Tour Diary: Spokane, WA and North Cascades National Park

A charming spot in Spokane, more natural splendor, and my first bump of the journey.

The Farmer’s Community Hall along US Route 2 in central Washington.

The morning sun and I arose at about the same time on a Wednesday morning in Wallace, ID. I packed up my luggage and accessories from my room at the Brooks Hotel downtown and stuffed them into the Buick before heading to the lobby for a coffee mug refill. Down in the lobby, I chatted with the manager and a pair of very kind servers who were quite curious about my tour and how I had ended up in the tiny town of Wallace for the night. They shared some history of the town, including the summer that the entirety of downtown was consumed with the filming of the 90’s volcano-based thriller, Dante’s Peak.

With coffee secured and some walking trail advice from my new friends, I set about strolling the streets and trails of Wallace on a beautiful western morning. First, I hiked through downtown amongst the charming shops, vintage stores, restaurants, bars, and local offices. Wallace is an incredibly well preserved mining town th…