We were thrilled to be included in this Our Americana podcast. We’ve conducted many interviews over the phone and in person before film and camera crews but this was our first via Skype phone. The interviewer, Josh Hallmark, skillfully organized my rambling dialogue into a story worth sharing. It was delightful to talk about the broader aspects of being a modern-day roadside attraction with connections to those of yesteryear. We also discuss why we think our giant dog in Idaho is appealing to visitors, and, as creators of Dog Bark Park, what Dennis & I find appealing about our visitors and guests. 
Idaho Rodeos
We live in rodeo country here in north central Idaho where cattle and horses are abundant; which means cowboys & cowgirls are plentiful as well. Which means rodeo is a favorite pastime for many residents and visitors that come here in the spring, summer & fall. In fact there are seven rodeos to choose from this year within a hour’s drive of Dog Bark Park.
For details & dates about the rodeos click here. (Information is from visitnorthcentralidaho.org.)
Endurance and Determination
Late on a warm afternoon last week an inspiring couple bicycled into our parking lot at Dog Bark Park saying we had been their destination since May.
Feeling rested & ready for the day's ride to Lewiston, Idaho
Meet Kris and Alison from London who are on a cross-country biycle trip from New York City to Seattle. They have been on the road since May 20th and expect to arrive in Seattle in a few days. Many transcontinental cyclists will begin on the West Coast and end on the East Coast to take advantage of tail winds. Not these guys! They have been battling head winds most of their excursion making them very strong & resilient pedalers for sure!
When we met them they had come from Riggins, Idaho on the Salmon River to Cottonwood, an elevation change of apx 2400 feet with scorching heat & strong unfavorable winds. Not knowing the exact date they might arrive, the couple had not made advance reservations. Luck of all luck was in their favor for the only day available in weeks was the day of their arrival!! After a hard day’s ride, sore muscles and not many hot showers along the way, one can believe there were two distinct rings in the bathtub after a couple of long hot soaks that night!
We had a great visit learning about their trip & lives in England. Both Alison & Kris said one of the best parts of their journey was meeting wonderful, generous & gracious people all across the country.
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- Posing with the giant puppies
Keep on pedaling & keep on barking” is the motto of encouragement we thought we heard as they pedaled away from the big beagles with a nice breeze at their backs!
Big dog travels to pages of Playboy Mexico
We didn’t quite know what to expect when the editors of Playboy Mexico Magazine contacted us a few months ago seeking images for an article in their architecture section of the magazine.
Sweet Willy looking proud
The finished article with photos turned out so nice. Click on the link above or here to view.
It’s always fun to see where Sweet Willy will appear next!
Bookings are coming in at a faster pace than previous years. June is now completely booked! Still have dates in July, Aug and beyond.
Spring-time near Cottonwood, Idaho
Camas Prairie Idaho in spring
Yesterday was the perfect Spring evening as Dennis & I drove home to Grangeville from a long day at Dog Bark Park. Midway through our 15 mile commute is a stretch of old apple trees growing along what is now a vacated railroad line.
I’ve always admired these hardy scraggly trees & have picked their small fruit on occassion. It is my hunch that the trees were probably accidentally established long ago by railroad workers or passengers discarding the cores of apples brought with them on the train. And it is also my hunch that some of these trees have survived these many years simply because the adjoining land has not been altered for just as many years.
And it is my hope the trees will live out their natural lives for many many more decades to come. I enjoy thinking about the lives of those early day train travelers between Grangeville & Lewiston Idaho. The trip took most of a day, while now by car the same distance can be travelled in just over an hour! Much of the today’s scenery is the same as when the passenger train ran, with large grain fields rimmed by forested mountains & miles without seeing many or any houses.
Sunset looking towards Grangeville, Idaho
The abandoned railbed, with tracks & ties removed between Grangeville & Cottonwood, makes a nice corridor for mountain biking, ATV riding or walking. During harvest season (mid-August into Sept) some sections of the railbed are used by grain trucks hauling wheat or canola to the storage elevators at Fenn, Idaho.
Stay tuned for more tree photos & report next fall about the 2009 apple crop!
Bonus Gifts w/our Earth Day Special Promotion
News Flash – Earth Day Celebration Package (offer expires 5/31/09)
Receive bonus gifts with our Dog Bark Park Inn B&B Celebrate Our Earth reservation package. We’ve partnered with the publishers of Organic Gardening Magazine and forty-nine other bed & breakfast inns to promote the benefits and pleasures of careful living on this one Earth of ours.
Celebrate Our Earth package details:
Celebrate Our Earth at Dog Bark Park Inn B&B with deck-side views of prairie grain fields rimmed by majestic mountains. After dark, feast your eyes on a lush star garden overhead.
Celebrate Our Earth package includes these free Celebrate Earth’s Harvests gifts:
. One-year subscription to Organic Gardening Magazine (6 issues).
. A large luscious silky bar of locally crafted Sleeping Bear soap.
. 3 cups of our healthful Prairie’s Best Fruited Granola in a
decorative glass cereal bowl.
. One-dozen freshly baked Rhubarb Buttermilk muffins.
To qualify for this package: Book a date between now & May 31, 2009 to stay at Dog Bark Park Inn B&B anytime during our 2009 season. Be sure to mention this Earth Day Special.
For reservations or additional information:
Please phone us 208 962-3647.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Early Summer is Spectacular
