The Heat Wave Subsides--August 18-22, 2008

After arriving at Fairchild AFB near Spokane in the midst of a heat wave, we were glad to see it only lasted the first day! Then the weather quickly cooled due to rain and wind. We stayed at Fairchild until Friday, August 22. We geocached in the afternoons when the weather cleared. A couple of mornings we bowled for $1 a game at the base bowling center. Fairchild was a nice base for walking so we walked to the bowling alley, BX, and commissary when weather allowed. Our first day at Fairchild we ran the air conditioners--only the third place since we started last November! (We also ran them at Valley of the Rogue and McChord.)

We left Fairchild on Friday morning headed east toward Glacier National Park. We knew it was too far to go in one day, but as usual, we had no plan. Along the way we stopped in Idaho at the Old Mission. The mission is the oldest building in Idaho--completed in 1853.
The interior also has that old feeling. The paint has been refreshed, but everything else is old.
Behind the altar you can see the straw in the walls that was the original insulation!
The visitor center is housed in a house that was completed in 1864. It was used by priests and visitors to the mission. A new center is under construction closer to the interstate.
From Old Mission we continued on our way to Kellogg, Idaho and the Crystal Mining Company. There is an old gold mine and museum/store located there. We almost stopped there for the night as they had a free campground that was nice, but it was only lunchtime so we moved on.

We stopped at Silver $ Casino Restaurant Gift Shop in Haugan, Montana. They also had free camping, some with electric hookups. Once we crossed into Montana, we were back in Mountain Time. Saturday morning we headed to Glacier.