Kootenay Lake, British Columbia, Canada

After leaving Coeur d'Alene we enjoyed the scenic 4 hour drive up to Kootenay Lake to spend a few days with our friends. The Corvette got another fun workout with the winding mountain roads.

Kootenay is one of the largest natural lakes in British Columbia, about 100 km in length and varying from 3 to 5 km in wide. The water is crystal clear and over 400' deep at some points. In 1947 the free auto ferry terminal moved from Gray Creek to Kootenay Bay and soon the highway, which was part of the Trans Canada Highway, was paved through to the ferry landing.With the new upgraded highway and with increased traffic along came cabins, restaurants and a gas station and garage. Today, Kootenay Bay continues to offer hospitality to the traveling public, and is home to about 100 people.

After spending a few days in July visiting Dallas, TX and staying with our son in his new house in University Park and then with friends in their beautiful new house on Lake Ray Hubbard we continue with our Grand Tour of Spectacular Homes. This luxurious log style house has a huge great room complete with a giant stone fireplace, bar, two sitting areas, a 70" flat screen TV, a projection TV and regulation pool table. It has 5 bedrooms, 6 baths and a gourmet kitchen plus a full basement. Not bad for a lake house! And did I mention the view? Wow!

Another couple joined us for dinner that night. Our hostess prepared Coquilles St. Jacques and followed up with a beef tenderloin. For dessert we had a homemade brownie with ice cream and fresh berries. We enjoyed a nightcap and headed to bed.

Tomorrow we take the deckboat to Nelson...

Beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

After leaving the Spokane airport we motored down Interstate 90 to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We had decided to spend the night there after the long flight and to split up the 5 hour drive to Kootnay Lake. After checking in at the Hampton Inn we drove around town. The town is surrounded by forests and mountains and sits in a spectacular setting on the north shore of one of America's most beautiful lakes, Lake Coeur d'Alene. It is no wonder that Coeur d'Alene has been called the "Playground of the Northwest". It seemed like everyone was sailing, boating, skiing or swimming, trying to take advantage of the beautiful summer day. And there are two major ski resorts in the nearby mountains for winter fun.

We had an early dinner at Beverly's on the 7th floor of the huge Coeur d'Alene Resort. As you can see the view was fantastic. We sat at one of the tables by the window and enjoyed watching the boaters come in to the dock and the kids jumping off the 20' rock cliffs into the lake. There were also several double decker boats offering dinner cruises for the tourists.

Although Beverly's is a five star restaurant their food was well above our expectations. The desk clerk at the Hampton had given us a couple of free Beverly drink tickets and while we were enjoying our before dinner drinks the chef sent out a couple of lobster corndogs. They were a small piece of lobster on a stick, dipped in corndog batter and fried just like corndogs at the carnival. Never seen anything like them but the were delicious!

Beverly's has a several thousand bottle floor-to-ceiling wine display with a two million dollar wine inventory, so needless to say we ordered a bottle of our favorite Ken Wright Abbott Claim Vineyard pinot noir for dinner. They had three different vintages on the wine list!

I started out with their Sweet Onion Soup which was the best, richest French Onion Soup I have ever tasted and Susan had the Caesar Salad with shaved Parmesan-Reggiano cheese. For the main course Susan had the rack of lamb and I ordered the Muscovy Duck prepared three ways- Chinese five-spice roasted breast, caramelized leg and seared foie gras on jasmine rice.

We thought we were through but then out came a complimentary dessert. It was absolutely unique. Continuing with the carnival theme they made a hollow tower of cotton candy and inside the tower was a scoop of homemade blueberry ice cream with a birthday candle on it. By then it was dark and the candle flickered through the cotton candy in a charming way. We had to eat our way through the cotton candy to get to the ice cream. Tough job but we did it!

Coeur d'Alene is a fascinating place to visit and Beverly's a delightful dining experience. Highly recommended.

Travel Links

Thank you, Hertz!

After arriving in Spokane, WA we picked up our luggage and headed to the Hertz car rental counter. We had a free upgrade deal so we decided on a Cadillac DTS. The Manager was kind enough to walk us out to our car and along the way we passed this fly yellow Corvette. We both said at the same time, "How about swapping for this car?". And believe it or not, she said "OK". So we get this fun convertible at a great price! And then it hit us. We've got enough luggage to fill up a pickup truck. After much repacking, stuffing things in every nook, filling up behind the seats, putting a suitcase on the console between us and putting the rest under our feet we got it all in somehow. You should have seen the look on the customs officer at the Canadian border! We looked just like the Clampetts.

Driving the crooked roads in the Canadian Rockies is fantastic! The car corners and accelerates like a dream. It almost makes us feel young again. And if anybody from Hertz is reading this, I really didn't go as fast as your GPS says I did.

Seriously, if you ever need a car rental, check out Hertz. There's a reason they are #1.

The Internet @ 36,000 feet

Well, this is a first for me. We're flying to Spokane, WA today where we are going to rent a car and drive to Canada to visit friends at their mountain cabin on beautiful Kootenay Lake in British Columbia. We're Delta Frequent Fliers and they sent me a free pass to try their GoGo system which provides DSL in-flight. So here I am 7 miles above the earth posting to this blog. It works quite well.

I'll try to post a couple of times while on the trip so you can enjoy what we are seeing. We are taking it easy and spending tonight in Coeur d' Alene, ID. Hope I can pronounce Coeur d' Alene correctly if I have to ask directions!

Congratulations to our Entrecard Top Droppers for July!

We appreciate you 'dropping' by our blog.
None of the 11 missed a day.

Take a coffee break...
A Simple Life
Mommy's Little Corner
Hello Kitty Gifts
Computer Aid
The Modern Mom
moms..... check nyo
Yummy-as-can-be
Life's sweets and spices
Guitarbench.com
Learning Corner

Arkansas' Mount Magazine State Park

One of the more interesting places to visit within the state of Arkansas is the Mount Magazine State Park. Located in the beautiful Ozark National Forest, Mount Magazine is Arkansas' highest mountain. Last April my wife and I decided it was time for a mini-vacation. This was not unusual as we continuously indulged ourselves with mini-vacations all around the United States.

For this escape we decided that we would like to visit the state of Arkansas since the last time we had been there was in 1989 and that was merely passing through. When we arrived in the state our first choice of sights to see was at the beautiful Magazine State park. Every thing about this location and the trip was simply beautiful. The ride was extremely pleasant, the weather held out and proved to be a blessing, and the people were exceptionally friendly and helpful.

We decided that instead of staying in the park's first class lodge we would simply pitch our tent and enjoy the abundance sights and sounds of the wild open air. The tent tended to flap in the howling April winds but fortunately it remained firmly in place.

The following day the weather was still a bit windy and rained on and off however it soon cleared away and we decided to take a short hike into the North Rim Trail. Since we had totally lost track of time until it was too late we finally realized we had ventured onto a two mile trail. During our stroll back to camp we chanced upon some of the areas wildlife. We viewed several lizards crossing our path as well as three snakes that slowly watched us as we past by them. Upon noticing the snakes my wife let out a screech and yelled.

"My God there are three snakes!"

The snakes paid no attention to her but went right on sunning themselves on the moss-covered rock where they laid. They were a beautiful green shade and from what I would guess they were harmless Green Snakes.

Further along the pathway we encountered numerous native violets and an occasional bloodroot on each side of us. It was the attractiveness of the plant life that made our trip back to camp worthwhile as it revealed an abundance of wildflowers along the banks of the small gorgeous streams that passing slowly by us. We would occasionally stop and admire the many flowers which grew along the paths we were taking. It may have been a long venture but as long as we followed the signs with the red hiking man clearly on them we were well on our way back to camp. During this extended walk back to the camp we both visualized the inviting campfire with a Rib eye steak sizzling in the pan.

All in all the entire trip was enjoyable and we look forward to another exciting visit to the park in the years to come.

Vacation & Travel Links

Akumal Pueblo

Explore Alaska

When planning a trip to the state of Alaska there is many ways that you can go about it. You can visit this state by way of auto, ship or plane. In the event that you want to gain as much time on your vacation as you possibly can you may wish to consider traveling by plane.

The country is still a mystery to the majority of Americans who have never been there however, when the subject is mentioned to those people who have traveled to Americans last frontier they will readily relate to you how beautiful the landscape is, the abundance of wildlife and the more simplistic manner of living that exists there. I'll never forget the moose, bears and bald eagles. The scenery is fantastic and the fishing great! What more can I say?

Flying has an added benefit as well since you will be traveling over the landscape and not merely on it. Most visitors to this state will tell you that the best way to really see Alaska is from the air. Aboard a prop-plane you are afforded unequaled views of many remote villages located along your route, the abundance of fishing locations as well as the wondrous terrain of the area.

Flying into the area is generally very easy as you merely have to book a flight to Anchorage with one of the major airlines. From here you can venture out to various parts of the state and embrace its sheer beauty.

If you are not the adventurous type of individual you can still enjoy your vacation in the wilds of Alaska. However, you will find that if you are the outdoor kind of person this is certainly a great area of the nation to enjoy your activities in. In order to fully appreciate the Alaskan areas you have to actually visit them. Words alone can not explain all that the state has to offer in the way of tourist activities.

Its vastness alone is beyond ones imagination. Just imagine a state that could place 425 plots the size of Rhode Island into its interior. The weather in this state can vary greatly due to its vast size. You may encounter some areas with 80 degree temperatures while at the same time find others that are experiencing -50 degree. Some areas of the state have a well defined four season year while further north you find only a winter and summer season.

The best times of the year to visit Alaska are during the June to August time frame. Although you will generally find that the prices during this time are rather high it offers the best opportunities that the state has to provide. Less expensive rates are available during the wintertime if you happen to enjoy the associated winter like sports.

Generally autos have no problems getting around the towns of Alaska however some people prefer to travel by way of water or air. As a matter of fact there are actually locations in the state where it is impossible to get to other then by air. The state capital of Juneau is accessible only by air or by water. There are several major cruise lines which offer Alaskan tours while pointing out the major attractions along the way.

Visit our Travel Links site.

Akumal, Mexico