Dennis Dixon is heading West!: August 2026

Monday, August 31, 2026

2026 Road Trip - Day 19

Monday, Aug. 31, 2026 - Traveling north through Idaho to The Canadian Border, then back downeast into Montana - YES, MORE National Forests, mountains, and rivers! After 352 miles (and 19 Post Offices), I checked into the Baymont in Whitefish, MT at 7 PM (Mountain Time):

19 Post Offices. No need for a "comparison map" - basically driving from New York City up to Albany, then to Boston (The Mass Pike does dip down a lot):

Lake Pend Oreille near Sandpoint, Idaho:

So, I'm driving along and I suddenly notice that I am on US Route 2 West:

It turns out, to quote Wikipedia:

U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway spanning 2,571 miles (4,138 km) across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments on either side of a portion of Canada. Unlike some routes, which are disconnected into segments because of encroaching Interstate Highways, the two portions of US 2 were designed to be separate in the original 1926 highway plan.

The western segment of US 2 begins at an interchange with Interstate 5 (I-5) and State Route 529 (Maple Street) in Everett, Washington, and ends at I-75 in St. Ignace, Michigan. The eastern segment of US 2 begins at US 11 in Rouses Point, New York, and ends at I-95 in Houlton, Maine.

As its number indicates, it is the northernmost east–west U.S. Highway in the country. It is the lowest primary-numbered east–west U.S. Highway, whose numbers otherwise end in zero, and was so numbered to avoid a US 0. Sections of US 2 in New England were once New England Route 15, part of the New England road marking system.

WHAT FUN! Needless to say, I have been on MAJOR PARTS of this Road.

Crossing over the Kootenay River, just north of Bonners Ferry, Idaho:

Pretty country up near The Canadian Border:

I was so off-the-map, they gave me a "Welcome to The United States of America" sign!

Love the "Scenic Byways", and THE VIEW RIGHT BEHIND THE SIGN:

So, a lot of this "Northern Drive through Idaho" has been on U.S. Route 95, which runs the (vertical) length of the state. It is a LONG ROAD (and quite beautiful), and I was at the Northern End:

In mid-afternoon, I crossed into Montana:

The Kootenay River looks BEAUTIFUL:

I have noticed that many beautiful open areas are under protection. This is the Smith Lake Waterfowl Production Area - you can see the complexity of maintaining the beauty of our country:

At 7 PM I checked into the Baymont in Whitefish, MT:

They have a fun map in their lobby:

Thank you God for this wonderful IDAHO and MONTANA Adventure Day!

Music for today:

Hotel room - The Rolling Stones - More Hot Rocks (and Fazed Cookies) (2 cds), 1972 album, last heard 7/30/2020 - wonderful collection of Stones material:

Sade - The Best of Sade, 1994 greatest hits album, last heard never. I like her stuff a lot, and this "greatest hits" album is a way to get a lot of nice material:

Time to hit The Road:

Work Money Death - The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides, Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises, 2024 album, last heard never. Characterized as "Free Jazz, Fusion, Post Bop":

Jimmy Buffett - You Had To Be There (2 cds), 1978 live double album, last heard in a blog never. Of course, Jimmy was A LOT OF FUN IN CONCERT:

Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell, 1977 debut album, last heard never. I recently ripped this, and it is a lot of fun to hear while driving down the highway. fyi "Bat Out of Hell has sold over 43 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.":

Michael McDonald - The Ultimate Collection (McDonald), 2005 compilation album, last heard never. Very nice collection, and I like hearing his Doobie Brothers stuff interspersed with his solo-and-other material:

Natalie Merchant - Retrospective 1995-2005, 2005 compilation album, last heard never. Nice collection of her solo material:

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine/New York:
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/

Sunday, August 30, 2026

2026 Road Trip - Day 18

Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026 - Traveling north through Idaho, leaving the National Forests, mountains, and rivers behind, in exchange for The High Plains - after 274 miles (and 21 Post Offices plus 1 closed one), I checked into the Super 8 - Coeur d'Alene, ID at 5 PM:

It is good to get laundry done every once in a while:

Yes, these are "The High Plains":

It reminds me of my favorite Clint Eastwood movie - "High Plains Drifter" (guess who likes to think of himself as the stranger who comes to town, and helps the townsfolk, and gets the girl?):

I like this shot:

I never thought to spell it that way:

The Clearwater River comes in from the east, and it encounters the Snake River (which had been flowing north, and was the boundary between Washington and Idaho). The Snake River is "the main river", and it flows west from here. At this rivers-intersection are the cities of Clarkston, Washington (on the left) and Lewiston, Idaho (on the right):

After grabbing a great sandwich at Jimmy John's in Lewiston (and Post Offices in both cities), I keep heading north, zig-zagging up some really big terrain. This is the view back down at the Clearwater coming in from the left, and the Snake coming up from the south, and the cities of Lewiston and Clarkston:

After zig-zagging across The State Line, it is nice to see an "Official Sign":

I'm glad to be on the "White Pine Scenic Byway":

I bet you thought Princeton and Harvard were farther (?further? ha ha - farther/further joke) apart:

Time to call "Maine Cabin Masters"!

At 5 PM I checked into the Super 8 - Coeur d'Alene, ID:

Once again - Thank you God for this wonderful IDAHO Adventure Day!

Music for today:

Hotel room - Father Tim Clayton - Sermon, Sunday August 16, 2026, Trinity North Shore:

Michael Jackson - Off The Wall, 1979 album, last heard 11/09/2020 - very good album. I still remember Jim L'Heureux introducing it to me:

Thievery Corporation - Saudade, 2014 album, last heard never. Very good - kind of electronica/trance/beach house vibe:

Time to hit The Road:

Work Money Death - People of The Fast Flowing River, 2024 album, last heard never. I first heard these guys (within the past year) on WHRB morning jazz show (The Jazz Spectrum), and I liked what I heard so much I bought their 3 albums on bandcamp. They have high energy, are very professional, and I like what they do with "classic riffs" and push it a little bit. Not "over the rails", but almost?

Wilson Pickett - The Very Best Of Wilson Pickett, 1993 greatest hits album, last heard in a blog never. With “In the Midnight Hour", "Land of 1000 Dances", "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)", "Mustang Sally", and "Funky Broadway”, this is a dynamite album:

Vineyard Sound - The Keepers: 2012, 2012 a capella, last heard never. Excellent album by these guys - track 1 sounds like a "Reunion track" (and the crowd goes wild):

various - 80's Blockbusters, 2002 compilation album, last heard never. 18 great songs (which is how many can fit on a cd!):

various - You Really Got Me, DCD compilation, last heard in a blog never. This is 7 versions of The Kinks's song - 4 from The Kinks, 2 from Van Halen (studio & live), and 1 from Toots & The Maytels. I still want to get my hands on Mott The Hoople's version, from their first album:

Traffic - Mr. Fantasy, 1968 debut album, last heard in a blog 8/27/2025. These studio songs sound better than the live stuff from the other day. I have to resequence my album to match the original US release:

The Steve Miller Band - Number 5, 1970 fifth album, last heard 8/21/2019. This is #5 of the first 5 albums by The Steve Miller Band - I love all 5:

The Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup, 1973 album, last heard never. I was looking for "Now!", but its actual title is "The Rolling Stones, Now!", so that is for tomorrow. Goats Head Soup is actually a good album, and deserves a listen: