Monday, March 01, 2021

Cusick, Ione Getaway

 





It looked like it was gonna be another blah day, so I suggested to Bill that we go for a drive with plans to return by mid to late afternoon. 

After thinking of all the directions we have gone from our house over the past several months, I wanted to do see different scenery and finally decided on a trip up toward Usk, Wash., turning off from HWY 2 on the east side of the Pend Oreille River.

Bill thought that sounded okay, adding he might look for a geocache or two. 

We also liked the idea that we would cross a border, this time into Washington. 

Usk is well stored in my memory from the Forest Service days of the early 1970s when my friend Chris and I hung out at the Triangle Cafe for coffee and treats while on our trips up the Flowery Trail to read and move traffic counters. 

We also conducted two-day traffic surveys and got well acquainted with Ada and Devere Hannah, who eventually offered to let us stay at their house overnight while doing the surveys.

Yesterday's trip marked the first time in a couple of years that we had gone up that route and crossed the bridge over the Pend Oreille River which also serves at the state borderline. 

We drove on to Cusick and discovered a 16-acre wetland area along the river which has been developed from an old dumping site.  

Though it's not the most esthetic setting with piles of concrete here and there, the place still serves as a great area for walking and learning.  

Local groups have added to the educational experience with signage as visitors walk a trail overlooking the river. 

So, we walked for a while, and then Bill wanted to find a cache near the sign welcoming travelers to Cusick. 

It didn't take long, and a sharp geocaching eye looking at the photo might figure out right away where the cache is located. 

Once that cache was found and recorded, Bill asked if I wanted to keep going north on the highway. Sounded good to me, especially cuz I could see blue sky in the distance. 

After a mile or two, I knew he had another cache in mind because he kept looking at his GPS, which sat on the console.  Sure enough, we soon stopped at a wide spot next to the river where the cache with the clue "two big rocks" lay waiting to be found. 

Bill was climbing over a bunch of big rocks, looking for that cache and eventually found it. 

"Do you want to keep on going?" he asked.  

Well, that blue sky was getting closer, and we both remembered the last time we'd been to Ione, about 15 miles up the road, we were driving a new Ford Escort station wagon with the kids. 

That was at least 35 years ago.  One vivid memory from that trip is etched in our minds:  Willie suddenly became car sick after we had spent time at a park for some treats. 

So, we stopped along a downtown Ione street and cleaned it up.  

Well, yesterday, we had many highlights to remember, including that striking, majestic three-story older building which immediately draws the eye while driving into town. 

Yesterday's sun and deep blue sky really set it off. 

As I stood closer to take a picture, I could see that it was the old Ione high school. Next to it stood another impressive structure, the First Congregational Church of Ione. 

We visited the convenience store across the street and were glad to see the sign "Got your mask?" on the door as we went inside. 

In general Washington follows mask guidelines with a little more attention and urgency than we see in Idaho. 

By this time, the sun and blue sky had come to Ione to stay a while, and we felt like we had really escaped the blahs, especially with those sights we hadn't seen in years. 

We drove to the gorgeous park along the river where Bill searched for another geocache, and I spent some time scaring the geese and enjoying Buddy, the Border Collie who was have a great time in the park with his two adoring peeps. 

As we were pulling out of the park, in came an impressive white stretch limo, headed down to the water's edge.  Twould be nice to know the story that goes along with the occupants inside that car. 

Talk about a pleasant few hours with a sense of being far, far from home.  Actually, a trip to Ione without the stops would take maybe 90 minutes. 

Bill and I have plans to make similar trip sometime soon to scout out the kayaking area we've heard so much about at Metaline Falls. 

We topped off our day making another big move:  enjoying hot Mexican food at a Mexican Restaurant in Newport. We were once again impressed with the attention to mask wearing and definite social distancing----just one other couple in the restaurant. 

It was a big move for the two of us to take that leap back into restaurant dining, but we felt very comfortable and enjoyed hot food. 

So, we drove home, quite pleased with our grand adventure to Cusick and Ione, which led to a "no blah's Sunday."  

Fun day, and now that we really are into March, it's looking like a lovely week ahead weatherwise. 

Happy Monday. 





















1 comment:

Unknown said...

Love it! YOu were right close to my tiny house, but you have to drive Le Clerc to get there. In a place called the Geophysical Sno Park is a pretty cool geocache that few have found. I don't get geocaching yet, but I will, if someone else doesn't tap it by late Spring.... woo hoo....

Last late summer when hiking the trails with a friend, we saw someone had taken a little toy soldier out of the cache and set him up on a rock like he was guarding the box. Haven't seen the soldier since.