"High" and "Up" mean something!!

Yesterday we decided to ride our bikes from Post Falls, ID to Coeur d'Alene, ID (what should be a 7 mile trip).  The hosts at our B&B told us to take the Continental Trail along the river into town, but we decided to try an alternate route...hmmmm...maybe we should have listened to our hosts!!

We started out on Riverview Drive, which had a few gentle climbs, but nothing overly taxing.  When we stopped along the road to take a look at our map, it was decided that we would turn off on "Highland Drive."  As we climbed up some pretty steep slopes, I quickly figured out how it got its name.  We just kept getting higher and higher with every pedal stroke!!  Eventually we turned off onto "Upriver Drive." We continued to climb some very steep slopes...up, up, up we went.  This 7 mile bike ride quickly turned into 12 miles as we climbed up over the hill.

This is the GORGEOUS view from the top (zoomed in of course, so you can see the road below...far right...that we were supposed to be on)!!  If we would have taking the straight and flat path, we wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to see such AMAZING views!!  Sometimes it pays off to take the "road less traveled," but I also learned that if roads have the word "High" or "Up" in it...you may want to avoid them :)

Since we climbed all the way to the top of the hill, we got to descend the other side.  I love the descent...the wind in your face, the challenge behind you (in this case) and speeds that easily exceed 30 mph without even pedaling :)

Once we arrived in Coeur d'Alene, we went downtown and decided to get a "cold one" at Moose Lounge.  It felt really good to sit and relax on the outdoor patio.  There were many people out and about to converse with (Ironmen, spectators and locals) and we ran into some of our team mates since we had our Zoom gear on it was easy for them to spot us :)

After going to the local farmers market, we decided to venture back to Post Falls via the Continental Trail that was previously suggested to us.  There were few terrain changes and this avenue provided us with a different view of the river and the city.  All in all...it was a very successful day!!