A Few Days at Beavercreek Campground

Our last visit to Beavercreek Campground on Priest Lake was back in August of 2022. That trip was spent with our good friends the Andersons, soaking in the views of the lake and wandering the trails around the campground. This week we found ourselves back in that same peaceful spot, only this time we were joined by our friends John and Loretta Sutherland.

Looking northeast into the Selkirks.

The weather showed off for us — blue skies, warm sun, and just enough breeze to keep the mosquitoes guessing. We stayed three nights, settling into that easy rhythm that only camping seems to create. Evenings were spent in camp chairs, swapping stories, solving the world’s problems, and laughing about everything else we couldn’t solve.

Each morning Linda would head out for her daily walk and return with a new story or observation from her adventures — sometimes about wildlife, sometimes about people, and occasionally about something only Linda could spot in the woods. I took a long walk myself, following the lake trail south. I managed to get close to a lake‑access camp area in Teacher Bay. That bay was my goal, but I had been out for quite a while, and eventually I turned around and hustled back to our campsite before anyone sent out a search party.

There were hundreds of butterflies.

We spent most of our time relaxing or playing cards. One thing we did notice was the large number of trees that had blown down during winter. It must have been a harsh one, but the landscape has been recovering nicely, with new growth already filling in the gaps.

For our evening meals we enjoyed three very tasty delights. On the first night we had an easy‑to‑fix standby of soup (clam chowder), salad, and cookies. The second meal was a bit international — Greek gyros. We cooked up some lamb, added feta cheese, tzatziki, and lettuce, and wrapped it all in a warm pita. Simple, delicious, and perfect for camping. Our final meal was traditional barbecue hamburgers, but boy, were they good.

On the drive home we were treated to one of those moments that instantly upgrades a trip: a bull moose sighting. We were heading south along one of my favorite stretches of highway when something dark stepped out of the brush and into a wide green clearing. Sure enough — a bull moose, antlers still covered in velvet and looking like he owned the place.

I slowed the camper and found a wide spot to pull over. After putting the truck in park, I hopped out and walked to the back of the rig just in time to see him step onto the road and stroll across the asphalt like he had an appointment on the other side. We were probably 500 yards away, but there was no mistaking that silhouette. I managed to get a few photos with the phone — proof for anyone who thinks moose are just mythical creatures invented by the Idaho tourism board.

There’s something about spotting wildlife in the middle of a trip that adds a little spark to the day. It’s a reminder that these places are alive, and that sometimes the best moments are the ones you don’t plan.

As we rolled the rest of the way home, I found myself thinking about how lucky we are to have places like Priest Lake close by — places where a few days of simple living, good friends, and a surprise moose can reset the soul. Trips don’t have to be long or complicated to be memorable. Sometimes all it takes is a quiet campground, a few shared meals, and the beauty of Idaho doing what it does best.

Big cone, small cone.

Peeling hard boiled eggs.

Bull moose crossing!

The end of the camping adventure.

DB/AI

Living Onward

Our guests, the Andersons, left Melaque on Saturday. We were very sad to see them go. We had been having so much fun with them, but good times have to end. They had arranged a taxi but the driver they had spoken to did not show up and we had to call in a backup at the very last minute. This taxi mishap has never happened to us, they are usually very dependable. Looks like "Eddy" won't be getting our business in the future.  Their flight departed the Manzanillo airport a bit late, which unfortunately caused them to miss their flight from LA to Seattle, so they had to stay the night in LA.  The following day, they boarded an early flight to Boise, ID, and then to Spokane. They were a bit tired but got home on Sunday around noon.

John, Loretta, Beth, and Linda on the beach.

Next, Linda and I had until Monday before Beth arrived. Our plan was to organize our stuff and do some shopping.  We also planned to get re-acquainted with the town.  As we walked about, we met people we have known from prior stays and it was fun to chat and say hello.

On Sunday Iris, our friend from Edison, WA, texted and we went to lunch at one of our favorite spots, Rosa's.  We walked and talked and got a bit caught up. At Rosa's, we were unexpectedly joined by some other good friends AnneMarie and Mac from the North Seattle area. We all enjoyed a great lunch and did some catching up.

Three amigas!

Beth arrived without any problems. She settled into the bedroom on the right. She will be staying for about ten weeks and will be working via the internet the entire time she is here. It's great to have her here. We haven't seen her in person for quite a while.

Three days after Beth arrived, our third guests made their way to our doorstep. John and Loretta Sutherland flew from their winter hideaway in Baja to the airport in Manzanillo and took a taxi up for a five-day visit. They settled into the bedroom on the left for their stay. After their visit here, they traveled to Morelia to view the monarch butterfly migration and explore some different regions of Mexico.

With the Sutherlands and Beth settled in, we wandered around Melaque, eating at the local restaurants and visiting. One day we all went over to Barra, while Beth stayed home and worked (she works eight hours each day online). We visited Jon Karpenko and his girlfriend, Cheri at Jon's new house. It's located in the barrio of Barra and he is working to make it his southern retreat.

Big surf on the beach in Barra.

We enjoyed our visit with John and Loretta very much, but they had to move on around the 18th of January. 

Linda and I have been settling into the rhythm of Melaque.  The little town is growing, construction is booming, gringos are plentiful and there seems to be a quickening in the pace of life in this small town.

Many remembered restaurants have closed but others have opened and are busy. The bigger stores where we shop for our necessities are the same, but the little bodegas have been replaced by Oxxos.

We received an email from David and Rebecca Kilmer inviting us to Barra to see their very nice casa.  We rode the bus over and enjoyed the sunset from their palapa. We all went out to dinner and enjoyed street tacos in the heart of Barra.

Three days later the Kilmers drove over to Melaque and we reciprocated by showing them our casa followed by a walk to Pedro,s for street tacos. It was a great night and we really enjoyed their visit. 

On January 27th, Hal and Jennie Shoener drove over from Manzanillo for a three-night stay. Because of travel issues, we hadn't been able to see them while we were in Manzanillo.  While they were here, we walked daily, saw some great sunsets, took a lot of pictures, and ate at some great places. We often worry about the friends that visit us. We don't want them to be bored, but Melaque is a quiet place to live and that's what we do here. Things to do here are pretty simple: play a game, read a book, chat with friends, swim, play volleyball, walk/run... Nightlife consists of late dinners and hanging in the centro watching the families walk around or watching a Zags game or football on TV. Cancun or Puerto Vallarta it is not.

John, on Mexico time.

At this time we have a break from hosting visitors. Our plans are to lay low and rest up. We will play, live, and enjoy this little town.

Loretta, John Linda and Beth on the sea wall.

The main street in Barra.

Hal and Jennie. Drinks with friends!

Linda's latest heart purchase.

unset in  Melaque.

We finished a very cool Puzzle.

Sunrise over Melaque Bay.

Small Towns and Friends

Whenever you travel, if you have been in that area before, you remember the different experiences you have had based on the towns you travel through.  On this foray into Montana, my memory brought forth images of me as a nine or ten-year-old traveling with my uncle Bill as he went from small town to a small town making his service/sales calls. 

Our first campsite at Aspen Grove.

Uncle Bill was a Pfaff sewing machine sales and repair man. He would load me in his van and off we would go to Drummond, Deer Lodge, or Ronan, so he could make repairs or sell machines. I would wait in the van while he worked, but as soon as we finished business we would drive to the nearest river and spend a few hours fishing. My Uncle loved to fish and he always had his gear with him wherever he went. Those were great memories and fun times! I got to see a lot of country and fish some great rivers.  

Traveling with John and Loretta Sutherland to visit our friend, Dan Breeden, took us along the Clark Fork River on I-90, through Missoula to HWY 200 where we then followed the Blackfoot River northeast. We climbed over the Continental Divide and dropped into the Missouri River valley. We stopped for the night at a Forest Service campground called Aspen Grove.  We got out of our rigs and, oh boy, was it cold and windy. Our exploration of this area was short and sweet. That night the temperatures dropped into the mid-thirties and we all scrambled for our winter blankets to keep us warm.

We woke up and got on the road to Great Falls. We did some shopping and used the rest room and then it was back on the road for the final leg. Leaving the big city we followed HWY 87 farther north to the quiet little town of Fort Benton where Danbo has chosen to settle in and establish his home.

As we drove we kept our eyes open for wildlife along the highways on the open grasslands. Just outside of Ft. Benton we pulled over at a scenic viewpoint to take a closer look at the panorama provided by the river valley.  As we took our photos a group of three domestic goats came wandering toward us along the railroad tracks.  Our first big game! To say the least, we were a little disappointed when we saw that they were domesticated goats, but we counted them as big game anyway.

The basis for this adventure developed when Dan bought a parcel of land that included a house, a large outbuilding, and ten city lots for his retirement home. John, Loretta, Dan, Linda, and I had just gotten through with a river trip where we all talked about Dan's new home and we made plans to drive over and explore the town and area around his property. 

View from the scenic overlook west.

We spent two days exploring the area near his new place. We got a good feeling about the town, checked out the work he had completed on his new home, and laid to rest many questions we had been asking concerning the location.

Fort Benton is a pretty cool place. It is a small farming community where everyone waves at everyone else. The town has a lot of history and is known for being the oldest continually established town in Montana.  The Mullan Road begins in Ft. Benton and runs from there to Coeur d'Alene and beyond. This was a fascinating bit of history that tied the town to our area as everyone is familiar with Mullan Road.

Looking east over the Missouri River.

During our stay, we walked along the Missouri River to the heart of downtown.  Then the next day we all got on our bikes and extended our exploration of Dan's new home to include the southern part of town where the fairgrounds are located. 

Each night we would gather outside around the fire and talk and laugh.  It was good to see Dan so happy!

On our final morning, we went into Dan's favorite coffee shop and had a big breakfast. We all packed up and said our goodbyes.  We now know enough about this small town to understand the draw Dan had pulling him to the area. We get it.  We feel happy for Dan and this next chapter of his life, though we'll miss having him here in Coeur d'Alene.

Wild goats? Nope!

After we left Ft. Benton we drove back via the Wolf Creek area, HWY 15. The drive would have been beautiful. We followed the creek and wound through jagged rock formations and lush green meadows. Unfortunately, the smoke from forest fires in Idaho and Oregon was blocking the sun and skies.

At Drummond, we pulled off the highway and found the city park/fairgrounds.  John and Loretta had used this hidden spot many times for overnight boondocks when they traveled back to the midwest. It was a nice spot, close to the Clark Fork River, but far enough away from the railroad tracks so the trains didn't bother you. The cost was $10 a site which was fairly inexpensive. The restrooms were not the best, but we were heading home and very much self-contained, so that was not a big problem.

On the final day, we hugged John and Loretta and headed home. 

Great story behind this statue of Shep.

The starting point of the Mullen Road.

John Mullan on the right,
a Pioneer woman on the left. Nice shades!

The guy in the coon skin cap
does not look happy!

The rather unimpressive Great Falls
of Great Falls, MT.