Billed as one of America's most unforgettable bike rides, the 15-mile Hiawatha Trail follows the path of a former train route through pitch-black tunnels and across bridges which overlook vast valleys of pine. On the final weekend of the season, we rented bikes and completed the trail -- "unforgettable" doesn't even begin to describe it.
The day after visiting the Sierra Silver Mines in nearby Wallace, we were invited to check out Kellogg's Crystal Gold Mines. Two mines in two days might sound repetitive, but they offered sufficiently distinct experiences to make each worth the time.
Big Ed Pulaski was probably as famous as it's possible for a firefighter to be. He invented the Pulaski: the hatchet/pick-axe tool which has become the fireman's most important weapon. And as a young man, Big Ed's accomplishments were even more notable; unless you're unimpressed by something like saving 40 men during the biggest wildfire in North American history.
The history of Wallace is synonymous with that of silver mining in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains. The town was founded when silver was discovered, thrived as long as the mineral was abundant, and faded once the mines closed up shop. The Sierra Silver Mine Tour confidently describes itself as "the most popular, interesting, and instructive tour in the Northwest", and offers an excellent primer to both Wallace and the industry which defined it.
The oldest building in Idaho is also among its most impressive. The Jesuit mission at Cataldo, built between 1850 and 1853 for the Coeur d'Alene tribe, has survived the ages magnificently. After finishing the White Pine Scenic Byway, we toured both the church and its museum in the nearby visitor's center.
When Lewis and Clark met the Nez Perce in 1805, the tribe controlled a territory of 17 million acres which stretched across the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. We visited the museum dedicated to them in Spalding, Idaho, just east of Lewiston.
We always try to visit a cemetery in the places we visit and, whether it's the baroque elegance of the Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires or the haunting beauty of Savannah's Bonaventure, they often end up among our most memorable experiences. On our day trip to Idaho City, we hadn't expected to even visit one cemetery, but ended up spending time in two.
A popular walking loop leads from the Chinook Campground in the Payette National Forest, along the banks of the Sesech River to the majestic Loon Lake. We woke up early on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend to tackle the hike, which impressed us not only with its beauty, but with a fascinating piece of history hidden within the woods.
History in Idaho began when the White Man discovered it, and that's that! Well, no, of course that's not true. But unfortunately the recorded history of Idaho does begin with the appearance of Europeans in the early 19th century. Everything prior is based on fossil records and legends. So, the known story of Idaho is largely one of conflict between settlers and Native Americans, and of the struggle to populate and live off some of the continent's wildest land.
