Spokane to Missoula - dodging rain

 Sat. 6/5 - Wet ride to Sandpoint

Starting my day with part of a healthy breakfast (the unhealthy part)

After breakfast, rode through about 30 miles Northeast past Rathdrum Idaho, and the rain started.   Took shelter under a roof in front of a garage, and it just kept coming for almost an hour.  After it let up, rode another 15 miles to Athol, and stopped into Country Boy Cafe, remembering the great burgers there from 2012.   When I went to pay, the waitress told me that the couple in the booth behind me had already paid for my meal.  This has never happened to me before.  I asked the guy, older gentleman who walked with a cane, why?   He said that someone did that for him a few weeks ago and he figured he'd just do that for me.   Go figure!

Several downpours later I arrived, wet and mud-spattered to the Cedar Street Hotel, which used to be a La Quinta, and got in the shower with my bike.  About an hour later the bike and I were cleaned up enough and I headed out for dinner at Baxters, followed by an evening of laundry 

and some light reading..  Gotta love Idaho!

6/6 to Trout Creek

Uneventful ride, except that my plan for lunch at the Hereford Bar and Grill was not to be because the Hereford Bar and Grill burned down 2 years ago, and Google Maps still showed it as being open.   I fixed  the Google Maps entry when I got to a place with cell service, and checked into the Lakeside Hotel and Casino, where I had dinner among the deer, elk, bobcat, bear et. al. that were mounted on the walls.

6/7 to Plains 

Good tail winds, scattered showers, and arrival at the Dew Drop Inn around 6:00 due to delayed departure to avoid some morning rain.  The only restaurant in Trout Creek is closed on Mon and Tue, so I had to make due with a muffin from the Sinclair station / grocery across the street until I got to Thompson Falls for lunch at the High Lead Saloon, Smokehouse and Casino.  Arrived in Plains just before the Butcher's Nook (a Mennonite restaurant and bakery) closed, so picked up a Sticky Bun before proceeding to the Dew Drop.

6/8 to Missoula

After a fine breakfast at the Nook, more rain avoidance.  78 miles and 2,000 ft of uphill for the day.  Unfortunately, both Windmill Bakery and the adjacent cherry stand in Ravalli (about halfway to Missoula) were closed.