2.7 Wallace, ID

sometimes--- for us often times-- things just happen as they do and you just have to go with it. it's those spontaneous days that usually turn out to be the most memorable. and so far, in the past two months, we ended up in random RANDOM places that were mind blowing.

as previously mentioned, all of our plans and destinations and very VERY loosely planned with no real dates attached (with a couple exceptions).

the journey is really so much more than the destination.

we left glacier national park with our sights set on Washington state. we quickly learned that driving the rv through curvy mountain roads is just no fun at night.

once again we had to stop at the place that is the bane of my existence (camping world). mr tiffin, I can totally understand why you have such a poor relationship with these people. I SWEAR they pump sleeping gas into the air, because every single time I step foot into the store I'm immediately exahausted. I could have just had 4 red bulls chased with a triple espresso and I still turn into an ambien laced sloth.

so I looked up a bunch of rv camping spots on google maps (Spokane area) and found that everything in the area got horrible reviews. in on of the reviews, a woman wrote that she'd rather camp in Wallace and actually enjoy herself than stop in any of those places I had been perusing.

sooooo--- I referenced the map, found Wallace and was sold. we rerouted our GPS to take us to the silver mining town in the middle of nowhere Idaho.

along the way- we stopped at a rest stop in st Regis which I highly recommend. the store was fabulous. I snagged an awesome new ring, a pair of slippers, huckleberry ice cream and some jam.

huckleberries are native to Montana Idaho and that northern area and are a bear's favorite food. I can see why. they are the most delectable berry I've ever had and I'm currently obsessed. (unfortunately we're in an area where there are zero huckleberries--- so in hoarding that jam and making it last)

often times, when we make stops, people admire our "rig" and at this particular rest stop this was the case. there was a squad of elderly ladies complimenting our rv and telling us stories of their past lives as cross country nomads. then one said how much of a shame it was that we were driving though the smoke. I had NO clue what they were talking about.. I thought maybe she meant smog and was losing it a little. I would learn later on that, yup she meant smoke. and tons of it.. ther must have been a forest fire recently that we had been oblivious to.. which left this thick haze that settled settled on the horizon and between the trees. it was hauntingly beautiful and like nothing I'd ever seen.

oh and the smell.. I'll never forget that. imagine a pine fireplace with hints of charcoal.

soon after, we made it to Wallace. in the late 1800s and into the turn of the century, Wallace was the silver mining Capitol of the world. walking the streets is taking a step back into time with homes from 1896-1915 perfectly preserved. (some less perfect than others). as the self proclaimed "center of the universe" Wallace is one of the most charming places I've yet to come across in all of my travels.

a real true Americana feel. we started the morning with a giant huckleberry pancake (yummmmm red light garage-- go NOW) and a self guided walking tour of those antique homes. we'd planned on heading back to the rv and making way to Washington (did I mention that Wallace is in that skinny little stretch of Idaho between Montana and Washington? it's only about 60 miles wide!! and the town of Wallace is minuscule-- but has the character of a city)

it's that character that sucked us in, between the silver mine tour, a trolley ride, another walking tour, a stop at a taxidermist/ antique shop, a handmade silver shop, gem shop and lunch, we had a full day in this tiny town..

the only reason we stopped exploring was because the owner of the RV park called asking if we were going to check out!! whoops!!! we were already 3 hours late! our morning walk turned into a delightful day, and he totally understood and didn't charge us for the extra hours.

we took to the road and made our way to....

camping world.

so that's Wallace-- and you need to go.

much love. xo