Fishing Tips ! (Ha Ha)

More daylight hours means more fishing hours. http://tinyurl.com/yh98zmn 
But if stormy weather keeps you indoors, enjoy this funny collection of bloopers that happened to guys promoting fishing!  Enjoy the laugh!

On an entirely different note, and just plain horrible - as opposed to the light-hearted bloopers from the fishing guys, is about a sad situation that occurred in the last few week in Hells Canyon.  Graffiti was spray painted paint over ancient Indian pictographs near the Lewiston, Idaho Hells Gate State Park.  Read about it here: http://tinyurl.com/ydczzb4     

In late February, we have sunny, even balmy (62 degrees today) on the Salmon River.  Everything is in shipshape at the RV Park, so come on by and stay a while.  Through your line in the water, and come home with a steelhead trout :-)

Top 10 Scenic Drives in the Northern Rockies !

Did you know that Swiftwater RV Park is on the Nez Perce National Historic Trail?  The National Park Service White Bird Battlefield is only 3 miles away and this historic trail is one of the key connecting trails that comprise the new Top 10 Scenic Drives in the Northern Rockies.

The Top 10 Scenic Drives recently announced the launch of its new Web site (www.drivethetop10.com) to provide domestic and international visitors with an organized online tool. The Top 10 Scenic Drives was recently unveiled as North America’s newest destination for travelers who seek an authentic experience with scenic beauty, wildlife and recreation that delivers a connection with the environment, American Indian cultures and North American history. The Top 10 Scenic Drives connect 19 National Parks, Monuments and Recreation Areas via nationally designated Scenic Byways and connecting historic trails.

The new online tool features a personality and drive matcher that matches users with specific Top 10 Scenic Drives based on their interests. The site also provides an expanding list of the destination’s diverse offerings, as well as a story-sharing section with photos and information from previous experiences on the Top 10, to help travelers plan their trips.

You can find a link on this new website to Swiftwater RV Park at http://tinyurl.com/y9myn3a. To become listed on this new destination website, any supplier appearing there supports the principles of green tourism and are committed to encouraging visitors to practice sustainable travel during their Top 10 Scenic Drives’experiences.

When you travel anywhere in the Top 10 Scenic Drives reigon, including our beautiful RV Park, we hope you'll take a moment to share your travel experience on a special designated page: http://www.drivethetop10.com/Share-Your-Top-Ten/Read-Travelers-Stories

Fun on the River......the Other One!

The Salmon River still reigns mighty, but once in a while, 'ya gotta give 

 credit where credit is due....and I'm not talking about fishing! 

 

Those Rebekahs in the little burg of Clearwater - you guess it, near the Clearwater River - know how to serve a great Sausage Breakfast!  It’s hard to say what is better – the food, or the great people in that community.  I've been enjoying their annual fundraising breakfast for the past years, and I always pop into the kitchen to visit with the volunteers.  It's like greeting old friends!     Jimmy Hunter, flipping the hotcakes has been doing this for 45 years, while Dixie Harden mixes the pancake batter. The two sausage grillers – Dennis Bishop and Dale George - together have over 40 years at the grill. Jim Fuller and Dixie Lynn are always cooking the scrambled egg, assisted by Sandy Carrier cracking the eggs.  The ‘Pearl Divers’ - also known as dish washers - are such patient and steadfast workers, and this year at the sink were Louise and Marlene, assisted by newcomer and 8^th grader, Zack Todd.  Over 8 food servers (Wendy, Christy, Chantilly, Sierra, Kirsten, Kaylee, Michelle and Cindy) stand in line to fill platters with steaming food and race out to the dining tables.  Then there’s Patsy!  She is a ‘chief’ organizer and if you want to talk with her, it’s necessary to chase her around ‘cuz that gal’s always on the move!  By 10:30 when we left, they had gone through 50 dozen eggs, were opening their last few gallons of syrup, and had served over 341 meals.  A stunning hand-made quilt, sewn and donated by quilter Jerrie Bishop, was a major raffle prize and hung on display. Small towns have great traditions, and after 47 years, this one is a superb.  They'll serve nearly 500 breakfasts by the time the event is over, with the funds going to help maintain the IOOF hall during the next year. The sausage is provided by the Southfork Sausage Company, just down the road from Clearwater.  Good news...the White Bird Sausage Feed is just around the corner!  It's planned for March 14, so stay tuned for more news...pssst....we go to Clearwater to learn how the experts do it! 

Downtown White Bird - Changed

Historic Gas Station destroyed in recent fire demolished by community volunteers.

This downtown building has been in the Lee family for generations and the cinder block building was burned out completely on Jan 18, started from a wood stove.

Community spirit and helpfulness removed the unsafe building, block by block and demolished it entirely.

By the next day after the fire, Lonnie had received more food and household goods/clothing then he could’ve imagined.  This past week, more people than we can count helped remove the unsafe cinderblock building structure, and cleared the area, creating the now vacant lot.  People from nearby, and far away, lent equipment - big and small track hoes and dump trucks – provided gas and diesel at no charge, donated hours of labor - from the meticulous removal of each cinder block to scooping up salvageable materials to haul away for salvage – and hundreds of dollars in donations.  Every piece of scrap that could be sold for salvage was hauled away to Kamiah, with those monies used to cover cost for diesel and hydraulic fuel etc., to make the multiple drives. To list everyone who helped, from tiny to large contributions, of any kind, would take a full page, and then I’d probably still inadvertently leave someone out!  This has been a great community rally, and everyone’s efforts are sincerely appreciated.