Thursday, July 17, 2008
Whitefish, Montana to Winthrop, Washington
Oh, we are a scruffy lot today. Even the Bailey's can hardly get us going after the big day yesterday and the beery night last night. No matter, the road calls. We will never learn, except Garry. He was up early and out in the parking lot washing all of the bike windscreens. Hmmmmm.
Interesting road today, we want to go to the Libby Dam which is up north and sort of on our way to Winthrop Washington, sort of a 'cowboy town' like Kalispell was. Sounds like fun, lead on Brent.
I had no idea at the start of the day what a long day this would be. We all rode off after breakfast, in a north-west direction on highway 93 through Eureka (still in Montana, I think, maybe Idaho). Then due west onto highway 37, and then south west along Lake Koocanusa to the Libby Dam visitor's center. This Dam was built by the US Army Corp of Engineers in the early part of the 20th century, and is an impressive structure, a great photo-op.
From there, through Libby on highway 2 until we picked up hiway 56 again, the way we had come a few days ago. We retraced our steps past Bull lake and then west on highway 2 to Sandpoint, Idaho. Then highway 2 to Deer Park, due west, and pick up highway 395 north and west to Kettle Falls and across the Columbia River, then west on highway 20, our old friend. We stayed with highway 20 from that point all the way to Winthrop Washington, arriving around dusk.
We had dinner at The Duck Brand restaurant, and drinks later at Three Finger Jack's bar. We played pool, drank, talked to the locals, drank, and played more pool. Unbelievable. Eight old goats, up early, ride all day, get in late, still want to drink and party. But we did it. We have the pictures to prove it.
Late night, home drunk again, we will NEVER learn. I hope.
