Day 2: Lewiston, Idaho, to Butte, Montana

Steve & I awoke to sunny skies and warm temperatures in Lewiston. The motel we stayed at overlooks the Clearwater River, which is a major shipping port. I watched barges move upriver to huge grain silos where they were filled with ... wheat?

After a free continental breakfast, we left to find the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center at the confluence of the Clearwater and Snake Rivers. Did you know that these barges travel on these rivers to get to the mighty Columbia River and pass through eight dams along the way? I wonder what it's like to be a river-barge captain? The pace appears to be very slow, but I bet the scenery is unbelievable!

Lewiston seems like a nice city. Population: 30,000+
Steve had an A-HA! moment when he finally realized that Lewiston and Clarkston were named after Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

We left Lewiston bound for Montana on U.S. 12, the official Lewis & Clark highway. This route parallels the Clearwater -- and believe us, the name is apt -- and the Lochsa rivers. Every meandering bend in the river was another gorgeous scene evoking ooooos and ahhhhhhs from us. Time to leave the river's edge and begin the ascent to Lolo Pass, where there is a very nice -- and new -- Lolo Pass Visitor Center at 5,225 feet. The center has lots of wonderful information and displays about the Lewis & Clark Expedition. One sign said Lewis & Clark were at Lolo Pass on Sept. 13, 1805. Darn! We missed the anniversary of their visit by two days! We highly recommend this route.



The Clearwater River along U.S. 12

Steve wades in the Clearwater River.

Steve: Deb was going to go right to Missoula at this point, not mentioning the construction work being done along Route 12's two-lane twisty road all the way. Well, not all the way, but we spent plenty of time waiting for the cars to pass the other way before we could continue. Obama's infrastructure $$s are at work in Idaho.

We arrived in Missoula and what do we spy almost immediately? A Dairy Queen! OK, OK, Steve & I agreed that we would not eat at any chain establishments, but ice cream doesn't count! "Two cones to go, please!"

Steve: Irony? The Annual Testicle Festival is held in Clinton, MT. For those who are unfamiliar, bull's balls - otherwise known as Rocky Mountain oysters - are a delicacy in these parts.

Through Missoula and back to I-90 eastbound for Butte. Uh-oh! The day suddenly got shorter when we entered the Mountain Time Zone. It was now 7 p.m., not 6. We decided Butte would be our final destination today.

Butte sits at the junction of I-15 and I-90. We learned that this makes hotel operators very happy. Why? The city is halfway between Glacier and Yellowstone National Park. Guess where people choose to stay for the night? Butte! Guess how much they charge for a hotel room? $115-150! I'd call this highway robbery (pun intended), but I wanted a place to sleep tonight!

Steve: The most truthfully injurious thing to happen on the trip, and perhaps this year. In glancing at the check for dinner tonight, the waiter had given us the 'Senior Discount.' I hate her and her shoes. (Only some of you will understand that...)

Tomorrow: We're off to Billings where we will meet up with Jeff and pick up the stained-glass windows.

-- Deb