Bus trip turned into quite a tour

Letter to the Editor

 

Last updated 4/23/2014 at 11:14am



According to Channel 2 TV out of Spokane, Friday, April 18, 2014, was going to be rainy and cold. Eight of us braved the weather reports and took the Grand Coulee Senior Center Bus to Spokane for our monthly shopping trip anyway. Imagine our joy to find, by the time we got there, that the clouds and rain had burned away and we had a beautiful day! There was much discussion about what flowers were blooming where and what bird different one of us had seen this spring, among other things.

After leaving Betty Davis, Jean Graff, Bev Bowman, Kay Johnston and Barb Moser off at the Northtown Mall, our driver, Steve Phillips, took Katy Riley, Kitty Phillips and Marie Chuinard on up Division to the Northwest Seed and Pet Store. Then onto Michael’s and Hobby Lobby. We had lunch at the Golden Corral Buffet, then shopped at JoAnn’s Fabrics and the Christian Thrift Store before picking up the other ladies back at the mall. We stopped at Walmart in Airway Heights and then headed toward home.

At Wilbur, we turned off from our usual route home down Hwy 174 and took Hwy 21 north to the Keller Ferry Marina. As we wound down the steep and twisty road we were enthralled by the magnificent views and the blooming trees and flowers that greeted us on nearly every turn.

When we arrived at the ferry it was just leaving, so some of us made use of the restroom facilities there while we waited for it to return. The sun was still shining and there was a nice breeze coming up the lake. Our ferry pilot gave the people who could climb the stairs a tour of the ferry and the view up and down the lake from the cabin above us. We were amazed at how low the water was. The high watermarks were far over our heads and the water level grooves in the bank from the water level going down a bit at a time (about a foot to 18 inches apart) were clearly visible.

On the north side, Hwy 21 follows the Sanpoil River from the Keller Ferry Landing up to the town of Keller and on to Republic and eventually the Canadian border.

We turned off of Hwy 21 onto the Manila Creek Road. The top of the pass on this road is the border between Ferry County and Okanogan County. At this point, Manila Road becomes Peter Dan Road going down to Hwy 155 between Elmer City and Nespelem.

Steve and Kitty have just completed a new home on the south side of Peter Dan Road. When they asked if we would like a tour of their home, we gladly accepted. They have put a lot of planning and effort into making it a very comfortable and ecologically friendly home. We all loved it!

Steve then made sure we all got back to either our homes or the St. Henry’s parking lot. Even with the tour, running some errands (mail stops and Safeway), I was still home by 7 p.m.

Betty Davis had lived in the Keller Ferry area and both Kay Johnston and Kitty know the area well. Kitty’s grandfather had homesteaded the Circle Hanging J Ranch, which her family still owns. Between the three of them, we received a very special guided tour. Everyone had a great time and really enjoyed the whole trip.

Anyone interested in other tours or trips of this kind can contact me at 633-0417.

Marie Chuinard

 

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