Including the ones who offered to take my picture (several different people, different times). This is on the Centennial Trail - a paved, off-road bike path - between Spokane and the Idaho border. The trail follows the Spokane River for most of that way (crossing over it now & then).
It was the 4th of July, and I have to be honest: I was slightly nervous about spending that day in this part of the country: Coeur d'Alene happens to be the headquarters of the Aryan Nation. Not exactly my kind of people. I think that specific group might be defunct, but I read an article recently about the re-emergence of armed militia groups in the area - their locations pretty much mapping out as the route of my ride... which is very creepy. I feel safe enough to move through, but I know that a lot of the people I love might *not be* safe in these parts. It's very strange to be on vacation in the middle of this. (Well, so was being a tourist in Colombia in 1990...)
Despite knowing the nasty hidden side of things, I'm personally finding that people are super friendly, give me & my bike plenty of room on the road, and so far I'm having a great time.
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