You know, wildlife refuges are our thing. We pile in the car and head for Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge just north of here in Idaho.  We check out the trail to Myrtle Creek Falls; it is up hill of course as seems the case for nearly all waterfall trails.  The scent of pine is in the air and the burble of the creek is with us all the way.  Trailside placards tell the story of Orville the Moose and his loose antlers.  It is a cute children’s story written by a local.  The pages are perfectly spaced out along the trail to provide an excuse to stop and catch our breath on the way up.

Back down and on to the driving tour we see many of the usual suspects: deer, Canada geese, mallards, grebes, red winged blackbirds, even pelicans.  Then the big prize, Johnna spots a cow moose munching away in a pond.  It isn’t an up close look but clearly identifiable.  That was the highlight I think.

We got a recommendation to check out 80 foot high Copper Creek Falls up 95 just 1 mile from the Canada border.  It involved a short hike too but was certainly worth it.  This is bear country and we sort of hoped to see one…sort of, maybe?  That didn’t happen and it spit a bit of rain but it was still a great walk.

Heading back south we took a short detour so Johnna could check off Montana as well as Idaho as states visited today.

Our peanut butter sandwiches are wearing off. It is Sunday evening so after a bit of looking and a couple false starts we settle on dinner at ZIPS.  It is a fast food place with a really broad menu.  It was a first for all of us and we had halibut fish and chips, a fish sandwich, a papa burger of some kind and chicken strips.  It wasn’t spectacular or gourmet but everyone seemed satisfied with their choice. The milk shakes received very good reviews by all.