10 Things to Remind Me – I'm Driving in Montana and Idaho
Idle thoughts on my 252-mile drive from Glacier National Park, Montana, to Coer d’Alene, Idaho:
- There seem to be an awful lot of mom and pop casinos in Libby, Montana – and this is nothing like Las Vegas. What’s the opposite of glitz? I drive by Maggie’s, Harold’s and Lucky Lil’s.
- They seem to like to mount cars way up in the air on tall poles in Libby. Hey – there’s an RV (see photo)!
- It’s Thursday night, and the Trojan Lanes bowling alley parking lot is full in Troy, Montana.
- Troy High School is home of the Trojans.
- Why has there been no real backlash on the Trojan nickname? I mean, my high school, formerly the Mariemont Warriors, is excoriated for cultural appropriation. But somehow the association between children and Trojan brand condoms gets a pass? The outrage!
- Along US Route 2, they don’t call it a “Rest Stop.” It’s the “Chain Application” or “Chain Removal” area.
- Damn it! I should have stopped at the Moyie River Overlook. This is the second highest bridge in Idaho (464 feet). Only the one across the Snake River is higher (476 feet). That’s close to where Evel Kneivel tried to jump the canyon in his rocket cycle!
- Every couple of miles, I wonder – why are there gigantic red splotches that cover the entire road?
- Just when I start to get tired of country music and conservative talk radio, I think – Hey! This is the perfect time to listen to some mix tapes! Let’s try Brazilian Marina Lima, circa 1991. It’s one of the rare treats of driving a 19-year-old Audi.
- A wrong turn (or maybe I should say, a “Right” one?) in Coer d’Alene puts me smack dab in the middle of a Trump parade. Honk! Honk!
