Wine and Cheese and Larches and Lovely Drives

Larches in their fall glory on Sherman Pass

No Moose and Mosquito tour would be complete without the official disclaimer. Now here this, all grammar conventions and adherence to proper punctuation are hereby declared kaput.  Frequent parenthetical digressions are the norm and sometimes but not always occur between dashes. Sister Mary Davidica -my eighth grade teacher- would be appalled. Nuff said.

On Sunday we opted to skip the Mahogany and Merlot Sunday chapel which by the way was held in the beer garden. The dogs of Chelan were left behind because the wineries beckoned. Yours truly  happily indulged -even though it was before noon- but the Big Fella declined. He did however, enjoy a few cheeses offered at the Lake Chelan Winery. So, two tasting rooms (8 wines) later we were back on the road with one new bottle of wine and three different cheeses . Hmm -he does have his priorities.

The drive from Chelan to our currant location was warm and full of fall color particularly the Larches -which were stunning.  The Big Fella obliged my pleas to pull over so that that I might ooh and ahh and snap a picture or two. Charred vegetation from recent fires was sadly evident but many homes were clearly defended and saved by fire fighters -structures standing unscathed amid charred fields.

Presently, we find ourselves in Ione, Washington at the Cedar RV Park.  Ione is just north of Tiger and just south of Metaline Falls on State Route 31. It is clean and quiet here (painfully slow internet) with a gregarious host/owner named Gabe who offered many ideas for scenic drives and historic attractions. After a breakfast of pancakes and sausages we were off and running. At Gabe's suggestion we drove the scenic circle south on State Rte. 31 which becomes State Rte. 20 to Le Clerc Rd and back north up the other side of the river.  The first stop was the Tiger General Store/Historical Museum which was...closed for the season due to a lack of volunteers.The only thing left of the old town is the general store -which also served as the post office- but several kiosks outside provided plenty of information to get an idea of what life was like before the small town ceased to exist. Next up the Pend Oreille Historical Museum in Newport. It was a lovely Fall drive along the Pend Oreille River and we were lucky to find the Museum but it was...closed. Nuts. Peering through the windows one could see interesting artifacts but alas we would not be able to get in.

uh oh

Did someone say lunch? Le Clerc Rd. was easy enough to find for the trip back to Ione but the quest for a picnic spot was on. A handy parking lot that overlooked a herd of bison fit the bill. Our stomachs satisfied and moods greatly improved, the scenic drive continued to the Grotto - an odd rock formation along the side of the road.  The Big Fella asked, "so this is it, are we going up there?" Yours truly responded, "we are here and as you say we may never be here again." No interpretive walk or explanation of its geologic or historic significance was provided. But an over active imagination  might conjure up some strange ritual  -a kegger perhaps?   So,we hiked up to the grotto -aka cave- despite the malodorous smell of skunk wafting in the air and the ominous thought of what we may find.

Looking out of the Grotto

Did I mention how slow the internet is here in Ione? I swear it may be dial up! While waiting for pictures to load, several chores were accomplished as well as changing into my pjs. It is late and cold -the long underwear has been deployed- and I am tired.  This post will be published tonight with a follow up once we are in Canada which with any luck will be tomorrow.

TO BE CONTINUED...