To walk off some calories, we strolled through Kamiah’s Main Street, challenging each other to see who could find the most public art pieces. The sheer number of paintings, sculptures and architecture we located indicated how rich the area was in history.
A natural progression led us to the “Heart of the Monster” in the Nez Perce National Historic Park. Through interpretive signs and an audio program we discovered this rock formation represents the legendary birthplace of the Nez Perce tribe. After a walk along the nature trail at Riverfront Park, we decided to call it a day.
In the car, I rifled through the glove box and unearthed a travel guide for Idaho.
“Did you know the Nez Perce National Historic Park covers hundreds of miles in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington?” I asked Bob.
He didn’t, but we both hoped we’d run into some of the other sites down the road.
The sun was low in the sky, so we decided it was time to find a place to stay the night. River Dance Lodge was perfect for our needs. After settling in, we headed over to their Syringa Café for a much-needed meal. We paired our entrees with a bottle of Idaho wine, Colter’s Creek Pinot Noir Rosé. But I don’t think that was why we saw the moose swimming across the river outside our window. Our server said we might also catch glimpses of deer, elk, turkey and mountain goats during our stay.
When we heard about all the activities offered at the lodge—horseback riding, river rafting, mountain biking—we booked a second night, so we could explore this scenic backcountry a bit more.
In between burning calories hiking, biking and boating, we took a side trip to the Historic Museum at St. Gertrude in Cottonwood, Idaho. There we marveled at the Nez Perce artifacts on display including a beaded cradleboard and a few pairs of moccasins. But the old-time medical instruments, especially the tonsillectomy chair, made us appreciate modern medicine so much more.
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