Best road ever!

I was in Idaho for only three days, but it gave me everything! I was not expecting that at all, and I had only ever considered the state as a quick pass through.

Straight off at the border, it may just be possible that I cycled through the most beautiful country on the route. Pretty much over 70 miles of gradual downhill along a picturesque river in a steep forested valley. It was awesome - even the stretches of loose gravel, where roadworks were going on, were fun.

During this time, I was cycling with Florian, a 25 year old German also on the TransAm that I met in Missoula. After leaving Laura and James, it was great to have more company.

Yesterday I left Florian and I am now off the TransAm trail all on my tod, following the Columbia River to Portland.

So, Idaho now decided to get very hot and dry, with a lot of agriculture - de ja vu with Missouri and Kansas! No wonder it is called the Potato State! It is unbelievable how similar it is to those earlier states, just with bigger hills. Except for the odd small pass, I am mainly following the huge Snake and Columbia Rivers, so it is quite flat.

The roads in Idaho seem to all be under repair at the same time, and they need it! Some of them are awful. Having said that, Winchester Rd will forever stick in my mind as the most fun 9 miles of downhill I have ever head, with no traffic and plenty of switchbacks! Worth the trip just to do that road!

Lewis and Clark were two American pioneers who were sent out from Philidelphia to discover whether there was a navigable river from the West that connected to the Missouri. I have been cycling in their footsteps and now find myself in the small town of Clarkston just in Washington State - my penultimate state in the USA. It is worth noting that just across the river in Idaho is Lewiston, which is 4x as big - we know who the most influential of the two men was!

I have 6 days until I am in Portland, then a further 6 days until Andrea arrives! In my mind, Portland is the end of this part of the adventure with the ride to Vancouver being another journey. I have that slight finish line excitment in me! I have now crossed into a state that has a coastline - not since Virginia has that been the case. There is something about the coast that is drawing me, and I have decided that I will have to live by the sea eventually - Bognor here I come!