Our first >100 mile ride – which is significant when you are trying to average 100+ for the whole trip. But better than that, this was a stunningly beautiful ride. 

After an opening, fast, 22 mile valley ride we stopped  at Chewelah for coffee, and bumped into a woman we had met the previous afternoon in Kettle Falls. People can’t get their heads round how far and fast we move!

The coffee shop provided more evidence of the ‘2 Americas’ theory. Unlike the working class cafe a couple of days ago, this definitely did not serve ‘just caaffee’ – but was hippie central with every type of coffee and adjuncts you could imagine – and fantastic, very expensive, whole food cooking. Slim people choosing carefully. As opposed to last night’s meal in Pizza Hut where the other America (and us!) downs cheap fast food and bland beer and coffee.

Next was the Flowery Trail pass – a delightful climb up a quiet side road. Life really doesn’t get much better than this I was thinking as we left the cafe! Lovely hot day, 2500 feet of climbing to look forward to in great scenery, and we have still got weeks of this ahead! Actually, it was steeper than usual – 9% for several miles – and I was glad of the 29 tooth ring that I added to my rear cassette at the last minute.

    
After an equally steep descent (where Tim still didn’t quite manage to break the 50mph speed limit that he’s been aiming for on each descent) we reached the Pend Orielle river. Crossing the bridge gave great views of old salmon catching net posts.

    
We followed a quiet road along the river bank. By now it was in the high 90s and we still had 50 miles to run. But the tranquil river scenes settled us into a smooth rhythm and the miles rolled by nicely.

    
At Newport we recrossed the river, entered Idaho, and had a huge chicken salad and the usual gallons of water in a restaurant with riverside views.

The afternoon was also mainly on quiet roads and, in horse and farming country with beautiful wooden houses and old barns. We saw huge, white headed birds of prey, nesting on telegraph posts. Not bald eagles, but not sure what. 

The final run in to Sandpoint was on a long bridge over the Pend Orielle lake. The photos don’t do it justice. 

   Sandpoint is an unexpectedly excellence town, in fantastic scenery on the edge of the lake. A well kept secret – maybe I should write something for the Guardian travel pages. Our Sweet Magnolia B&B is very top quality, if a bit twee, and we have a recommendation for a good brewery restaurant.