Powell Campground in Clearwater National Forest – Powell, ID

Written on Saturday

Last night I wished for a rest day after a very long two days taking in Glacier Park, and today nature came through in a way. It rained starting early in the morning, so our plans of either Chris getting an early start or us trying out some fishing around Missoula were both ditched. We slept very late and did what every great American does on a rainy weekend morning – hit up Perkins for a big breakfast.

Afterwards we took August to a McDonald’s Playplace so he could burn off some of the energy of the last two days of patiently sightseeing. He loved it, and we were more than happy to see him playing his heart out.

I had to stave off my inner mama bear when a group of older kids spent 15 minutes playing “Keep the Baby Out of the Treehouse” (that is exactly what they called it too). I kept my cool though and didn’t interfere and Auggie handled it like a champ. He didn’t back down, but let them know he wasn’t going away and waited for his opportunity to go. Yay August!

We said goodbye to Chris shortly afterwards when the rain had cleared and drove the 60 or so miles to Powell, ID. On the way we left Montana and entered Idaho, and also passed through Lolo Hot Springs. I took a turn through the resort grounds to see what it was about. This was fortuitous, as there happened to be a mama moose and her calf swimming and snacking in the pond there. Very fun to see and I was able to snap a few quick pictures since we weren’t on the road.

The rest of the drive was beautiful. So far Idaho has taken us through mountains covered in thick and towering evergreen trees. As has often been the case on this trip, we kept catching glimpses of a babbling river that runs beside the road we were on. Practically every day is like a Sunday drive through your favorite pretty drive in Indiana, only the scene is different each time. We are lucky people to get to experience this wonder in this way.

The campground we are at tonight is one of those primitive ones I’ve alluded to before. At least we have electricity so I can keep up on writing. No idea on how long it will be before I can post it though as we haven’t had any cell or internet service since leaving Missoula.

Luckily for me though, there is a privately run lodge (grandfathered into the national forest due to its existence before the land had been declared so) just up the way. August and I went for a walk to explore after we got here and when I saw how neat the lodge was I decided we better stay for a little while to get a mid-afternoon snack.

I ordered the beer-battered cod wrap and it was delicious. Fresh, crispy fish with mixed greens, tortilla strips and baja sauce in a spinach tortilla – my taste buds were in heaven. The side of carrot ginger soup was good as well.






August found another wooden friend - this time a moose that was just a little bigger than him. It is one of the true blessings of being a parent to see your child express love and affection for even inanimate creatures. This guy is a sweetie and we're so glad he's ours.

Once Chris arrived later on we braved the rain that had started up again to take another walk. Although we’ve been trying not to adjust to the time changes too much, it’s pretty hard not to. We crossed into Pacific Standard Time today, meaning we are a full three hours behind our normal. We got Auggie to bed later than we should have, but it’s too tempting to stay out and enjoy the natural setting while there’s plenty of daylight. I guess we'll just relax and enjoy not being on a rigid schedule now while we can.