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Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

630 National Parks Highway With Photos Spokane - Missoula


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REVISED POST Includes Photos for Edd :blink:

 

 

Coming into Spokane from the west on the Old national Parks Highway you come across the magnificent high bridge over Latah Creek, built in 1911. Frankly it is inconceivable to me that that bridge is that old, but so says Bridgehunter at http://bridgehunter.com/wa/spokane/85428000000000 and it seems to mostly match the 1921 ABB citation.

 

ARSunsetBridge.jpg

 

I tried to spot the 1917 offices of the National Parks Highway which were at 911 Main St, but I believe the Federal Building now on the site was build after than time. I did take a photo from Old Red of the Davenport Hotel, recommended in the National parks Highway guide. And I snapped a Rolled Oats ghost sign.

 

ARSpokaneDavenport.jpg

 

ARSpokaneOats.jpg

 

I drove east on the old route (Sprague Ave) and over the Idaho State line to Coeur d'Alene, and through its lakeside downtown. Pretty, but not much there that I could readily identify with the early NPH. I drove out on the lakeside road and picked up the old road, conveniently signed as the Yellowstone Trail. This will be the case all the way through Idaho and Montana.

 

The YT/NPH takes you around an inlet and gives you a taste of what the old road was like. I was a little uneasy on driving along a sheer drop with no guard rails. We are spoiled! Part of it is gravel, so the wash job I gave the car in Coeur d'Alene was a waste. I stopped at Kellogg ( McConnell Hotel) and Wallace, ID (Ryan Hotel).

 

ARKellogg.jpg

 

ARRyanWallace.jpg

 

Further on, the little town of Mullen also on the NPH/YT I followed the old road out of town toward Lookout Pass. It is marked on maps ........ you guessed it....Yellowstone Trail. I have in earlier years followed it all the way over the pass, but this year I was forced to turn back because of rough road. It would be no problem with a pick up or SUV, but I saw no reason to puncture the oil pan or knock the wheels out of alignment on the convertible. So I turned back after perhaps 10 miles and picked up the interstate at Mullen and headed for Missoula.

 

ARLookout1.jpg

 

ARLookout2.jpg

 

I have traveled this section of the YT/NPH several times so I didn't take the old route, except to visit the Albert Hotel ( name from memory) and De Borgia and make a stop at a place I had preciously passed by, the Savenac Historic Tree Nursery at Haugan, MT.

 

 

ARAlbertHotel.jpg

 

 

I can tell you without a doubt that I have been making a gross error all these years! The Savenac Nursery has a beautiful intact National Parks Highway bridge on its original alignment!!!! Oh, did I say National Parks Highway bridge? Guess what they call it....Yellowstone Trail Bridge....and John has one of his signs posted prominently on a tree next to the bridge access. Good job, John!!!

 

ARNurseryBridge3.jpg

 

 

 

ARNurseryBridge2.jpg

 

 

You can freeview these cross eyed for 3D stereo.

 

I attribute much of the modern recognition of the Yellowstone Trail to John and Alice Ridge and the association he formed. I run into his work in just about every town and village along the route. I feel right at home!

 

At the Savenac Nursery when I stepped into the visitor facility, I said that I heard that they has a National Parks Highway bridge on the property. "No No," they told me , it was a Yellowstone Trails bridge! I explained to the hosts that they then had twice the glory, both Yellowstone Trail bridge and National Parks Highway Bridge. We enjoyed a great chat about the nursery and old auto trails. Nice folks, just like you always meet on the auto trails.

 

I spent the night in Missoula.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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You can freeview these cross eyed for 3D stereo.

The first of your two stereo pairs on the page doesn't seem to be stereo: it looks like you've got two copies of either the left or right image next to each other. The other one really pops out, though!

 

I agree that the bridge over Latah Creek is quite impressive!

 

Chris

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