Day Nine

We had a hard time saying good-bye to Mrs. Ohs the next morning.

Especially Mary Aplin :(

You could never ask for a more loving, giving, interested, and up-for-whatever hostess!

We also had a hard time knowing it was the last day of our idyllic journey. We originally planned to stop in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, but Jeremiah and I had decided that we'd exasperated our funds and it was time to make the last 600-something mile trek to Seattle. We all had a little bit of the depressies as we turned onto I-90 West. Even Jeremiah, who had vowed we'd make the trip in a week said, "I can't stand knowing it's over."

Dr. Maddox (Jeremiah's Dad) called around that time to tell us that one of his partners had said we COULD NOT miss stopping to see the glacial lake in Coeur d'Alene...or eating at one of the top five steak restaurants in the country. We thanked him for the suggestion and said we'd talk about it...but it was a short talk. About that time we literally almost ran out of gas.

We sputtered into a miraculous gas station--that our GPS system hadn't picked up and we'd already been talking about the logistics of the two of us pushing a car with a U-haul up the steep mountain roads...could Pace steer :)?!--when Dr. Maddox called us back. He said, "I hope I'm not over-stepping any lines, but I can't stand for your trip to be over either. I've booked you a room in Coeur d'Alene...all you have to do is call and confirm if you decide to stay."

I wish you could have felt the lift that happened in our car. ANOTHER DAY!!! IT WASN'T OVER!!!! We travelled into Idaho on pure joy. I'd like to say now that I was totally wrong in my picture of Idaho. I've always thought of it as sort of a flat, arid place. Jeremiah asked me why and I laughingly realized that I think it's because...of how dusty Idaho potatoes are. Bahhahahaa. My mind is bizarre! I think Jeremiah described Idaho (or at least the skinny, northern part of the state where we were) best, "It's like in Montana, all the mountains are spread out and then you get into this little narrow part of Idaho, and it seems like all the mountains got squished together--just like the state." It's true! You feel like the steep mountains are jam-packed on top of each other. Fighting for their ground, their height, their streams--beautiful!

Then we got to Coeur d'Alene. Man, did we get there. A lake formed 2,000 feet in the air by a melting glacier. The water is a deep, cold blue and the mountains surrounding the lake are covered in evergreen trees.






And our hotel room was such a GIFT! I don't think I've ever stayed anywhere this nice (except maybe on our honeymoon), and I jumped up and down and squealed (along with the girls--who were excited at the excuse to act crazy like their Mommy and Jeremiah who watched us and grinned from ear to ear) for a solid five minutes straight.

The view (and those blinds closed with a remote control. imagine the delight for the girls :)):

And if you came in the winter-time, there was even a fireplace.

We wallowed in the lap of luxury!

And were so very thankful to Popon and Moogie who gave us such a dream night.