day 62. athol, id to coeur d'alene, id. 20 miles.

traffic was whizzing by on the highway just beyond my pine-needle coated barrier. the tall weeds surrounding me as well as my sleeping bag and bike and bags were coated in Idaho morning dew. i was certain that if no one spotted me last night as i crept into the woods, they would surely spot me this morning as i used trees as drying racks. but without problem i was on the road riding in morning sunlight.

i cruised into a local subway shop for a bit of breakfast. i had a thought today; do they throw all leftover bread out at night? would be a great spot to pick up some free grub to accompany my jar of peanut butter. anyway, a fellow subway diner struck up conversation about my ride and said i needed to check out the coeur d'alene lake in coeur d'alene, only 5 miles off.

my original plan was to use the library in the city mentioned above and then move on. well after visiting a local coffee shop and the library i cruised to the lake. what a wonderful sight: a massive lake, grassy knoll for the sitting and a dock that ran off into the water. ok, I'll hang for a few. in seconds i was stripped down to merely bike shorts and feeling very euro in my revealing attire. i rolled out my thermarest pad and stayed for over two hours while i read, mapped, and enjoyed the scenery and views. my stomach rumbled and i knew it was time to eat and it was during lunch that i knew i couldn't pass up this clear beach day.

i rode down to the strip of cheaper motels outside of the main strip. i rang a bell and an older fellow came from around the back chasing an old dog. "can i get a room please?" i asked. "well, sure. i have a single available. so you're on a bike huh? so you don't have a car, no pets, and you probably don't smoke." his eyes stared at me through thick lenses. i nodded to reasure the man. "well what are you looking to pay? cuz i know there are cheaper spots down the way." i was bit taken back. "well, i like paying 5 to 20 bucks. are you saying that this is negotiable?" i asked. "well, no." he responded. i laughed. before giving me a price he showed me a room. if it had a hot water and a bed i was sold. "so how much?" i asked. "this single is $55. how does $45 sound?" "uh....sounds good to me." strange i thought. funniest part, as i was signing my receipt amother dude came in looking for a single. the old man told him it would be $60 and the guest rejected it and left. then the man looked at me and said "i used to race bikes." the bike scored me yet another deal.

i spent the rest of the day on the beach working on my farmers tan before going to dinner and relaxing in the comfort of a bed and a massive ice cream cone. I'm not sure the relaxing day was deserved but it was sure nice.