#26 IDAHO

My visit to the Gem State (not the Spud State as some may think) finally took place! I made an attempt in January but winter’s fury had other ideas. The long days and high temperatures of summer are much easier to cope with than snowdrifts and arctic chill.


The name, Idaho, was first presented to Congress, by mining lobbyist George M. Willing, as a name for a new territory around Pike's Peak (Colorado). He told Congress that Idaho was a Shoshone Indian word that meant "Gem of the Mountains." Indian names were popular at the time and by the end of 1860, Congress was set to name the Pike's Peak region Idaho. Just as Congress was about to make it official, it came to their attention that Idaho was not an Indian name, but a name made up by Mr. Willing. In reaction, Congress designated the territory Colorado instead of Idaho.

In the meantime, the word Idaho had come into common usage. One of the mining towns in Colorado Territory had been named Idaho Springs. A Columbia River steamboat launched on June 9, 1860, for service between the Cascades and The Dalles, was named "Idaho." Gold was found in Nez Perce country, and these discoveries became known as the "Idaho Mines," perhaps after the steamboat used in the gold rush up the Columbia River. Though Idaho had been discarded as a name for the new territory, the name became well known from Washington D.C. to the Pacific Northwest.


In 1863, Congress created a new territory for the Idaho Mines and the name Idaho finally became associated with a state.

Source: Idaho State Historical Society, (http://www.idahohistory.net/Reference%20Series/0258.doc), September 19, 2002Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut - 1994





Idaho was admitted into the Union on July 3, 1890, becoming our Nation's 43rd state. Idaho's quarter features the peregrine falcon, Idaho’s official raptor, looming above an silhouette of the State of Idaho. Idaho is the only state that has adopted an official raptor (not to be confused with their official state bird, the mountain bluebird) with the help of fourth-grade students from Boise and Meridian. The Bill was approved unanimously by the State Senate on March 19, 2003. The peregrine falcon, one of the fastest birds in the world, was the first species protected under the Endangered Species Act and its recovery is considered the most successful ever undertaken.

The coin bears the inscriptions "Esto Perpetua" (the state motto which means, "May it be Forever"), "Idaho" and "1890." This quarter was released in 2007 and has been an elusive one for me. I still have not come across it so if you happen to have an Idaho quarter in your pocket I’d appreciate it if you would please give me a shout. We can make a deal!

John & I flew into Spokane, WA and drove east into the majestic Idaho Panhandle. Idaho (about 45 miles across at it’s narrowest, as the falcon flies.) Our destination for the evening was Bonners Ferry, 25 miles south of the Canadian Border. We drove through Sandpoint and stopped at the Coldwater Creek flagship store and couldn’t resist a wine shop directly across the street. I thought it would be appropriate to sample some Idaho wines but we were directed to a French merlot and Washington cabernet by the very knowledgeable but overly helpful clerk. I was sorry to disappoint him, but we truly were just browsing and wanted a bottle to drink that night, we were not building our cellar. Sandpoint was founded in the late 1890’s as a railroad and timber center but thrives today as a resort town on spectacular glacier-carved Lake Pend Orielle (PAHN-der-ay.)

Armed with red wine we continued north and rolled into Bonners Ferry at 5pm. The town is the site of a lucrative ferry during the 1863 gold rush and a thriving railroad town for the Great Northern line. After checking into our river view room at the Best Western Kootenai River Inn & Casino we wandered through downtown. Some towns roll up the sidewalks after 9pm. I surmise that the sidewalk rolling occurred around 4pm here, assuming they were unrolled to begin. Despite the eerie lack of other life-forms we liked the look of the old downtown of the region’s northernmost outpost of any size (B.F. boasts a population of 2,515 but where were they?!?) Bonners Ferry was the seat of one of the nation’s last Indian wars. The Kootenai people of Idaho declared war on the United States on Sept. 20, 1974, seeking redress for a century of neglect by federal officials. Their grievance resulted in the designation of an 18-acre reservation three miles northwest of town. (Idaho Handbook by Bill Loftus, Moon Publications, 1992 1st edition pg 37) No evidence of any conflict was in sight today.

Was that movement we sensed around the corner? Yes! A sign proclaimed PIZZA and when we peered inside the joint was jumping! Perusing the menu we opted for LD’s special pizza and placed our order. It took 45 minutes but we happily toted our topping laden pie back to our room to enjoy with our merlot while watching unidentifiable white things (leaves, bugs, birds…Christmas tree flocking?) lazily floating down the river. Definitely check out Papa Byrd’s Bistro when in Bonners Ferry. Nice people and terrific pizza! It’s not in the Road Food book but they’re on my road food list.

The next morning we packed up but our rental car was not as eager to hit the road as we were. A dead battery prompted calls to Thrifty and AAA and brought us speedy aid in the form of Jacob’s Towing and Service. Wow! Try getting such knowledgeable prompt help in San Francisco! There’s something about small communities that is so much easier and user friendly that urban areas.



Exiting town we spied a sign “Gift Shop”. A quick detour to buy a gift for a friend gave us an opportunity to check out the Bonners Ferry Log Inn and meet the proprietors. Next time this is where I’d opt to stay, seeming to be the obvious preferable accommodation. Oh well, sometimes you get it right the first time and sometimes you have to go around a few times.

Just east of town is the Moyie River, the second highest bridge in the state spans the canyon. We paused for appropriate ooh’s and ah’s . The Moyie River Falls drop through the gorge in two cascades of 100 feet and 40 feet, respectively. The Snake River’s Hell's Canyon, at 7900 feet, is the deepest canyon in North America, deeper even than the Grand Canyon. The Shoshone Falls, also on the Snake River, are higher than Niagara Falls.



The Idaho potato is known around the globe, and two thirds of all the processed potatoes produced in the United States are grown in Idaho. Idaho has the greatest stand of white pine trees in the country. The state is first in the country in production of silver. In addition to silver mining, gold, lead, zinc, and copper are all produced in Idaho. Other fun facts are that Philo T. Farnsworth, the inventor of early television, grew up in Rigby, ID. And can you believe that it’s reportedly illegal in Idaho to give someone a box of candy that is over 50 pounds. I’d suggest trying it to see what happens!


Famous Idahoans include baseball player Harmon Killebrew, poet Ezra Pound, Olympic skier Picabo Street and actress Lana Turner. Sacagawea, the Shoshone interpreter for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark also hails from Idaho territory. Pretty amazing from a state that only has 1.3 million residents today.

Check out Josh Ritter’s song: Idaho. From Ritter's 2006 record The Animal Years, this tribute to his home state may not be condoned by state officials but the lyrics are great:
"The only ghost I'm haunted by
Idaho, Idaho
And out at sea for seven years,
I got your letter in Tangier,
I thought that I'd been on a boat,
'Till that single word you wrote,
That single word it landlocked me,
And turned the mast to cedar trees,
And the winds to gravel roads
,Idaho, Idaho”.

I loved the BOOK CLUB CLASSICS! Idaho selection: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
http://bookclubclassics.com/Blog/2008/06/06/idahos-daughter-marilynne-robinson/

It’s a moody, disquieting tale of a dysfunctional family set in fictional Fingerbone, Idaho. The author was born in Sandpoint and gave the novel a real sense of place. The extremes of the terrain and climate come through along with the independence and resilience of the residents. One of the great benefits of reading a book selection for a state is that it imparts an added dimension to my visit.

Writings of Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, Vardis Fisher, Edgar Rice Burroughs (creator of Tarzan), Carol Ryrie Bank, Mary Hallock Foote and Patrick McManus also came up in my search for Idaho literature. I’ve added them to my list to consider for next visit.

Heading east into Montana…

FLORIDA LIGHTHOUSE TOUR

Below is an excerpt from John’s lighthouse journal. He details our tour of four Florida Coast Lighthouses. Regular readers of this blog know that we have a bit of a lighthouse obsession (see earlier entries on Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Corsewall LH in Scotland.)


Place: Jacksonville to Daytona Beach, Florida
Via the coast for an intensive lighthouse tour

Remarks: We headed north to Amelia Island and the Victorian town of Fernandina Beach, the first resort town in Florida. Our first stop was the Amelia Island History Museum that had just opened at 10 AM and I procured a tee shirt and a lighthouse stamp for my L H passport. Though the Amelia Island Lighthouse itself is not open to the public, the gate guarding the Coast Guard facility was open so we drove in for a couple of pictures of this purported oldest building on the island.






Then we headed south down highway A1A where we took a $5 ferry to cross the St. Johns River and a quick stop to photograph the St. Johns River Light. The smart looking lighthouse is beyond razor wire fence protecting the navy base and public access is not allowed.







We continued down the coastal highway to Vilano Beach where we turned west to cross the Tolomato River. That brought us to the center of historic St. Augustine where we viewed the old buildings from the car but continued south on A1A over the Bridge of Lions that crosses the Matanzas River. A short distance away was our next stop to visit St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum. The view from the top was spectacular and our breath was taken away particularly by the 219 steps we climbed to get there. The tower is 167 feet high and features the original working first order Fresnel lens. After a few purchases at the gift shop and procuring a passport stamp, we had one more lighthouse on our itinerary so hurried south down A1A.





When we reached Palm Coast we shifted over to I 95 realizing the day was slipping by and we had to make better time. We flew east on highway 421 and over the Halifax River to rejoin A1A at Daytona Beach Shores. It was 5 PM when we reached Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse where the Indian River begins with plenty of time when we found they close at 9 PM. We spent an hour and a half touring the buildings and the 175 foot tower. There are fewer steps to the top at 203 than at Augustine but they are steeper. In fact a keeper some years ago suffered a heart attack and died while ascending these steps to light the beacon. The lens was a first order replaced by a third order in 1933 which was deactivated in 1970. The society valiantly restored and replaced the third order to working order a couple of years ago. We watched a twenty minute video depicting the construction and operation of the facility to the present day. The transfer of the station from government to private aid to navigation including reconstruction and refurbishing and excellent condition of the entire station was impressive. More purchases included a book of worldwide lighthouse inns and a passport stamp cost one dollar. By the way, my U. S. L H Society card got us in free at Augustine but only 10% off here. Today was certainly an immersion in lighthouse lore.

A few notes: the United States Lighthouse Society sponsors a lighthouse stamp program that it administered much like the National Park stamp program. You purchase a Lighthouse Passport and participating lighthouses will stamp it in return for a minimum donation of $1. When the passport is full you can mail it to the LH Society and they will award you a patch.

Florida has 44 lighthouses. Counting the four above we have visited 9 in all in this state and 62 in the world.

Our next lighthouse visit will be an overnight stay at Lake Superior’s Two Harbors Light in Two Harbors, MN next month. Read about it here! My post on Disney World will be next…

Thank you for your help with the post John!

#25 FLORIDA

The design of the Florida quarter incorporates a 16th-century Spanish galleon, a space shuttle and the inscription "Gateway to Discovery." A strip of land with Sabal palm trees is also depicted.
On Easter in 1513, while searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth, Ponce de Leon named the region "Pascua Florida," meaning "Flowery Easter." In 1539, Hernando de Soto and other explorers continued the exploration of the New World through the region.
Florida, home to the Kennedy Space Center, has been the starting point for most of the modern era’s most significant scientific space expeditions – from Man’s first moon landing to the Voyager probe currently exploring deep space outside our solar system. From 16th-century Spanish galleons to 21st-century space exploration, Florida has played a continuing role in humanity’s quest for knowledge and discovery. With the highest average temperature of any state, and the second longest shoreline, Florida is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. US Mint site


My 2008 Florida visit encompassed many highlights: a lighthouse tour with John, and family vacation at Disney World and a beautiful wedding on Cocoa Beach. I was excited to finally be spending several days in a state in contrast to our breakneck pace through New England.

The Sunshine State is known as a mecca for spring breakers and retirees. John visits Key West annually for a week of tarpon fishing allowing me opportunities to connect with him and explore. We really enjoyed the Everglades in June 2002. All I wanted to do at the beginning of that trip was to see an alligator. Well, by the end of our 10 days I concluded that Florida has a REAL alligator problem. I experienced only one gator sighting this time around, a stuffed monstrosity at a road side welcome center. It comes as no surprise that the alligator is Florida’s official state reptile. Do other states have official reptiles? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a page on their website entitled Living with Alligators where they tell us they remove more than 7,000 nuisance alligators per year. Hmmm…I’ll keep my nuisance raccoons thank you very much!


I met John in Jacksonville where he had flown from Key West via Miami after this year’s tarpon go around. Why JAX? It was so much less expensive to fly into than the more logical Orlando. My travel choices have always been shaped by airfare opportunities and it’s difficult to adjust to this world of diminishing bargains. I’m still locating a few but they’re getting scarcer by the gas guzzling minute. Starting our Florida trip in Jacksonville presented us with the opportunity to visit a few lighthouses that we’ve had in our sights. Details, an except from John’s Lighthouse journals, will be in my next blog post.

We spent an alligator free time in Jacksonville and had one of the funkiest meals ever at St. John’s Seafood and Steaks. I can’t recommend it but sometimes even the worst can be fun. Luckily we were in that frame of mind; don’t go there if you’re not! I just saw a quote from a restaurant review worth reading in the LA Times “It's terrible to gaze out to the ocean and imagine the volume of precious seafood being pulled out and ruined every day by this restaurant” . St. John’s was not that bad!

Our second night was spent in a Hampton Inn on Daytona Beach Shores. The hotel itself was no great shakes, a typical Hampton Inn, but it was really fun to be right on Daytona Beach. Between 1903 and 1935 fifteen automobile speed records were set on the beach racecourse. Today that racing tradition continues at Daytona International Speedway. We explored the beach in the morning and I easily could have spent the day parked under an umbrella watching the waves. Cars may be driven on 11 of 23 miles of hard packed sand but all we had to dodge were bicycles and a few vehicles more closely resembling golf carts that race cars. No beach cruising for us because we had to get to Orlando to meet family members arriving that day for our Disney World trip. Details on all Disney will also be in a future post – there’s just too much for one!

We were literally trapped within our Orlando hotel that evening by an incredible storm with thunder and lightning directly overhead. It lasted about two hours which seemed never-ending but in typical tropical fashion passed quickly and you would never know what had occurred just a few hours prior. There is close to a 50-50 chance that some rain will fall during any given day in the summer "rainy season." There has been a drought in the southeast the past two years and I suspect the locals were happy for every drop. It may have frizzed my hair but other than that it didn’t faze us. The power of an electrical storm is mesmerizing. It’s something I definitely miss living in San Francisco. Rumor has it, lightning strikes Clearwater, FL more often that any other city in the US. Luckily for me. Clearwater is on the west coast of the state near Tampa, several miles from us.

Celebration was the order of day three being both Clare’s Birthday and Shelley & Joe’s wedding day. Shelley & Joe elected to marry on Cocoa Beach. The ceremony was beautiful and it made me so happy to see these two be officially joined together. Pictures are worth a thousand words so take a gander at how terrific they looked!. The post-wedding dinner was at Gregory’s on the Beach, just down the road from the wedding site at Lori Wilson Park.

The remains of the week were spent embracing the commercialism of all things Disney. More amusement park visitors come to Orlando than any other city in the U.S. Not a startling fact when you consider that Orlando has more amusement parks than any other city in the U.S. with the granddaddy of all theme parks: Walt Disney World reigning top of the pack.

My state book choice was Their Eyes Are Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Below from Book Club Classics:

"Whenever I drive around Florida I am haunted by the images of Hurston’s lake rising up and all living creatures running for high ground. She captures the experience of living at an elevation of 6 1/2 feet above sea-level better than any other Floridian I can think of, and I truly am reminded of her prose when I, too, am eye-level with the swamps and critters of this complex, fascinating state.

As the host of Bike Week, the Daytona 500, Disney World, Miami, the Keys, millions of retirees and hedonistic college students alike, Florida has a lot to offer and much to fear. The hurricane scene in Eyes masterfully creates suspense and a sense of place – it is as if you are reading the book with your skin. This is especially true when Janie, Tea Cake, and Motor Boat decide to ignore the exiting Native Americans and critters and decide to wait the storm out. What ensues is surprising, horrifying, and heartbreaking, but certainly not forgettable.

Here’s a passage from this section:
“The wind came back with triple fury, and put out the light for the last time. They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God.”

Hurston’s ability to engulf vivid characterization with her poetry and prose is deft and even thrilling at times. This novel can be approached from many angles and in many contexts — from Richard Wright’s derision to Alice Walker’s resuscitation — but I think I will let Hurston speak for herself.

Here is a sampling of lines from the novel:
“They made burning statements with questions, and killing tools out of laughs…Words walking without masters; walking altogether like harmony in a song.”
“An envious heart makes a treacherous ear.”
“They sat there in the fresh young darkness close together…Janie full of that oldest human longing — self revelation.”
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
“She knew the world was a stallion rolling in the blue pasture of ether. She knew that God tore down the old world every evening and built a new one by sun-up. It was wonderful to see it take form with the sun and emerge from th gray dust of its making.”
“She turned wrongside out just standing there and feeling.”
“She didn’t read books so she didn’t know that she was the world and the heavens boiled down to a drop.”
http://bookclubclassics.com/Blog/2008/03/13/50-states-50-books-florida/

I loved the book so much I just had to rent the Halle Berry movie of the same name. As is so typical the movie did not live up to the book, although it warrants watching.

Another Florida book about a woman living in Florida during the same time period is Charlotte’s Story by Charlotte Arpin Niedhauk It’s a beautiful, riveting read of her life on an isolated Florida Key culminating with her struggle to survive the Labor Day hurricane of 1935. I highly recommend it.

Two other Florida classics in my mind are Marjorie Stone Douglas’ The Everglades: River of Grass and Joan Didion’s Miami. Douglas writes a poetic environmentalism tribute while Didion tells us of the political saga of Cuban exiles living in Miami. Together the books present a multi-faceted Florida and open many lines questions even years after they were published.

More about Florida to come…

#24 NEW YORK

The Empire State was our final stop on our New England blitz in May. I jump at any opportunity to visit New York City but decided to explore another part of the state for my official 2008 visit. The Hudson River valley was my destination for mundane ease of access reasons but when I started to contemplate it’s relevance it seems very appropriate. The US Mint reinforced my decision with the prominence of the Hudson on the New York quarter. Read an excerpt for the US Mint website below:
“New York quarter, the first quarter of the 2001 series, features the Statue of Liberty superimposed over an outline of the state along with the inscription "Gateway to Freedom." Also incorporated into the state outline is a line tracing the Hudson River and the route of the Erie Canal. This final New York design celebrates the "Empire State" as a point of entry for millions of immigrants seeking the political freedom and democracy that American citizenship provides. President Grover Cleveland accepted the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, on behalf of the United States on October 28, 1886. Lady Liberty was designated a National Monument on October 15, 1924 and underwent extensive restoration for her remarkable centennial on July 4, 1986. Governor George E. Pataki asked the United States Mint to add the line tracing the Hudson River and the route of the Erie Canal because of the vital developmental role of the waterways.”

It was our hope to leisurely drive through Troy to the capitol, Albany and south on country roads to Stony Point Lighthouse and battlefield where we would hike and explore. Mother Nature had other ideas offering a steady drizzle that escalated into outright downpours as the day went on. Troy is renowned as the place where Uncle Sam originated. Uncle Sam was Sam Wilson, a meat packer who worked in Troy during the war of 1812. Troy is proud of Sam and proudly displays “Home of Uncle Sam” on everything from street signs to city vehicles. Who knew?!!


Skirting Albany we caught a glimpse of the state capitol through the raindrops and veered south and continued criss-crossing the Hudson and peeking into the small towns we stumbled upon. Outdoor activities were put on hold due to the weather and traffic slowed to a crawl in many places for the same reason. Reluctantly we surrendered our Stony Point ambitions and opted for a late lunch instead. By a stroke of blind chance we stopped in Newburgh at Torches on the Hudson where we alternated gawking at their enormous aquarium stretching across the dining room or open fishing boats drfiting for stripers. John finally got his little neck clams and we deemed the day a success.

New York gave us such greats as Lucille Ball, Maria Callas, Lou Gehrig, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Edith Warton. The state motto is “Excelsior” (“Ever Upward”). My favorite fun fact is that NY was the first state to require automobiles to carry license plates. Fresh off an aggressive multi-day license plate game, I blame NY for my frustration at being unable to locate license plates from all fifty states on I-5. Get over it! Well, I will eventually…

The New York State canal system is 524 miles long and has 54 locks. Wedding of the Waters: The Making of the Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation by Peter L. Bernstein chronicles the history and is highly recommend by my husband. I’ve not read it but in the absence of a selection for this state from my two sources it seems like the perfect book to read. The first line is: On October 26, 1825, a line of tiny boats departed from Buffalo, New York, sailing eastward from the shores of Lake Erie to the Hudson River at Albany.

Happy Birthday to John! You’re the best travel companion I could ask for.

Next…more rain and good times in Florida.

Half Way!

You may be wondering where I’ve been? I’ve not given up on this blog and the Fifty State Project I’ve just been busy. Lame excuse, I know, but true. Coming soon are posts on my New York visit (final state from the New England blitz) and the Florida lighthouse, Disney & wedding extravaganza. Soon, I promise - Coming to a computer near you very, very soon!

The picture at the top is not The Hollywood Bowl on fire. It is the best I could do to capture spectacular 4th of July Fireworks presented at the Bowl in conjunction with a LA Philharmonic concert celebrating the 50 year anniversary of the Dodgers move to Los Angeles. Fireworks, baseball and good music. All that was missing was the apple pie! Though I can offer no complaints about our picnic fare.

I’ve visited twenty-five states in the first half of 2008 and feel that is a tremendous accomplishment in this age of escalating travel costs. When I first embarked on my travel frenzy there were still $100 round trip airfares to the East Coast available. What a difference in six months! Let’s not even talk about the price of a tank of gas. Local travel has become all of the rage and travel publications choc-a-bloc full of tips for making the most of your travel dollars and exploring the sites close to your home. This has brought so many great destinations to my attention. If only I had the resources to truly explore our country, not just to flit from place to place manically.

Trips to thirteen more states are scheduled. I’ve faced weather & logistic snafus in the past so am cautious about counting them as definites to visit this year. That leaves twelve on the planning block. Will I be able to pull it off? Maybe. I’m going to try but I’m not going to go broke or beat myself into a pulp while doing so. I’ve got 5 ½ months to put together what I can.

Along the way I’ve adopted two additional Fifty State Challenges. The United States Mint released the first of the state quarters in 1999. The forty-ninth & fiftieth quarter will be released later this year. Release dates are scheduled by order of statehood. Delaware was the first quarter because on December 7, 1787 it became the first State in the Union. Alaska & Hawaii quarters will complete the cycle. With the help of my friends I’ve collected 45 quarters so far. I still need Idaho, Alabama & Arizona so please check your pockets! The designs of the quarters give a quick snapshot of the history and unique attributes of each state. I am planning a display to commemorate my Fifty State Project so stay tuned.

There are a couple of resources that I’ve latched onto that deepen my reach into each state. 50 States of Literature and 50 States, 50 Books are designating a book or author for each state. This has given me ample reading material for those untenable airport delays and introduced me to books I may not have read.

To wrap up my midterm report I want to thank you all (all three of you!) for your interest and support of this project. I’ve learned a lot along the way and hope to introduce new challenges and enhance my blog in the second half of the year.

Happy Summer!