Garfield to Tekoa & (pronounced TeeKo) & a Lift to Coeur d’Alene…9/7

I pulled out of Garfield about 8:30 in the morning.  The B&B was in the shade of some big trees so it was a good time to try out my jacket for the first time.  It only took about 20 minutes of riding before it came back off again.

Washington is truly home for me even though I don’t know this area of the state too well.  So although I have a map and a GPS it doesn’t always mean I have an idea of the actual best way to go.  So it was with this in mind as I continued northbound on Hwy 27 that I came to the Farmington Road crossroads.  Now, both ways would get me to Tekoa (where I figured on stopping for lunch), but usually one way is a better way.  At this particular crossroad there sits a pretty good-sized salvage yard where Darrel junks out decrepit, old, ruined, dis-used machinery (think semi tractor-trailers, tractors, combines, etc…).  Darrel told me that taking the road through Farmington would be the best choice.  However, once again, I was told to watch out for the semis going to and from the fields.  Thankfully the is near the end of harvest season as opposed to the height of it.

The ride was all about rolling hills.  No big grades, just a hill…after a hill…after yet another hill.

Although all the rolling hills I can see what lay ahead.

I had been told there was a couple good places to eat in Tekoa.  Interestingly they were both said to be “at the far end of town at the top of the hill”.  Well they weren’t kidding.  It’s not as though Tekoa is built on the side of mountain like Pioche, but still why does there have to be a hill just before lunch?  It did make this a bit tastier…

This previous little treat came from “Eclair’s” coffeehouse in Tekoa.  An absolute gem of a spot in a little town.  I had the chance to speak with my waitress Kayla.  Kayla was wearing a Team Scaroni t-shirt.  The t-shirt is a tribute to a local athlete who competed in the London Paralympics; Susannah Scaroni.  The entire town was pulling for this young lady to win in the women’s marathon.  Susannah finished eighth.  Small towns…ya gotta love em.

So the place I was told to eat is a local tavern; C&Ds.  Good food, inexpensive, and oh yeah, cold beer!

I had been told that the next town I was going to hit, Plummer, ID, was not exactly a garden-spot variety town.  Rough around the edges is how it was referred to.  So after my third beer I decided to hitch a ride with a worker who was headed towards Coeur d’Alene, ID.

I’m still deciding if it was the right decision.  I missed out on riding a dedicated bike trail which runs alongside the eastern side of Coeur d’Alene Lake.  I can imagine it would have been a beautiful ride.

Regardless I had a good time chatting with Jeff as we drove towards his hometown of Post Falls, ID.  He was picking up his daughter and taking off to Lewiston, ID to go Steelhead fishing.  Needless to say, he was stoked at the prospect.

I managed to find a really nice motel…the Budget Saver Motel.  Honest to God, this was really a nice place.  At $50 a night I haven’t stayed in a nicer place.  Thankfully, even though it’s not directly downtown there was a great place to eat right across the street; Moon Time and an even better place a few blocks towards downtown for breakfast called Jonesy’s.