Short-ish entry today, since I didn't really do much.

I woke up early-ish, it's beginning to be a habit, and I can only hope it fixes itself as I cross the time zones in reverse, as it's really annoying waking up at 4:30 AM, but anyway... I drove from about 9 AM in Deer Lodge, taking a pretty leisurely time to speak to some bikers about a big meetup they're involved in and are down from Calgary to attend, which is apparently the reason for the lack of vacancies in that area.

I drove straight to Spokane, with a short stop in Missoula to refuel, and, surprisingly, a stop in Coeur d'Alene because I had NO idea that the I-90 went through Idaho, and wanted to add another state to the list of ones I've stopped, however briefly, in. I arrived here around 2 PM Mountain time, or 1 PM local time. There isn't a ton to do in Spokane, but it was where my hotel was reserved, and I kind of needed a short driving day anyway. I decided to check out Riverfront Park, which was one of the main things the Spokane city website had touted as an attraction, and, while I was initially disappointed, it turned out I had just started my tour on the wrong end of the island from anything interesting.

Riverfront Park is set in two islands in the middle of Spokane, and is host to a fairly decent urban park, a pavillion with midway rides and games, a food court and an IMAX theatre. It is pretty small potatoes compared to other things I've seen on the trip, but it's also pretty quaint. It's weird to say that about a town of over 200k people host to two universities, but it doesn't FEEL like a big town. Anyway, the more interesting of the two islands is interestingly named "Canada Island" and was so named for the environmental cooperation Canada had shown in the environmental talks held in Spokane in 1974. The flags of both the US and of Canada fly above the island at all times, and the island is supposed to stand as a sign of international cooperation and goodwill.

That isn't the most interesting thing about it, though. By far the most interesting thing about it are the INSANE looking rapids that surround the island. I have my doubts that anyone is allowed to actually kayak or raft down there, but it would make for an AMAZING trip, were one qualified enough. There are a number of pictures that don't really show the ferocity of those rapids in the gallery, but they're still worth a look.

In any case, I returned to my hotel early, and decided to spend the rest of the day cleaning my car at near the halfway point of my trip, doing my laundry again, and swimming in the first indoor pool of my trip. I'm typing this as my laundry tumbles in the dryer, and I am currently reserving my hotel in Seattle for the next two nights. I will, as it turns out, be in the US, without medical insurance for approximately ten hours, on the 7th, so think healthy thoughts!

Cheers!