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Historic SnakePit is fascinating roadside bar ‘n restaurant in north Idaho

Julianne G. Crane
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Historic SnakePit is fascinating roadside bar ‘n restaurant in north Idaho

The historic SnakePit tavern and restaurant (also known as the Enaville Resort) in Kingston, Idaho, sits just a few yards off the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, where each day thousands of visitors bicycle, jog and walk sections of its 71 miles of paved path.

This famed wooded relic was first constructed around 1880 and has a fascinating history–at one time being a boom town bar, railroad layover, wayside hotel, starting point for loggers and miners of yesteryear, and brothel.

These days it is a destination eatery with better-than-average burgers, buffalo chips, salad bar and rocky mountain oysters.

But, what it really has going for it is a four-star atmosphere.  Its interior is an informal regional museum that features hundreds of unique memorabilia including souvenir plates, black-and-white photographs, yellowing posters, stuffed animal trophies and unusual arts and crafts pieces. In a far corner of the restaurant, there are also pool tables and a couple arcade video games.

The original rustic bar is the same one at which movie star Pierce Brosnan sat and was filmed for a couple of scenes in the adventure movie ‘Dante’s Peak.’

More information:
The SnakePit / Evaville Resort
1480 Coeur d’Alene River Rd.
Kingston, ID 83839
Phone: (208) 682-3453
URL: http://enavilleresort.com/
No reservations needed
Price Range: $$
Directions: From I-90, take the Kingston Exit 43, turn north and drive 1.5 miles up the Coeur d’Alene River. The SnakePit is on the right

Photos: Top: RVers Bill (in front) and Mary Knowles (on stairs) leaving the historic SnakePit bar and restaurant. (Bottom) Fascinating stone fireplace dominates the SnakePit restaurant. By Julianne Crane

Pet companions howl over Dog Bark Park Inn

Julianne G. Crane
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Pet companions howl over Dog Bark Park Inn

Twice a month during the summer of 2010 I would drive past the Dog Bark Park Inn on my trips between Spokane, Wash., and Riggins, Idaho, on the Salmon River.

Without fail, every time I hit the crest of the hill near Cottonwood, in north central Idaho, I’d glance to the side of Hwy. 95 and smile. Who wouldn’t smile at the sight of two huge beagles? I loved those dogs. They are such a ‘sweet’ sight.

‘Sweet’ because the Dog Bark Park Inn is home to ‘Sweet Willy’ and ‘Toby,’ the “World’s Two Biggest Beagles.”

Toby, a 12-foot tall beagle statue, was built by Dog Bark Park artists Dennis Sullivan and Frances Conklin.

Sweet Willy, officially known as Dog Bark Park Inn, “is one of America’s latest additions to the type of roadside architecture popular in the early days of automobile vacation travel when travelers would often buy gas, eat meals or stay overnight in a building that looked like something else,” say owners Dennis and Frances.


One recent review on TripAdvisor states: “Where else can you stay in a dog and cozy up for bed in his head? Dennis and Frances have created a one of a kind experience – not only by the unique accommodations, but by providing such a warm atmosphere with every creature comfort you could want – including a delicious breakfast and munchies.”

As for the town of Cottonwood, it boasts a population a tad under 1,000 and sits “in the heart of the Camas Prairie where wheat, barley, canola, blue grass and hay are the dominate crops.” The town features places to stock up on groceries and fuel.


Dog Bark Park Inn

2421 Business Loop 95

Cottonwood, ID 83522

208.962-3647

e-mail: frances@dogbarkparkinn.com

url: www.dogbarkparkinn.com

Hours: Open year round. Daily 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Approximate driving times —

From the North: Lewiston, Idaho 1 hour; Spokane/Coeur d’Alene, 4 hours.

From the South: Riggins, 1 hour; McCall, 2 hours; Boise, 4 ½ hours; Salt Lake City, 11 hours.

From the West: Richland, WA, 5 hours; Seattle/Portland, 7-8 hours

From the East: Missoula, 4 hours; Bozeman, MT, 8 hours

— Julianne G. Crane
To read more articles about the RV lifestyle by Julianne G Crane, go to RVWheelLife.com

Photos: Courtesy of TripAdvisor

Historic Paper House, just north of Boston

Julianne G. Crane
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Historic Paper House, just north of Boston

In 1922, Ellis Stenman, a Swedish immigrant, started building a two-room summer cottage almost entirely out of newspaper.

The house, began as a hobby, has a wood, floors and roof, the walls however, consists of 215 layers of newspaper. Stenman mixed up his own glue, basically out of flour, water and “a little sticky stuff like apple peels.”

The furniture and curtains are also made from newspaper. Stenman, a mechanical engineer, painstakingly wrapped paper around wire to form chairs, desks, lamps and curtains.

In all, it is said he used about 100,000 newspapers. Visitors can pause to read the walls and find historic headlines from the 20s and 30s.

Paper House

Address: 52 Pigeon Hill St., Rockport – Pigeon Cove, MA

Hours: Daily 10 a.m. –5 p.m., spring through fall.

Admission: $2 adults, $1 children, 6-14

Phone: (978) 546-2629

URL: www.paperhouserockport.com

Photos of Paper House exterior and the (mostly) newspaper fireplace by Mister Bisson

Biggest Idaho spud?

Russ and Tiña De Maris
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Biggest Idaho spud?



As we motored up to examine this heavy load a little more closely, one of our (I kid you not) blonde women friends whipped out her camera. With a straight face she exclaimed in her charming, southern drawl, “Well, I’m sure this just can’t be a real potato, can it?”

We’ll let you make that call on your own if you happen to get a little north of Driggs, Idaho.

Photo: R&T DeMaris. PS to Shirley: We love you just the way you are.

Make a lighthouse tour part of your Florida RV trip

Russ and Tiña De Maris
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Make a lighthouse tour part of your Florida RV trip

If your RV travel plans include Florida, here’s another item for your “bucket list”: View each of Florida’s 30 historic lighthouses.

While the first navigational aid on the coast may have been the watchtower at St. Augustine back in 1586, the first real lighthouse didn’t light up the sea until 1824 when a 73 beacon was constructed at the same town. More lighthouses were built over the years, some standing to this day, while others succumbed to the forces of nature or economy.

Each one of Florida’s lighthouses has a distinctive daytime color and a unique nighttime light sequence to aid in navigating more than 1,100 miles of coastline. By the 1940s, the Coast Guard took over the assignment of keeping the lighthouses manned and operated. But that manning part shrank, as by the 1960s lighthouses became automated – taking away just one more romantic job.

But the romance of lighthouses is far from dead. Folks just seem to be fascinated by them, so many are now on the National Register of Historic Places. Some can be toured, others just appreciated from afar. Here’s a great trip-planning aid from the Florida Maritime Heritage Trail.

RV stop passing through Vegas

Russ and Tiña De Maris
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RV stop passing through Vegas

There are some long stretches of dry country in Nevada, nevertheless, Vegas is one of those spots that you always wind up passing through on the way. Red Canyon is a great RVing spot, but when summer rolls around the oppressive heat rules it out. Where you gonna overnight? Sam’s Town.

We’re not great fans of RV parks, but we’ll make an exception of Sam’s Town. It’s a clean park, and despite the fact that’s it’s smack on the edge of the busy Boulder Highway, it’s relatively quiet from an in-city RV park. Management keeps the grounds clean and trim, and there are a lot of choices in terms of spots, a variety of lengths in back-ins, and some h-u-g-e pull throughs for the motorcoach set.

Pool and sauna are strategically set in the middle of the park. On our most recent summer visit we found the pool guy could have paid a bit more attention to keeping the tree needles skimmed, but it was a refreshing to get a dip in the midst of the Vegas humidity. The shower rooms are clean, with private booths. Run your laundry for a buck and a quarter a top-load.

Rates? A great summer spot, we found overnights with fullhookups as low as $17 a night.

Pendleton Round-Up arena, local history, picnic in the park

Julianne G. Crane
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Pendleton Round-Up arena, local history, picnic in the park
 Pendleton Round-Up arena; Julianne G. Crane  

Changes are if you don’t have your tickets already for the endleton Round-Up, you are flat out of luck. Loyal fans grab up tickets months in advance.

However, if you want tickets and feel lucky, call the Round-Up office at 1-800-457-6336. On occasion folks will return tickets they don’t plan to use.

 Parking lot across from arena.  Julianne G. Crane
Pendleton Round-Up Grounds:
1205 SW Court Ave.
Pendleton, Ore. (view map)
Immediately across the street from the arena is an Albertson’s grocery store. This is a convenient place to park an RV for a brief time (and maybe a little picnic grocery shopping).
RVer Jimmy Smith, spreads out a picnic lunch Julianne G. Crane  

Roy Raley Park
1205 SW Court Ave.
Pendleton, OR

Whether you attend the Round-Up or not, one free short stop you can make if you are traveling through Pendleton, Ore., is for a picnic lunch in the Roy Raley City Park, next door to the arena. 

A great place for a snack or lunch, this park is also “called Round-Up by locals because of its proximity to the Round-Up grounds.” It is one of Pendleton’s oldest parks, with a grass amphitheater, stage, restrooms, basketball courts, picnic tables and drinking fountain.

After eating, mosey on over for a peek inside the fabled rodeo grounds and imagine the excitement of bucking broncos and roar of the crowd.

While you are in town, if you have a few hours to explore, learn more about local history at:

– The Tamastlikt Center
47106 Wildhorse Blvd.
Pendleton, OR 97801
(541) 966-9748
“Immerse yourself in the history, culture and hospitality of the people who have lived on this land for more than 10,000 years.”
Hours: April-October: Daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
November-March: Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: $8/general; $6/Seniors, children and students; $17/Family – up to 4 people; Age 5 and under/Free

– The Heritage Station Museum
108 S.W. Frazer
Pendleton, OR 97801
(541) 276-0012
“The region’s varied terrain and abundant natural resources attracted people whose diverse traditions, ingenuity and perseverance have made it their ‘home.’ Indian tribes, mountain men, missionaries, and emigrants have all made their mark on this region.”
Regular hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday.
Admission: $5/general, $2/students, $4/Seniors, $10/family.

To read more about the RV Lifestyle click on RVWheelLife.com

— Julianne G. Crane   

Photos: Top: Pendleton Round-Up arena; Middle: Albertson’s parking lot across from the arena; and Bottom: RVer Jimmy Smith, spreads out a picnic lunch in the Roy Raley Park. Pendleton Round-up arena is featured in the background. ( Julianne G. Crane )

Mitchell, Oregon–Painted Hills Country

Julianne G. Crane
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Mitchell, Oregon–Painted Hills Country
Bridge Creek Cafe. (Julianne G. Crane ).

A slow drive through Central Oregon, took us from Redmond along State Hwy 126 to Prineville. Once in Prineville, we followed US Hwy 26 northeast through the scenic ponderosa pine forests of the Ochocos Mountains.

About 46 miles from Prineville, we stopped in the small town of Mitchell hoping to find a tradition breakfast with biscuits and hot coffee.

We found exactly that at the Bridge Creek Cafe on US Hwy 26, just west of town. The cafe seems to be the favorite of motorcyclists who tour along many of the two-lane highways in the region.


Mitchell, population around 160, was established in the 1860’s as a stage stop along the Dalles Military Road. The town was named in 1873 for John H. Mitchell, a former Oregon Senator.
It is also the Gateway to the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument and hosts the Painted Hills Festival every Labor Day weekend.

The Painted Hills Unit contains 3,132 acres of scenic marvels unique even in the Pacific Northwest.
It is said that the Painted Hills were formed “over millions of years, the weathering of volcanic ash under varying climate regimes resulted in vividly-hued rock layers of red, pink, bronze, tan and black.”
They are a favorite subject of photographers and painters and definitely worth the drive. Outdoor exhibits and a picnic area are also available for visitors.

To read more about the RV Lifestyle click on RVWheelLife.com

— Julianne G. Crane  

Photos: Top Bridge Creek Cafe. (Julianne G. Crane ). Bottom: Painted Hills (NPS)

Operate a real diesel locomotive at this hands-on museum

RV Staff
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Operate a real diesel locomotive at this hands-on museum

The Western Pacific Railroad Museum is located in a former Western Pacific Railroad locomotive servicing facility in Portola, California, in the Sierra mountains about 50 miles from Reno. The 37-acre site includes a 220-foot-long, 16,000-square-foot diesel shop used from 1954 until 1974 as well as two and a half miles of trackage primarily of a balloon track and various yard tracks.

The museum has more than 35 locomotives and 80 cars of various types. Unlike many other museums, visitors to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum soon discover that this is a hands-on facility where they are encouraged to climb up in the cabs of locomotives, sit in the engineer’s seats and browse through the many cabooses and passenger cars that are on display. 

The museum is one of the few places in the world where you can operate a real diesel locomotive (reservations required). It’ll cost you $150 for an hour, but for anyone who’s dreamed of being a railroad engineer, it’s a mighty reasonable price.

The museum is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., the first Saturday in April through the first Sunday in November. Learn more at its website.

Little America: The only motel in America with its own Zip Code

RV Staff
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Little America: The only motel in America with its own Zip Code

There isn’t a whole lot of civilization between Evanston and Green River, Wyoming, on Interstate 80. One notable exception is Little America, a giant truck stop and motel complete with its own post office — Little America, 82929.

Named for Admiral Richard Byrd’s 1929 base camp in Antarctica, Little America has provided a similar haven to motorists since 1934.

Little America is the only motel in America with its own Zip Code, making it a memorable stop for anyone interested in visiting superlatives by the road. The truck stop is well stocked with the regular trucker and road-tripper merchandise. If you’re hungry, grab a meal in the coffee shop or if you’re not THAT hungry, a 50 cent ice cream cone is the best deal for miles.

And, heaven forbid, if your tow vehicle or RV is acting up and needs a mechanic, there’s a repair shop that specializes in diesel engines.

We’re sad to report that Little America does not have an RV park, but there’s plenty of room to park for awhile to stretch your legs or take a snooze.

Bicycle the ‘Route of the Hiawatha’ trail in Montana, Idaho

Julianne G. Crane
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Bicycle the ‘Route of the Hiawatha’ trail in Montana, Idaho
(Updated June 11, 2015)
For active breaks from traveling through the Inland Pacific Northwest, there are three must-do bicycle trails — The Spokane River Centennial Trail, Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and the Route of the Hiawatha Trail. All three are easily accessible from I-90.
The most majestic of the three is the Route of the Hiawatha Trail. A couple years ago, a few of us RVers bicycled this immensely popular route, a 15-mile compacted gravel trail between the Pearson trailhead (elev. 3180) in Idaho and the East Portal trailhead (elev. 4147) in Montana.

 One of many tunnels. Julianne G. Crane

Although bicyclists can travel round trip, most choose the shorter (3-4 hour) downhill experience and park at the East Portal, located about 2 miles off I-90 at the Taft Exit in Montana (5 miles east of Lookout Pass on the Idaho border) and take a shuttle bus back.

The downhill version begins at the East Portal of the very dark Taft Tunnel. Helmets and proper lighting equipment are required for all bikers.
(I was extremely glad I was wearing a strong helmet because immediately after emerging from the damp, 1.7 mile-long tunnel, my front wheel skidded sideways on a wet patch and down I went. Although I didn’t know it at the time, I suffered a cracked rib when the handle bars slammed into my side. Thinking I only had been bruised, I went on to finish the ride.)
Julianne and Jimmy on Hiawatha.

The trail has a 2% grade and travels through nine tunnels and across seven high steel trestles before reaching the Pearson trailhead.


“Along the trail, numerous interpretive signs provide information about the rich mining and railroad history in this scenic passage way through the spectacular Bitterroot Mountains, famous between 1911 and 1961 as the ‘Route of the Hiawatha’ on the Milwaukee Road between Illinois and Washington.”-– Trail Website
The Hiawatha trail is open May 23-Sept. 27 (2015) from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. During the peak season, June 22 -Sept. 7, the hours are extended to 5:30 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time). Day use pass is $10 ($6 ages 6-13). All children 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
 View from high steel trestle. Julianne G. Crane

The shuttle operates 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to approximately 4:15 p.m. through Sept. 20. (On weekends from June 22-Sept. 7, a fifth run at the end of the day is added … so the last departure from Pearson would be at 5:45 p.m.) After Sept. 20, 2015, the shuttle only operates on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The season ends on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015.

If you go

– You can buy passes online:  http://www.ridethehiawatha.com
– Purchase passes at Lookout Pass Ski Area on I-90, Exit 0 at Idaho / Montana Border or from trail marshals.
– Helmets and lights are required.
– You can buy or rent equipment at Lookout Pass.

Nearby campgrounds:
Visit the Idaho Panhandle Nation Forests Web site. Or click here for a wide selection of books on camping in the Pacific Northwest.

To read more about the RV Lifestyle click on RVWheelLife.com

— Julianne G. Crane

Photos: From top: Views of the Route of the Hiawatha. (Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Trails). (2) RVer Jimmy Smith bicycling through one of the nine tunnels on the ‘Route of the Hiawatha. (Julianne G. Crane) (3) RVers Julianne G Crane and Jimmy Smith on Trail. (4) View from one of the seven high steel trestles. (Julianne G. Crane)

For Father’s Day, navigate to annual ‘car show and shine’ in Kelowna, British Columbia

Julianne G. Crane
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For Father’s Day, navigate to annual ‘car show and shine’ in Kelowna, British Columbia

The third weekend in June is always great fun in Kelowna, British Columbia.

For the last dozen years, thousands and thousands of people have swarmed over City and Kerry Parks on the shore of Okanagan Lake for the annual Boyd’s Father’s Day Car Show and Shine .

The free outdoor car show features more than 300 hot rods, bikes and rumbling machines. Vintage and classic cars crowd the parks and surrounding downtown streets.

More than 20,000 spectators are expected to listen to live rock ‘n roll music and other performances.

There are always numerous food tents with all kinds of delicious goodies, including amazing BBQ beef dogs (around $2) and ice cream cones.

If that isn’t enough, look for craft booths … and … face painting. This year proceeds go to support the Canadian Cancer Society.

On my 2009 visit to the festivities and car show, my favorite classic was the the Coca Cola Chevrolet delivery van and custom mini-trailer owned by Carole and Barry Blomme.

Kelowna folks can really throw a party.

If you go:
Annual Father’s Day Charity Car Show/Shine
When: Father’s Day, 3rd Sunday in June, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: City Park, Kerry Park
Mill Street, downtown Kelowna, BC
Contact: 250.868-2693

To read more about the RV Lifestyle click on RVWheelLife.com

— Julianne G. Crane   

Photos: 2009 Kelowna Father’s Day car show by Julianne Crane.
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