Exploring Two States

 Washington-Idaho

My regular readers, whoever you are, probably noticed there were no new postings last week. That's because the Missus and I took a week to visit Washington State and Northern Idaho. The Pacific Northwest is a region I had visited very little in my lifetime. Aside from a few visits to Seattle, I had never seen any other part of Washington State, and I had always had a desire to visit Northern Idaho, particularly Coeur D'Alene.

Spokane

First, we flew to Spokane, whose downtown looks like it hasn't changed since the 1930s. After one night, we drove down to the  Cascade Mountains to spend three days in Leavenworth, a tiny village which had once been a logging town. When that business went away, the town recreated itself as a Bavarian-themed town somewhat reminiscent of Garmisch in the Bavarian Alps. We didn't see any real Germans, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Our biggest decision of the day was which German restaurant to have dinner in. They say this town is unbelievably charming in the Christmas season, and I can see why.

Leavenworth

Then it was off to Coeur D'Alene a few miles across the Idaho state line. Coeur D'Alene is a picturesque town located at the northern tip of the lake of the same name. On our final day, we drove down to Moscow, Idaho to visit the campus of the University of Idaho, followed by a 9-mile drive back across the state line to Pullman to visit Washington State University. I had never been aware that these two universities were just 9 miles apart.

Coeur D'Alene

University of Idaho

Washington State University

In terms of geography, the region we visited was quite similar, and it was good to get out into the country and visit small towns as opposed to what has become the craziness of Seattle. People were very friendly in both states, but there is a big difference between Idaho and Washington in terms of political culture. Washington is a state run by Democrats, with high taxes, higher gas prices (about 40 cents a gallon higher in Washington than Idaho), and a more liberal mindset in Washington. Idaho is conservative, quite the opposite of Washington. If I were to flee California, I would easily choose Idaho over Washington. I had previously visited Boise and driven through Idaho Falls and Pocatello. There is something about Idaho I find appealing and fascinating, but I don't think I would want to spend my winters there.

If you are looking for something different in the US, I would definitely recommend this region.