Twin Falls....

Idaho.  On the Snake River, and the bridge does tower,
over the Perrine Dam provides irrigation and power;
four hundred eighty-six feet it is, high above,
bungee jumpers have found their first love.

But the city is named for the water that falls every day,
over Shoshone Falls and is the reason that we stay;
what a great place and the desert made fruitful;
the falls make music,  America the Beautiful.

Top:  The Perrine Bridge, too high for me
Middle: Shohone Falls in the Spring
Bottom: The falls during a drier time, drop is 221 feet

Mountain Home....

Idaho, home of the famous dune,
it's grown so big, free standing alone, that there is hardly room,
to imagine it's the worlds largest single structure dune,
Abby and I wonder, if it can be seen from the moon.

Also the home of an Air Force base,
the rural city is a happening place,
in the high desert is was an historical rest,
Rattlesnake Junction for the Stagecoach West.

Top:  The dune, it's big
Middle: Another dune view
Bottom: The city in the shadow of the Sawtooth Range
Bloggers note: Stagecoach West is also the nickname for my former squadron VR-30

Nampa....

.....Idaho, the states second largest city, sunny and nice,
and if you love rodeo, it comes here twice;
and the old "state hospital" where residents farmed,
are now golf courses where no one is harmed.

The Snake River runs through here too,
and there are plenty of rooms with a view;
a very nice city, but too big for me,
it's country side places that I want to see.

Top: Nampa from the air
Middle: One of the Champions Tour Rodeos
Bottom: A former "state farm", now Ridgewood Golf course - much better

Weiser....

....Idaho, is pronounced Weezer, as in geezer,
a nice small city where the Snake meets the Weiser River;
a great hiking trail goes for eighty-three miles,
if I walked that there would be lots of smiles!

The city is known as The Fiddling Capital of the world,
there's a contest every year, my ears would be in a whirl;
it would be fun, of that I'm sure, it would do no harm,
as the "weezers" left town and went back to the farm.

Top:  The City of Weiser
Middle: The sun is up! a view from Weiser
Bottom: A Lazuli Bunting see on the Weiser Trail. Worth the trip.

New Meadows.....

...Idaho.  A small town made for fishing here,
the Little Salmon River has proven valuable, being near;
tourism, agriculture and timber all provide,
a way of living and it's all outside.

About one thousand people call this home,
a handsome place, you can reach by phone;
hard working people populate this place,
calloused hands, and hearts of grace.

Top:  New Meadows, Idaho
Middle:  Little Salmon River
Bottom:  A local ski slope

Grangeville....

....Idaho, is a really great place, if you like...
riding the rapids in a big raft, or taking a hike;
the Snake River rolls through this town,
giving many people a ride on the way down.

The deepest gorge in North America lies,
just out side of town, as the crow flies,
in Hells Canyon, oh my, what a place,
get on a raft, get spray in your face.

And you will notice a bright yellow stripe,
on the outskirts of town, and wonder what's ripe,
the crop is called Rape Seed, but the product is good,
the result is Canola Oil, and use it you should.

Top:  Looking into Grangeville
Middle: The oil seed crop, we'll see it again in Aroostook County, Maine
Bottom:  Hells Canyon and the Snake River - Where's Evel Knivel?

Moscow....

Between the Palouse and the Rocky Mountains, does it lay,
Moscow is in an ideal location, good for study and good for play;
the Palouse is wheat with everything good,
the western edge of the Rockies, have forever stood.

I was intrigued with the Moscow Wagon Works the most,
expert wheelwrights build and restore a whole host…
….of wagon and buggies, sulkies and more,
it would be great to visit that store!

What better place to spend Christmas Day,
Abby and I just would love to stay,
but we'll keep up the travel, we will not stop short,
of the lower forty-eight states, that's real sport.

Top:  The City of Moscow, Idaho
Middle: The Palouse begins
Bottom:  The 2009 model buggy from Moscow Carriage Works - a beauty

Coeur d'Alene....

....another Idaho gem on the lake,
so much beauty is not hare to take.
There is more to see here, than meets the eye,
you can swim, you can hunt, you can fish with a fly.

Sportsmen love this kind of place,
getting away from the old rat race;
sit back and relax, no big city here,
and there's no hubbub for you to hear.

Top:  Along the lake
Middle: A good view of Lake Coeur d'Alene
Bottom: Sunset over the lake.

Sandpoint....

....Idaho, playground for many, home for a few,
outdoor people love it, and lots of other too;
in Northern Idaho - fish, ski, hunt, hike.
All of that to do, what's not to like?

This is scenic county too, not to be left alone,
you'll need a camera, better than your phone;
or maybe just relax, let others do the work,
that's the way I act at home - a layabout jerk.

Top:  Sandpoint from the air.
Middle: Sunset over the lake.
Bottom: Moonset over the mountains.

Spokane...

.....Washington, pronounced Spo-can.  This is a large and diversified city,
although as it's nickname, Lilac City, states, it can be mighty pretty;
people work here in many industries, bankin, mining and natural resources,
agriculture plays an important part too, and of course race horses.

We are just passing through, but for a city it is nice,
we wouldn't want to live in a city, not at any price;
some people seem to love it, they have been born that way,
and other are sure to stick around, for the right pay.

Top: Looking over the city
Middle: The Spokane River runs through
Bottom:  Goodnight Spokane (kind of pretty)

Last stop in Washington - tomorrow: Idaho

Davenport...

.....Washington, do you like homemade bread,
if so, right now we're in the right place, see this spread;
wheat is king in these parts, and the farms are big,
they raise enough for all of us, to eat like a pig.

Hardworking families put in the effort here,
you know, an American farmer, has no peer,
work from early until late, helps to feed the world,
their life is busy, they are in their life wirled.

Top:  Road to the farms.
Bottom (1): Plant the crop.
Bottom (2): Watch it grow, plus care for the crop.
Bottom (3): Almost bedtime for a farmer-after the paperwork is done.

Coulee City...

....Washington, a small city in the west,
lots of lakes around here, fishing flies on my vest,
there are Trout and Steelheads, among the very best;
Coulee City is a treasure, of the old west.

The biggest attraction is called Dry Falls, it's a treasure too.
it looks like a canyon with water sinking through.
And, indeed, they were falls, some long time ago,
when the Coulee River had a greater flow.

Top:  Coulee City in 1907.
Bottom: Dry Falls.

Moses Lake......

.....Washington, a little water in a pretty dry place,
has made a difference to many of our human race;
first the Sinkius tribe with a Chief named Moses,
gave population to the City that grows roses.

Then when the dams were built and the Air Force came,
the lakes from the dam earned their name,
the airport still serves in an important role,
testing is done here by Boeing, keeps the town on a roll.

Then came the computer giants to build,
data storage buildings, on land once tilled;
cheap power and land have made this boom,
there's still a lot here.  Looking for room?

Top:  Diamond Point, and part of the city.
Middle:  Nearby land without irrigation.
Bottom:  Sunset in Moses Lake.

Wenatchee....

.....Washington, go ahead, take a bite of an Apple or Cherry,
and it's also the "buckle" on the Northwest Power Belt, ahhh, be merry;
on the Columbia River, and a mighty pretty place,
where you can slow down, and get out of the race.

It's the soil in the river valley that makes the fruit sweet,
and some of the friendlier people that you'll ever meet;
we enjoyed some quiet time down by the river;
if it's rest you need, Wenatchee can deliver.

Top:  A promotional sign
Middle: All laid out
Bottom: The Wenatchee River (the city has both)

Skykomish....

....Washington, you have to love that name,
after all it's a river and town, they should remain the same,
if you're looking for white water, you have met your match,
why not go up and practice, see if your plans will hatch.

Lumber was king here in King County, some time ago,
now it's the same as other towns that see industry go;
but, they still have the river and nature runs galore,
get on the raft and ride it, or just watch from shore.

Top:  Ride in a raft!
Middle: The town of Skykomish
Bottom: Sunset, lake behind the dam.

Everett....

Yesterday the Boeing 787 flew on its first flight,
they worked in this building day and night,
from lumber in the nineteen hundreds,
to aerospace today, there are many common threads.

This is another place with things to see and do,
at every turn, it seems, there is another view;
from the Cascades view at the farmers market,
to the nearby lakes and rivers there is nothing like it.

Top:  The BIG Boeing building
Middle:  The lumber mill of the 1900's
Bottom:  Cascades from the Farmers Market
Fact:  The dates of the events were not planned.

Sedro-Woolley.....

.....Washington, on the Skagit River and the gateway to,
..the North Cascade mountains, with fine cars too.
A local business restores these nice automobiles,
I wonder if there's some way to make a couple of deals.

First lumber was the thing, then they mined for coal,
but now it's robotics that do what they are told.
It's another of natures beauties, this area is great;
Washington could become, someones favorite state.

Top:  Products of Restoration
Bottom: The Skagit River at Sedro-Woolley