June 30
Saturday, June 30 Blackfoot, ID to Idaho
Falls, ID
(oops, I forgot the stats back at the hotel - will send next time)
Another beautiful day
for a bike ride! We couldn't load our
luggage until after the 8 AM breakfast.
It was such a short ride, 35 miles, that they wanted to hold us back a
little or we would get to the hotel before rooms are ready.
Both dinner and breakfast were catered
by The Shilling House. Fabulous. Dinner last night was outdoors and they had
such a scrumptious spread of food. We will all remember this meal. The fresh baked homemade brownies, homemade
cookies and the to-die-for peach cobbler was outstanding. From the hot coal grills, we were served
bar-b-qued chicken and in cast iron kettles, hanging over the coals was a potato
casserole (Idaho, no doubt). Fancy greens in the tossed salad, 2 kinds of
lasagnas, cooked carrots, and along with homemade baked bread rolls. We were
stuffed to the gills when we left the tables.
The breakfast this morning was again a wonderful array of fresh home
prepared food. We bikers are like
heathens when we get in line for food!
The very short 35 mile
ride from Blackfoot to Idaho Falls was a cool, sunny and quiet ride. Again, being out here in cowboy land, I
passed many horse farms, cattle ranches, and of course Idaho potato fields
everywhere. I sometimes listen to my
tiny AM/FM radio that I put in my back pocket of my jersey. Can't find any music other than country and
western. That figures, out here in
cowboy western Idaho. 99 % of the men I
see are dressed in cowboy hats, boots and have big, bigger and the biggest
silver buckles I've ever seen on their belts! I just keep say'n
"howdy" to 'em all! Road kill
count on today's ride: 2 shriveled up
Idaho potatoes!
We came into Idaho Falls on the busy
main roads and saw the downtown area.
Passed the public library, and I knew I would head for that as soon as I
got check in to the hotel. I have to
check my e-mail and I could e-mail my journal home too. When we crossed over the Snake River ( for
the umpteenth time) it was a breathtaking view of water falls. It is some famous site connected with
history too. I stopped to read the
history sign, but can't remember who the important people were. Something about the settlers were establishing
a route to the gold mines in Montana from Idaho Falls. My room has a fabulous view from the 7th
floor looking out on the rushing water of the falls. Very Kodak Moment scene.
The next five days
until our next rest day in Casper, WY will be some long and tough days. We have to climb Teton Mountain pass, well
above 9,000 feet. One of the gals is so
afraid of heights, she is already freaking out about the height.
I rode with Burt this morning for a
while, and he has driven on that rode in a car over that mountain and says it
is quite a climb. My legs are getting
stronger and stronger. I'll make
it. We kid each other sometimes on
these more strenuous climbs by singing out: "I think I can, I think I can.
. ." And we make it every time!
This afternoon a group of us are going
to church at 5 PM. We'll have to stop
for dinner somewhere on the way back, as the ABB scheduled dinner is also at 5
PM.
I want to thank all who have sent me such encouraging
e-mails. They mean a lot to me. Your prayers are giving me so much strength.
I still have to pinch myself to see if this whole adventure of crossing America
is for real, and that I really am doing this!
At breakfast this morning a few of us were discussing if we considered
this a vacation. Some said
definitely. Some said, it beats sitting
at the office and answering phone calls or seeing patients all day. Others
thought it wasn't a vacation, exactly, but quite a responsibility each day to
get in the riding and get ready for the next day. A LOT of hard WORK - but so much different than "real life”
back home.
I wish you could see my photos, but hang in there and check back on the
site and I'll put them on the web pages just as soon as my laptop starts
working (hopefully) or surely when I get home.
I can hardly believe we
will be leaving Idaho behind tomorrow.
After I arrived at the
hotel and it was lunch time, I found a great place to eat just down the street
in a nice location with unique shops.
We ate at The Snakebite. (Will I ever get out of snake country???). The food was much better than the names on the menu. Some of the selections were: Rattler Rings, Python Chicken
Strips, Boa Sirloin, Snake burger, King Cobra Burger, The Garden Snake Burger,
Viper Salmon Burger, and the yummy Deadly Strike Burger. The Idaho potato waffle fries were the
biggest, best fries I’ve ever seen. I
sure do talk about food a lot, don't I?
That's what my life is about
these days - eat, ride, sleep and repeat.
Thank you to ALL who are
cheering me on with a donation to Habitat For Humanity. The house in Canton is under
construction. Thanks in part to all of
you. God bless you all. Keep me in your
prayers. Tough riding days ahead through the Teton's.