Grand Coulee Dam

I didn't have an airplane handy to take this picture. I borrowed it.

Grand Coulee Dam (gold star on the map) is a concrete gravity dam built on the Columbia River in Washington, state. 

Grand Coulee is the largest power producing facility in the United States at 6,809 MW. 

The next 3 pictures are the dam as viewed from left to right

It was built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation water.
Constructed between 1933 and 1942.

The dam originally had only two powerhouses, but a third powerhouse was completed in 1974 to increase energy production.

Visitors Center (closed by Covid-19)

We are camped at Okanogan, the blue dot /green flag on the map. 

Currently our tow vehicle (2010 F-350 dually) is in the shop for repairs. 

We'll enjoy the Okanogan Valley and Washington "apple country" for a few more weeks before we are again able to mosey on down the road to the Pacific coast.

"Pend Oreille" What?

 

“Pend Oreille” is the french spelling of a beautiful big lake in the panhandle of Idaho. 

We were camped in the Bonner County Fairgrounds Campground (botton star on the map)  in Ponderay, ID on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. 

Ponderay is the way you say that french name in English. 

The campground was clean, organized and a great place to relax and meet new RV friends. 

Ponderay and its neighboring city, Standpoint, made a great "base camp" for exploring northern Idaho and just relaxing in great weather and beautiful surroundings.

Schweitzer Mountain (top star on the map) is a nearby ski resort up in the mountains. 

Bayview, ID is nestled along the southern shores of Lake Pend Oreille and is primarily one huge marina, state park and "touristy stuff."

The Boat House is a great place for a relaxing and delicious supper.

Bayview is also the home of the Navy's Acoustic Research Detachment (ARD) because Lake Pend Oreille is Idaho’s largest, deepest (1,150 feet), and quietest body of water making it an ideal environment for acoustic testing. "The ARD operates and supports unique Large Scale Submarine Models, Test Ranges, and acoustic test facilities utilized in conducting Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) of submarine acoustic stealth technology."

Lake Pend Oreille offers over 200 miles of beautiful fresh water shoreline and stretches over 43 miles from Bayview to Sandpoint. 

Lake Pend Oreille, in the northern Idaho Panhandle is the largest lake in Idaho and the 38th-largest lake by area in the United States, with a surface area of 148 square miles and the fifth-deepest in the nation.

On the window over a door in downtown Sandpoint

We absolutely loved our time in Idaho and will happily return in the future!

Grant-Kohrs Ranch

On our route over to Idaho from Missouri Headwaters we discovered a unique National Historic Site, the Grant-Kohrs Ranch. 

We had a relatively easy day of travel planned, so we decided to stop & enjoy whatever the ranch had to offer. 














The Grant–Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site was created in 1972 to highlight the Western cattle industry from its inception in the 1850s through recent times.

The original ranch was established in 1862 by a Canadian fur trader named Johnny Grant at Cottonwood Creek, Montana, along the banks of the Clark Fork river. We drove beside the Clark Fork for much of our way to Standpoint, ID on route 93.

The ranch was later expanded by a cattle baron named Conrad Kohrs. 



The 1,618 acres historic site is maintained today as a working ranch (including livestock, of course) by the National Park Service. 










The various building contain many interesting artifacts of the golden-years of the ranch. The parking lot is big enough for even big rigs. 

We spent several very enjoyable hours on the Ranch before mosey'n on down the road toward Plains, MT where we would rest for a couple nights.

Missouri Headwaters

Having spent time in the Grand Tetons, we set out for our next destination, Three Forks Montana and the Missouri Headwaters State Park. 

 In this scenic park and National Historic Landmark, the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers merge to form the 2,300 mile Missouri River.

 We crossed the Madison River near West Yellowstone and then followed the Gallatin River on highway 191 through part of Yellowstone NP and on up into Montana.   

 Considering it an essential point in the geography of this western part of the continent, Meriwether Lewis wrote "the country opens suddenly to extensive and beautiful plains and meadows which appear to be surrounded in every direction with distant and lofty mountains."




The legendary Sacajawea (not pictured here) was captured here as a child and eventually returned as a member of the Corps of Discovery. 




Pioneers slowly settled the surrounding area and transformed it into profitable grazing and farming land. 

Missouri Headwaters State Park preserves much of the region's abundant wildlife, lush, vegetation, and scenic beauty that have attracted people for thousands of years.

While the State Park does a great job with scenery and history, the campground is best left to tents and small trailers. Larger Motor-homes and 5th wheels just won't find a comfortable parking place there.  

Grand Tetons

I just can't say enough about the gigantic beauty of the Tetons. 

They rise up out of a relatively flat plain and are sharp and rugged. I think the best way to describe them is to allow pictures to replace thousands of words. 

Elk drop their antlers every year, so there are plenty of spare antlers to make a greeting sign in Jackson Hole.

 

Grizzlies are not the only wildlife here....

A bronze moose. are there live ones here too?

Turn around and look the opposite way from the mountains. This is the view.

The water clarity is amazing!

Bison and their little friends, pronghorn antelope.

Look carefully. Do you see someone wading in the wetlands?

Look who was hiding while mom had lunch.

Another mom and babies, too!

We spent 2 full days in the park and could have spent several more. A remarkable place.