before finally getting to our campground. We were really tired after our long day so after setting up, eating dinner and taking showers we were all ready to call it a night.


The following day all we had planned was a walk around Spokane Riverfront Park and checking out the downtown Spokane. We were not in a hurry so we had a leisurely pancake and bacon breakfast and prepped for some of our other upcoming meals.


Then we were off to see the city that our Japanese great-grandparents settled in for a few years many years ago.


We had no idea exactly where they had their alteration shop but we were just happy to be in Spokane after hearing about it all our lives. Without really knowing what we would actually do or see here, we researched and thought that the Riverfront Park sounded like a nice area to check out.


There were lots of things to do and see here. We crossed the pedestrian bridge over the Spokane River and saw the country's largest urban waterfall.


The Looff Carrousel that has a home here in the park was beautifully hand carved back in1909. It was a magnificent work of art.


The clock tower behind me, built in 1902, runs the way it did when it was first built. Someone walks up 5 flights of stairs 99 times a week to crank the clock. I would not want that job.


The Riverfront Rotary Fountain, shown here in back of the riverfront sign, shoots water from 5 stainless steel columns 24 feet high and can be very refreshing to jump into on a hot day.


We ventured out of the park when we came to the opposite end of where we came in. We were now in downtown Spokane. It was a bigger city than we imagined it to be. 


After walking around the city and shopping in a few of the stores, we walked back through the park to get to our car. There was still a lot more to see. One area we missed was the Sister Cities Connection Garden. Here you can learn about Spokane's sister cities. This harp reminds us that Limerick, Ireland is one of them.


And this marble monument represents the bond between Spokane and sister city, Cagli, Italy. I asked JT to pose for me by this monument because of his bond to Italy via his Italian parents.


And when we saw this replica of Imazu Lighthouse from Spokane's oldest sister, Nishinomiya, Japan we knew that our great-grandparents were with us as we explored this special city and we had found the perfect place to find them. 


Thank you, Hi obaasan and Hi ojiichan for welcoming us and for showing us around Spokane. It was a dream come true to visit the city that you settled in when you lived in America. We had a great time!

Find a campground here before you venture out on your next road trip adventure!

State By State Guide To State And National Park Campgrounds

Where do you go when you take a road trip? Do you travel near or far? Let us know where you usually wind up when you find yourself on the road again!





23 comments:

  1. I love the trail and suspension bridge that you were on.
    I love the scenes of Spokane. Quite a town it looks like. I'm intrigued because my mother lived there right after WWII and talked about it often. I have a bunch of vintage postcards she collected back then.
    Good luck on your travels.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All I ever knew about Spokane was that my Japanese ancestors lived there for a couple of years. Since we visited, I found out my cousin was born there and now your mom. I always thought of it as some random town in the middle of nowhere and then we were surprised about how big the city was. I hope you get a chance to visit one day. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. Thanks for taking me on your fun trip - I've never been to Idaho or the other places you mentioned, but I feel I know them better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It sure is fun visiting a state you've never been in before. Thanks for taking the virtual trip with us!

      Delete
  3. I've never been to Idaho or Washington, but I hope to get there someday. Thanks for sharing your adventures. Thank you for sharing this post in the Talent-Sharing Tuesdays Link-Up 66.
    Carol
    www.scribblingboomer.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you get to both states. I need to get back to Idaho one day since we only had lunch there and didn't get to explore much of the state in that short of time. Thanks for hosting your party every week!

      Delete
  4. You are truly on the adventure of a lifetime! I don't think I could have walked across that suspension bridge! Thank you for taking us along, keep having fun!
    Jenna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a once in a lifetime trip that we had planned for our whole lives! Thank you for coming along!

      Delete
  5. Such a fun place to make memories! Your pictures are all so beautiful. I felt like I was right there too. I have never been to either state but have always wanted to go. I'm definitely going to put these at the top of my bucket list. Hope your summer season if filled with lots of adventure, CoCo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your nice words! Hope you have a wonderful summer too!

      Delete
  6. That is so cool. Thanks for sharing it. #seniorsalon

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love carved carrousels, they are so beautiful, so many have long been forgotten and removed though. The suspension bridge was a beauty and the photos you were able to take were breathtaking! Thank you so much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The carrousel was beautiful. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed our photos!

      Delete
  8. Another wonderful post that makes me want to travel! I would love to invite you to link up your project at Whimsy Home Wednesdays to inspire others and have a chance to be featured https://fifthsparrownomore.com/whimsy-home-wednesday-blog-link-party-no-32/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad we are inspiring you to travel! (I thought I did link up at your party but if not I will link our next post for sure!)

      Delete
  9. That was definitely a stop worth making; what a beautiful hiking trail and views!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Looks like a lot of fun..Thanks for taking us along on your trip as I am not one who likes to travel...Thanks to for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed seeing how I decorated my Kitchen for the early Summer months!!!
    Hope you have a great weekend!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so glad you took the virtual trip with us. It is fun to travel from the comfort of your home sometimes. I love to travel with other bloggers as much as I love looking at how they are decorating their homes!

      Delete
  11. Looks like a fun trip! Our in laws live in Spokane. I have never been there, but it looks nice!

    Thank you for sharing at the Sunday Sunshine Blog Hop 62!

    Laurie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you get to visit your in-laws in Spokane one day! Make sure to put the Riverfront on your list of things to do! Thanks for stopping by and thank you for hosting your nice party every week!

      Delete