Road Lessons/Day 14

A memento of Jim's year's with
Caterpillar

SalvationArmy/Kroc Community Center

This morning after breakfast Jim drove us over to the Kroc Center, built with an endowment, plus community commitments, by wife of MacDonald's founder Ray Kroc (sorry, can't remember her name now).  She donated millions to the Salvation Army to create a series of community/fitness centers around the country.  Communities that were vying for the centers had to raise a portion of the funds, $8 million in this case, and the remainder provided by the foundation: the building cost $32 million to build.  It is quite the impressive place and for $436/year(!) you too, can be a member...which Marlene is.  She really enjoys the pools and the water workouts.  The pools were really amazing. The fun pool actually has a river with a current, which is good for resistance training. There is a lap pool which is waveless the water is flush to the edge and has a drainage lip all the way around so other peoples waves do not affect you. There is a theatre and meeting accommodations, a room just for birthday parties, and separate day care facilities for different age kids.  Of course the workout areas contained all the best and newest equipment and they offered dance, pilates, and yoga classes.  Pretty impressive...good thing some of that MacDonald's money is going to help people work off their food!

View from the floating dock:
The resort headquarters on piers over the water

Next, Jim took us to the local hot spot and historic 100 year old establishment: Hudson's Hamburger's. Just like that classic SNL skit, they serve hamburgers, with cheese, onions and pickles. That's it.  No fries, chips or cole slaw...only burgers.
Just counter seating, this is a diner that operates like clockwork...one guy cooking and two staff taking orders and resupplying the cook, extremely efficient! The people were stacked 3 and 4 deep waiting for orders.  They did accommodate me, the vegetarian, by giving me a bun with cheese, pickles and onions.  What makes the burgers, are the toppings: ketchup, of course, spicy ketchup and spicy mustard...no yellow mustard or mayo, thank you very much!  Hudson's is right downtown Coeur d'Alene and after lunch we walked over to the Coeur d'Alene resort and took a walk on the floating dock that encompassed the entire marina.  You can climb the tower that leads to the bridge that allows for boats to exit the marina, and continue on to the rest of the boardwalk.

I liked this little 2 seater
called Cracker Jack

There is a Wooden Boat Show at the marina this weekend and they were starting to line up during our walk, lots of old Criss Crafts, which David loves.  There is also a show of Hydroplanes as well.
Evidently, there used to be hydroplane races on Lake Coeur d'Alene, until the late 60's, but the city put a stop to them because the crowds got too rowdy!  While we were at Hudson's, they brought in a man who, back in 1963 crashed his hydroplane and they thought he was not going to survive but he did.  The owner of the burger joint had asked for his uniform to display with his collection at the diner and had promised him a hamburger, and yesterday finally repaid that debt.  It made the front page of theCoeur d'Alene Press.

View of resort marina
on Lake Coeur d'Alene

We had a nice leisurely stroll around the dock and got back in the car and went back to the house, where we just relaxed and I caught up on this blog.
(I can't let more than a day go by, or I start to forget...oh, my age is showing!)

Jim and Marlene were heading out in their yellow and black Caterpillar golf cart, which I love, (old allegiances die hard, I guess...Jim was an executive at Caterpillar for many years) to play in an ongoing summer tradition: the Friday Night Fights.  Three couples team up and each couple alternates hitting the spouse's ball, and so they proceed down the course...hence the Friday Night Fights title.  It's all in fun, but Jim says now and again a couple gets a little too serious about the others playing. *~*

While Jim and Marlene were golfing, David and I took advantage of the invitation to use a friend's dock to have a swim in Hayden Lake.
Just a short walk and down the hill to the lake, we jumped into the cool, extremely clear water. The lake is fed by an aquifer and has no outlet, no streams, or rivers.  It is deep and crystal clear, and because the only public dock is not very regularly used, there are few boats on the lake.  Bing Crosby's old getaway is directly across from us, Jim later tells us, and it has been empty for years and sadly in disrepair.

Dock on Hayden Lake
Amazingly clear water!

The lake and it's surrounding pine covered hills and smattering of homes has a very European feel, it is just lovely.  We can see why they knew this was exactly where they wanted to retire.  They tell us that there are many California transplants here in this area, and we understand that too: this place has a definite California vibe to it.   The summer weather and environment feels a lot like central to northern California, and we understand the winters are not too harsh here as well.

After our refreshing dip in the lake, we went back up to the house to get ready for dinner.  But, not to disrupt a tradition, we had Grog at 5 on the terrace, with cheese and crackers set out for us by our fab hostess, Marlene.  Always thinking about her guests, this lady is!  Again I say, Martha Stewart could learn a thing or two!

At 6, we were instructed to meet the golfers at the Club for a buffet dinner on the deck over looking the lake.  We met their fellow team members and we all shared a table for another fabulous meal.  We had a couple of high roller real estate people, a retired Neuro-surgeon turned photographer, and his professional violin playing wife (She plays with the Coeur d'Alene Symphony). Quite the ensemble...which made for very interesting and lively conversation.  The buffet was excellent, with salad and dessert bars.  David is trying to get the recipe for the meatloaf it was so good!  After dinner, back at the house, we sat on the terrace with Jim and Marlene, with nice little snifters of lovely liqueurs, blankets, and more stories to tell as the light faded on the green.
 Do we really have to leave?

The view from the terrace

 We really are getting comfortable here.

Today's Quote and Lesson # 26 are the same:

Per Jim: "It is important to have something to
retire TO"

You, too, could retire to this:

Another terrace view