I arrived safe and sound in Kellogg, Idaho on Monday afternoon. I was exhausted after three days of driving about 8 hours a day. This week I’ve been catching up on sleep and client work, and I’ve managed to catch a cold. After several weeks of going 100 MPH, I think my body—and immune system—decided it’s best to lay low for a bit! I’ll start exploring this area of Idaho soon, but first a recap of my journey west.
I left Saint Paul on Saturday morning after packing my car with three months’ worth of clothes and supplies (layers, lots of layers!) and saying goodbye to Mom and Dad until November. A few minutes later I was on I-94, and I spent the next three days on that same interstate. I find it fascinating that I-94 turns into I-90 in Billings, Montana, and continues right on to Kellogg, Idaho. Hard to get lost!
My first stop was Fargo, North Dakota, where I drove around the downtown area and found the iconic Fargo Theater sign. Fargo—and North Dakota—were totally new to me. I’d go back.
I spent Saturday evening in Bismarck, staying at a hotel near the capitol building. It was fun to drive a few miles from there to check out the University of Mary campus where my goddaughter will be attending college this fall.
Early Sunday morning I took off for Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a couple of hours west of Bismarck near the Montana border. The painted canyon is awesome! I loved the prairie dogs, which I remembered from the National Parks Adventure film at the Science Museum’s Omnitheater.
Sunday night I stayed at a huge Airbnb apartment, located on the side of someone’s house just outside of Billings, Montana. I loved that it had its own garage space for my car and all my stuff. I’m not sure if I liked Billings. It’s very industrial, with a few ugly refineries blocking the river views.
The last leg of the journey on Monday did not disappoint. I stopped for a few hours in Bozeman, my first time there. What a great city! The downtown was fun, and I made it to Bozeman Spirits Distillery to pick up some huckleberry vodka and a Montana Mule mug. I had wanted to get to their distillery since I discovered the huckleberry mule last summer on the trip home from Glacier National Park at a restaurant in downtown Billings. So good! Huckleberries are really popular around here—including the Huckleberry Festival in a nearby town in mid-August—and I’m excited to check that out.
From Billings all the way to Kellogg, Idaho, the landscape really changed. Goodbye cornfields, hello mountains! Amazingly, my two-cylinder Honda Civic made it through all the winding roads in, around, and over several mountain ranges. I have a feeling an all-wheel-drive vehicle is in my near future.
I arrived in Kellogg around suppertime, got into my Airbnb condo, and unpacked my entire car up to the 3rd floor. I made a trip to the nearby market—a great selection and not much more expensive than I’m used to—and was finally able to relax!
I’m very excited to start exploring this “Silver Valley” area in the Idaho Panhandle. Kellogg is only about 20 minutes from the Montana border and an hour from Spokane and the Washington border, with Coeur d’Alene along the way. Lots of roads to go down and trails to find!
As always, I took a lot of photos on my journey west and posted my favorites in the photos section of my website. Enjoy!
