Kalispell is just short of an hour out of Glacier National Park in western Montana. It has a small historic downtown with some interesting shops and several restaurants and craft breweries. The town is serious about it’s beer; there is a Montana Brewery Passport to mark your tasting progress with 70 breweries across the state. We skipped the passport but tried a Snow Slip Stout (two thumbs up). 
Next stop, Idaho. The chimney portion of Idaho is covered in snow-capped mountains and beautiful rivers and lakes. We switchbacked up and down the mountains and took a break in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. How could we resist a Paul Bunyan-eating-a-burger restaurant? Yes, we did have Idaho potatoes there. The town is busy, filled with cafes, upscale stores, lake views and hiking trails. 
Spokane, Washington, home of Gonzaga University, is in the eastern part of the state. The beautiful Riverfront Park is undergoing major refurbishment. The park is actually a hundred acre island in the middle of the river and is a very scenic. There is a clock tower from 1902 and the Looff Carrousel from 1909, which is now encased in a beautiful glass house. We did enjoy walking through the park meadows and past the sculpture walk including the Rotary Fountain (also not working due to repairs). We found the giant red wagon playground. I did not go down the slide (too many children in line!). We intended to take the cable cars to view the Spokane River Waterfalls and the mountains but the ride was closed for repairs, too.
All of the repair and refurbishment did not stop us from locating a lovely café where we enjoyed rosé, a dish of Spanish olives and a delicious cheese plate.
Our state of mind after three more states is still in blissful vacation mode.
Where is Wendy 