The Hiawatha Trail

Asking around, what to do in the Spokane area, everyone said the Hiawatha Trail.  It's an old train route that has been turned into a bike trail. You go through 10 tunnels and over 7 trestles.  It's 15 miles of beauty.  And therefore, picture overload!

This is the first tunnel, Taft Tunnel.  It is 1.7 miles long.  Its dark, damp and cold, but really neat.  You cross the Idaho/Montana boarder.  This is the state line.  Isabelle did not like the tunnel at all, she cried through most of it. We should have had her start in the trailer.


The view from inside.

You come out to this

And a view behind. Isabelle still not amused.  So we switched her and Michael and all was happy and well.


Throughout the trail there are signs to stop and read and look at the gorgeous scenery.

Isabelle kept Luke happy.

The whole crew, minus Luke who fell asleep in the trailer.  We went with our good friends, the Kelloggs.  They are avid mountain bikers. And when I say avid, I mean insane.  Excellent bike shape...us not so much. Lucky for us, it's downhill slightly.  They were so nice to ease it up for us.

We stopped for a picnic lunch and gave Michael a turn in the trailer. After lunch both boys were out cold.


At the bottom of the trail, there is a shuttle, aka an old school bus, that takes you on a dirt road back to your car (close to our campsite)  There were chipmunks everywhere and the kids had a blast chasing them.



Isabelle is obsessed with school buses.  This is her first time riding one.  She was all giggles and squeals!  It was adorable!



Of course we had to sing "The Wheels on the Bus" to keep the kids entertained for the 20ish minute ride back up.  Kevin rode his bike back up and beat the bus.


Once we got off the bus, we rode back through the long 1.7 mile tunnel and down the hill to our campsite.  That last time getting on my bike my bum was definitely not happy. :)  Mike and Kevin's lights went out a few yards into the long tunnel.  What were the chances both would go out?   Julie and Conor were way up ahead and I was somewhere in the middle alone.  Luckily they both had given flashlights to the kids to play with in the tunnel.  They put them to good use to get themselves through.

It was so much fun!  Definitely something we will do again!