Pacific Northwest: Part 2

Here's part two of our adventure to the Pacific Northwest! We left Missoula, Montana Sunday morning and took the Lolo Pass over into northern Idaho. It is absolutely beautiful, but it's also about four hours of a winding canyon road. Most of it is the journey Lewis and Clark took more than 200 years ago, and it has changed very little since then.

There are very few towns along the Lolo Pass, and those that are still populated are old mining towns that have maybe 20 people. It's very peaceful, and you feel like you've stepped back in time. I loved it.

From the end of the Lolo Pass, we drove north about a half hour to Moscow, Idaho, which is where I was born. Pronounced Moss-CO (not like the city in Russia), it is a cute little town that also houses the University of Idaho. Since my parents moved to southern Idaho when I was two years old, I really don't remember living there, and the last time we visited was when I was seven. So of course we had to take a trip down memory lane and visit

the tiny basement apartment where I grew up (complete with a tabby that reminded me of our old cat, Nash)

the park across the street where I swung and played as a toddler,

and the University of Idaho, where my dad got his master's degree. The campus is absolutely gorgeous. The buildings are all red brick, and many are covered in ivy. Unfortunately, taking pictures at 3 in the afternoon means shadowy buildings and blinding sunlight (hence the black and white filter).

Moscow also has miles of rolling wheat fields outside of it, and I was completely smitten. I could have taken hundreds of pictures of the fields and never gotten tired of them. It's obvious that I'm a country girl at heart.

We made a quick stop in Coeur d'Alene to wade in the lake and check out the beautiful waterfront. Unfortunately, the bright light reflecting off the water at about 5 p.m. didn't let us take great pictures, but the weather was perfect.

Then we drove up to Spokane, Washington, where we stayed for the night. Spokane is a really interesting city with a river that runs right through the middle of it. I love Riverfront Park, which was created for the World's Fair in 1974 — and the giant wire canopy they left behind when the fair was over.

We unfortunately didn't have a lot of time in Spokane because it was already getting dark by the time we got there, but we liked walking around the park and checking out the bridges! I'd love to bring Andrew back sometime to do some more exploring.

Part three will be up soon! I hope you had a wonderful weekend — and if you've been to any of these places, please weigh in. I love talking to people who enjoy the Pacific Northwest as much as I do. :)