Spokane, Washington

I wasn't very active after the weekend. Monday became my day of rest and a pottered around the house, went to the mall, nothing very exciting. In the afternoon Kenna got me out of the house for a bicycle ride beside the Spokane river. It's all one level ground, so nice and gentle.For dinner Kenna drove us to Wolf Lodge Inn just past Coeur D'Alene, back once again in Idaho. I can't seem to stay away. The inn is famous for it's steaks, so I had to have a steak and once again, try the local brew. Dinner was very good, but huge, so I took it home.
Kenna had the next day off and she was able to save me from my lounging around. We went to Wallace, an old mining town in.....you guessed it, Idaho. The whole area was full of mines at one point and even had the distinction of having the highest number of millionaires in the United States. We took the tour of the Silver mine, which actually never produced any silver. Several companies tried to make a go of the mine but nothing ever came of it. Lenny, our tour guide, was a former miner and high school mate of Kenna's. Small world. After the mine we went back into town and took a tour of the last brothel in Wallace to close. In its heyday Wallace had over thirty bars and five brothels. The Oasis brothel closed in 1988, but by accident. The F.B.I. were coming into town to arrest the corrupt sheriff, but the girls thought they after them and ran out of town. The brothel has been left as it was on that day. The guide told us that the girls sometimes come back to visit. One of the old working girls is now a welder in Pennsylvania and another even came back with her husband. She said that the girls could make up to $2000 in a good week and were so busy that they wore out their timers. Not sure what else they wore out!
We left Wallace and headed to Kellogg, where Kenna and Jim grew. I got to see her old neighbourhood and where she went to high school. We then called up one of her old friends and went for a bike ride to the next town along, Osburn. There used to be a railway there to move stuff from the mines, when they closed it, it was turned into a cycle path.
Wednesday was supposed to be my last day in Spokane, but Kenna had had an idea and had asked Dewy if I could borrow his car to go to Yellowstone park. I had mentioned that I wanted to go there, but of course, hadn't planned it in any way. Kenna said that the park was best accessed by car. I spent the day getting ready for my trip and had dinner at home. getting ready for the trip including Kenna kitting me out with books to read and audio books to listen to in the car. Jim provided me with a tent, sleeping bag and his huge winter coat. I didn't think that I would need, but thought it was better to have it and not need it, then not have it and need it.Before I left I finally made it to Kenna's place of work, Aunties bookstore and had a browse, then it was off to Yellowstone to look for Yogi bear.