Day 14 - Cool Dam Tour

It was a beautiful morning in Couer d'Alene. Fortunately Dick & Barbara somehow managed to resist the red heart shaped hot tub in their bridal suite and met us for breakfast at the suggested time.
We got underway with the plan to stop at the Spokane Valley Mall to have Lens Crafters repair my sunglasses. We got there when the mall opened and 15 minutes later we were back on the road. We left I 90 for US 2 with a plan to visit the Grand Coulee Dam.

The loop to the dam was via RT 174/155 and have I mentioned that this area is FLAT! I think I could see the curvature of the earth it was so flat. The only problem was it was also hot. But the Model A's just purred along oblivious to the heat. During our trip we have seen a lot of farming, but I think this area has to have the largest fields of wheat I have seen in all our travels. It made me think of Steve Plucker in Walla Walla, WA doing his harvesting now and not being able to attend the Vancouver meet. Thanks for the offer to help you Steve, but I think I'll pass. Also of note, was the road which was straight as an arrow, nothing but a line of black surrounded by golden wheat.

The view of the blue lake as we approached the dam was quite a contrast to parched landscape. We arrived at the visitor center and were amazed at the size of the dam. I'm kind of a details nut and enjoyed the displays of the dam construction and power generating facilities. The video on the flood control aspects of the dam was also very interesting as I was amazed to see the destruction the river caused before the dam. Lunch was at a local eatery (R & A Cafe) which was excellent if you ever happen to be in the town of Grand Coulee.

Leaving the area, RT 155 skirts Banks Lake and is a beautiful ride with great views of the high cliffs and blue waters of the lake. Have I also mentioned that it was hot! The road was pretty Model A friendly as far as traffic goes, but downright nasty when it came to hills. We had to pull a few that tested the little 40 HP engines, but only one required a stop to give the Model A's a rest. A little breather and we were up and over the top without further incident.

We needed a people break and a little Ice Cream stand provided the relief needed. It was there that I spotted a thermometer (in the shade) that was reading 92 degrees. It wasn't long until we arrived in Leavenworth, WA which is a quaint little town that has a Bavarian theme. All the buildings in the town have a Bavarian look and it is really something to see. Granted, it's all geared towards the tourist and there are plenty of them. We enjoyed walking around downtown and visiting a small portion of the shops before stopping for dinner and trying some Wiener Schnitzel and beer.

Walking back to the hotel we noticed some Model A's in a hotel parking lot and had a nice chat with one of the owners, Dick Mace and his wife, from Oregon as they and some other members are touring to Vancouver. Dick was thankful to be on the tour considering the serious accident he and his Model A were in last summer. Check it out: http://www.mafca.com/seat_belts.html. Dick and the Model A are back on the road. Today we managed to put on 240 miles. Tomorrow we are headed over Stevens Pass and to the Pacific coast.