August 4-6, Montana back through Idaho

We left West Glacier, heading to St. Regis and Coeur d' Alene, ID. The moonlit nights at Glacier were beautiful although most of the time I missed photographing the sunset. Here Chuckie dreams of long drives around the lakes and mountains, while we are cleaning up and preparing for another destination.

On the way to St. Regis, I was getting hungry and a little tired so, as we approached a very small town called "Paradise", I decided to stop at the little cafe for lunch. I mean really - Paradise! Why Not!

This little town seemed to suffer from an identity crisis. According to some locals we talked to, this was a busy, railroad center with a roundhouse for train maintenance. I could just imagine the workers flocking to the establishment on the left for a cup of coffee and a cigar. The trains no longer stop at Paradise, but the people here are proud of their history.

We talked to the kind folks in the cafe and learned a lot about their life. The couple next to us was eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes and claimed it was the best fried chicken around. After ordering it for his lunch, Joe figured it was the best around here because it was the ONLY fried chicken around here. Oh, but it was refreshing to be immersed in ordinary America after visiting expensive lodge restaurants and million dollar mansions.

We left this sweet little place called Paradise to continue our trek across the West.

August 6,

We've been in Couer d'Alene for two days. Had a good meal last night in the floating restaurant next to the campground and this morning went for a boat cruise. Lake Couer d'Alene is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi. And yes, there are multimillion dollar homes all around it.

Tomorrow we leave for Cooley City, WA.