August 13 – 15, 2021
As we planned our trip, we found that we needed a stop between Kennewick, Washington (our previous destination) and our next major destination. Athol, in northern Idaho, fit the bill so we arranged a two night stop there. Where can one camp and what is there to do around Athol, Idaho you ask?
Ravenwood RV Resort
We chose Ravenwood RV Resort, a relatively new, big-rig friendly RV park for our stay. Unfortunately we were not able to get a pull-thru full hook-up site but our level gravel back-in site had adequate room on all sides.
Ravenwood Entrance 
Ravenwood Office 
Our site
Just FYI, the RV park was also near Silverwood Theme Park which (judging by the parking lot and traffic) was very popular but not enticing to us.
Sandpoint
Since we only had one touring day here, we had to decide whether to drive south into Couer d’Alene or north into Sandpoint. We opted for Sandpoint. We first drove the Sunnyside Road loop around Oden Bay (the northern end of Lake Pend Oreille) hoping to get some great views of the bay. Unfortunately the haze/smoke had other ideas.
Oden Bay
After completing the Sunnyside loop we went into Sandpoint to walk around the town and check out the Cedar Street Bridge Mall – filled with shops and eating establishments.
Sandpoint Mural 
Cedar St Bridge Mall
Bayview
Leaving Sandpoint, we drove south to Bayview for a drive on Cape Horn Road along Scenic Bay (the western side of Lake Pend Oreille). Did you know that Idaho has its own submarine fleet? Bayview is home to the Naval Acoustic Research Detachment (ARD). The Acoustic Research Detachment at Lake Pend Oreille is the Navy’s premier facility for structural acoustic measurements and has supported every major submarine design development over the past 65 years.
Naval Acoustic Research Facility
For lunch we stopped at the Lake House Bar and Grill – a floating restaurant. The food was good and we were entertained not only by the view but also by a rather determined goose who felt he had as much right on the patio as anyone else. Fortunately, cooked goose was not on the menu.
Lake House Bar and Grill
After lunch we returned to the RV to relax and prepare to move on the next morning. As a parting gift, the moon that night was a brilliant pumpkin orange/red due to the smoke in the air.
Pumpkin Moon
