The best made plans...sometimes flop

I woke up to overcast skies and rain in the forecast. The weather people were correct...it rained pretty much all day, which nixed my plan for a hike. I had a couple of alternative activities, though. I left Pullman and traveled north to Coeur d'Alene, ID and bought a cheesesteak sandwich for lunch. I continued east on the interstate to the historic silver mining town of Wallace. I had hoped to visit an authentic bordello. Yes, you heard me right, but it's really just a long closed bordello turned museum. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that it hadn't opened yet for the season. Yes, my pre-road trip research failed me! So, I just took some photos of the old downtown buildings AND the place I was supposed to see, too.

Since I still had time in my day, I continued on to U.S. Forest Service Ninemile Remount Depot and Historic Ranger Station. From 1930 to 1953, the depot supplied pack horse teams for firefighting and backcountry work projects. The historic site was only a short drive from the interstate, but I was dismayed to find the dirt road leading up to it was muddy from the rain. I drove slowly to minimize the amount of mud to the underside of my car.

I was soon disappointed...yes, again...that this place also had seasonal visitation. Despite the fact all the buildings were closed, I was still able to walk around the grounds and snap a few pics. The buildings and corrals are self-explanatory, but the scales were used to weigh the horses and wagons to make sure they weren't too heavy for any bridges they might travel on.

Needless to say, my day was not very fun. I was ready for some kind of pick-me-up. It was only 20 miles to my pit stop for the night, Missoula, MT. Before checking into my hotel, I decided to visit Drum Coffee, owned by Fitz and the Tantrums drummer, John Wicks.

I don't drink coffee, but from my two previous visits, I've found their baked goods are very tasty. Naturally, I was hoping John would be there so I could say Hello. And, he actually was in the building, but unfortunately, John was busy working on a music project with a client. Oh, well...maybe next time. After a day of disappointments, I knew I couldn't go wrong with a Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers dinner! Even though there is still more rain in the forecast for tomorrow, I'm not going to let that stop me. I might even do a hike...I got a raincoat and umbrella!  Things can only get better...