We saw a side of Idaho we liked better. Central Idaho is neat. Lots of horses, public grazing lands full of cattle, and even some authentic (as authentic as you can be in 2005) cowboys. We spent the night in Salmon, Idaho, population 3,000 (a large town for this state, albeit an incredibly remote and isolated one). Salmon boasts, among other attributes, the Sacajawea Motor Sports Trail and is also the home of friend Ingrid, who made us a delicious dinner. This morning we forged on to Oregon. The easternmost part of the state was a little boring to drive through, but when we got to the Columbia River, we enjoyed driving along its banks on the highway for many hours. A giant river. Gorgeous sunset tonight.

During one of the boring hours, I asked Steve to do something to entertain me. “How many of these Saltines do you think I can put in my mouth at once?” he asked. I guessed four, then six when I realized he meant not to just wedge them in but to chew them up one at a time without swallowing them. Well, folks, my husband can fit not six, but SEVEN Saltines in his mouth at one time. Not only this, but he can then present a Saltine mold in the shape of the interior of his mouth. So clever. There’s no telling where we’ll go tomorrow. Since we explored Portland earlier this year, probably just south.