Kootenai River Super Side Trip

On a beautiful Friday, we took a 250 mile circle tour called the Lake Pend Oreille Kootenai River Super Side Trip. This is a branch off of the International Selkirk Loop, one of the top driving tours in the country. The route we took was north out of Athol to Bonners Ferry, then east on US 2 to Troy, Montana, then south on MT 56 to ID 200, returning to Sandpoint, Idaho, This drive took us around the snow capped Cabinet Mountains and Wilderness Area.

Moyie River Canyon
Bridge and Power Dam

Kootenai Falls
Where the movies "The River Wild" and
"The Revenant" were filmed.

Swinging Bridge Across Kootenai River

Ross Creek Cedars Trail

Cabinet Gorge Dam

Arrival at Farragut State Park

We arrived at the volunteer site at the Naval Brig Museum at Farragut State Park on May 10. This will be our home until sometime after Labor Day. There are two volunteer pads for the Museum Hosts. We were the first to arrive. We have very slow 3G internet, but we do have six TV channels: ABC, ME TV, H & I, PBS, World, and Create.



Quite and Peaceful Home Sweet Home



Pine Needle Cleanup and Burn



This is an easy walk to work.

FARRAGUT NAVAL TRAINING STATION

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the US switched into high gear acquiring and building the second largest naval training facility in the United States, all in less than ten months. They wanted the Naval Training Station to be away from the west coast, due to bombing concerns, so property was purchased in north Idaho near the small town of Athol. The base was named Farragut, after the Civil War Admiral, David Glassgow Farragut, first admiral of the US Navy. Construction began and the first of six camps, Camp Bennion, was opened on September 15, 1942.

Twenty-two thousand civilians worked to build Farragut Naval Training Station. 776  buildings were constructed on slightly more than 4,000 acres. Of these buildings, the Brig is one of the only original buildings remaining. During the four years of operation, 293,381 men were trained at the facility. It was decommissioned on June 15, 1946. For a couple years after decommissioning it was a technical college. After that failed, the property was turned over to the state of Idaho and became a state park.

The Brig, the former jail, now houses a museum to commemorate the collection of artifacts related to that period of our nation's history.

Our volunteer positions are to man the museum three and a half days a week, while the other hosts work the opposite schedule, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The BRIG Museum

"Mac" a bronze statue on the front lawn of the Brig,
 was erected in 2006 to commemorate
the Navy Veterans who trained here.

The Brig Front Lawn

1942 Fire Truck from the Naval Training Center
Fully Restored by the State Park Rangers

Inside of the Museum

 

 

The humming birds are numerous here. So far we have attracted Calliope, Rufous and Black-chinned.

They are always hungry.

Lots of Fun to Watch

Enroute to Idaho

We departed from Santa Ana NWR on April 3, with stops to see family in both Austin and McKinney, Texas. While in McKinney we purchased a new Honda Fit. This being our first Honda, so far, we are loving it. Heading north over the Red River on April 25, we made stops at the Marion Reservoir in central Kansas and then on to the Excel Service Center in Smith Center, Kansas, for some repairs.

We already have over 3,000 miles on it.

Beautiful Lake Front Site

Pull-thru 50 amp. FHU 

Snow off in the distance on I-90 west
in Montana.

Idaho Residents for the next four months.