Day Four. Took off from Bonners Ferry this morning from the worst Best Western I have been in. Avoid the Best Western unless you want to be treated with mediocrity.
We left around 6am with the plan to stop off in Quincy to see long time friends Mike and Ruth in Quincy, Washington. Mike was not only a good friend, but later on he hired me for my first job as an instructor, which was key to putting Adventure IQ on the map.
We opted out of boing US 2 so we could make good time. As luck would have it, 30 miles from Spokane Interstate 90 was shut down. We detoured over to US 2 anyway.
Mike is now a pastor and I enjoy not only our frequent trips down Memory Lane, which always seem to get better, but also our spiritual discussions. Mike has been a bigger influence than he knows and Ruth has always provided insight for me.
As a young instructor, Mike showed me the ropes and guided me around obstacles that could have derailed me. He also gave me the freedom to explore and learn. I owe him a debt of gratitude for giving me a shot to be where I am today.
After a great lunch, good conversation, and Ruth’s apple pie, we headed down US 2 towards Lopez Island….6 hours away. Knowing we were not going to make that far, the plan was to get an hour or two outside of Quincy to make the drive on Monday easier.
We found a spot in the hardly populated NFS Thousand Springs Campground, about 90 minutes from Quincy. After paying our fee and setting up tents, we realized why there were so few residents. The place was overrun with mosquitos. There are enough of these pest to start another malaria epidemic. Using my last check, I bought three bundles of wood. I figured between the smoke and the cans of bug spray, I could protect Clan Anderson from any assault. I was wrong, they were persistent in their attacks.
Still, Melissa fixed a great meal and we spent the evening playing drums together and a few rounds of Zombie Dice.
In the morning we are waking early to hit the road to make the ferry to Lopez Island. A bit nervous since I have no idea where it is and need to be there by 1230.
Adventure IQ 