Day 8: Wallace, Idaho to Missoula, Montana: We Made It! (but stay tuned to this blog)

July 12, 2013

We have seen many pleasant, interesting, gorgeous small towns. Basically they are all in Europe. North America can't compete, because first off, the towns here aren't old enough, and most have been heavily overrun by national franchise business, like McDonald's. Wallace, nevertheless, does have an interesting history as a mining town, and its buildings while not gorgeous are substantial. Further, the nearest McDonalds is way down the road, in Kellogg.

So we allocated this morning to touring around Wallace. We ate breakfast in the "downtown" Brooks Hotel, took a short trolley tour , and visited the former train station, now a museum. The kids, of course, could not appreciate the history or the architecture, but two things did catch their interest.

The first was a manhole cover in the middle of the intersection of 6th and Bank streets. The cover designates the "Center of the Universe". If you stand out there looking at it, you may truly learn something about the universe, by getting sent to Heaven by a passing truck. The kids, though, being the children of a biologist, were of the opinion that Mother Nature lives down the manhole. This was not just a fleeting notion, they talked about it all day.

Second was the train station/museum, where a guide in period dress explained about the railroad and the lives of the staff in the station. The station stands, naturally, just by the rail trail. But the trail runs under the freeway, and the station has been moved 200 feet to get out of the freeway's way. The freeway is elevated, representing a strategy to save the town despite the onslaught of the road. It's ugly, but better than no town.

By mid day we set off up the lower reaches of Lookout Pass toward the trail head at Mullan. This is the official end of the trail, though the path does continue, morphing into trails down into Montana and back around toward St Marys, in Idaho.

It was just 12 kilometers of gentle uphill, and again, we took our time, being in no hurry for the adventure to end. At the trail head, we got the necessary "We made it!" photo. But then it sunk in on Avi that it was all over. "But guys", he sobbed, I'm not done having fun". Fortunately, he is just (almost) five, and soon was having fun again with Violet in the Mullan playground.

With the almost magical powers of the van, we were back in Missoula in seemingly no time. The kids presented Momma with the mineral gifts they had picked out in the gold mine. Soon they will be back in their regular routine. Right now, though, it is two hours after they went to bed. Going in to check on them, Dodie found Avi staring up, with his eyes wide open. What is going through his young mind? Maybe its the trip to the Center of the Universe.

Epilogue

So we made it, but don't give up on this blog yet! Tomorrow's entry will have our conclusions and observations about the trip. Next will come Avi and Violet's photo album, showing what it all looked like from their perspective. Also, so unfairly to the kids, the Grampies head for Amsterdam next Friday, for 5000 km of circling through Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, France, and Belgium. Follow us by tuning in to Grampies Go in Circles.

Another view of Wallace: the back end of the bordello

In Europe we always searched out the bakeries. There is not much sense doing that here, but we still do it out of habit.

However, nothing in Europe can beat a western town for BBQ

The centre of the universe manhole cover

Get to the centre of the universe by standing out here too long!

This illustrates some of he many mining claims covering the valley.

At the former train station, now a museu,

"But guys!" " I'm not done having fun yet!"

Back home, Momma receives a gift from the mine in Kellogg.

Another souvenir for Momma. These will be treasured for a long time.

Today's ride: 12 km (7 miles)
Total: 166 km (103 miles)

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