Home Stretch

From the moment we arrived in our last camping spot of this trip, I knew we would love it.  It smelled heavenly.  It didn't take long to figure out the tree next to our spot was blooming and the sweet smell wrapped us  up in it's sweet aroma.
 

I left the door open to the trailer inviting the smell to join us until the evening chill settled in, requiring us to close it for the night. 

While I  generally don't like RV parks where trailers are all lined up in a row....I gladly make the exception here.  There were only two other guests for the night and with the river just feet away from our camp we enjoyed all the solitude one could ever want.  What a lovely spot for my  morning coffee.  I took my time getting ready for the day.  No pressure to go and see sights.... just take in the sights, sounds and SMELLS of this wonderful place.  Wonderful, home like bathrooms begged us each to take a long hot shower.

 I even made a big breakfast, which is rare on a travel day.

A Gazebo along the river provides a wonderful place for a night fire... or a place to get out of the weather.

The Swift Water RV Park near WhiteBird, Idaho is nestled at the bottom of two mountain grades with the river on a third side.  It is a narrow strip along the river but sheltered from the road noise and a great deal of the wind and weather from the surrounding mountains.  I'm sure this is an active place in the summer due to all the river activities but it was a peaceful respite for us this day.  There were several vintage trailers stored here for the winter and lucky owners are allowed to come and visit when the weather allows.

When leaving the RV Park you begin a rapid incline of an 8% grade for 8 miles.  This photo was taken from one of several pull outs.  Hoss handled the grade perfectly and hardly even flinched at the load of Lolita following dutiful behind us. 

See the road snaking up the center and to the right of the picture. 

After arriving at the top of the grade I happily found myself on yet another Scenic ByWay.
This curved to the left as we traveled through Nez Perce Tribal land.  Obviously my sightseeing time is done and it is purely a travel day with some investigating for future trips.  I definitely see a future weekend trip to follow the loop into Montana with closer investigation and visiting all the area sights. 

 Northwest Passage Scenic ByWay

We stop in Grangeville to visit some family friends and then are on our way again.

We turn off and travel along part of the Palouse Scenic Byway.  The Palouse is turning multi shades of green as the spring plants are showing their colors.

The Palouse Scenic Byway is one of my favorite drives close to home.  It is an everchanging agricultural area that is different every time we drive through.  But there was excitement worth pulling over for this trip.

 

Local crop dusters thrilling us with aerial acrobatics. 

 

 

 

The sky was positively glowing as we arrived back in town.

Home Again, Home Again

Until the trail calls .....