I’m writing this while Teresa and I are on our annual family vacation. Last year we rented a home on the water at Walloon Lake, Michigan. This year we did the same at Lake Pend Oreille, Sandpoint, Idaho.
The home is at 263 Buck Run if you want to see what it looks like online. With Airbnbs, you never know exactly what to expect, but this one turned out to be a good choice in spite of the train noise, or perhaps because of it.
Loud Trains: Like the scene in My Cousin Vinny where a train startles Vinny awake in the middle of the night, Sandpoint has its own cacophony of trains. On our first night, at 12:08 AM, a close-by rumbling train blared its very loud horn, waking me with a start from a very deep sleep. I learned the next day that Sandpoint sees about 40-50 trains pass through day and night. Initially, I was concerned, thinking we made a mistake choosing a train-plagued rental. Surprisingly, by day three, we all agreed that the sound of trains added to the character of the place. It turns out that Sandpoint is a cargo railway hub, has the only Amtrak station in Idaho, and attracts train enthusiasts from around the world.
Pour Over: A dear friend, Bruce, invited me and Teresa to have coffee at Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, the local favorite. He is spending most of the summer up here. I had my first Pour Over coffee, a caffeine jolt to the extreme (too much for me). Bruce and I reminisced about our days riding motorcycles across the country with our dear, now departed friend, Tex Earnhardt. We also talked about our next chapters, what we haven’t yet done, what we still intend to do, and who we want to be when we grow up.
Small Moments: This vacation has been a reminder that a big life can be defined by what seemed like small moments. A 12:08am train whistle. Winning $50 from my son, Corey, on a clutch putt on the final hole at Cour d’Alene golf course. Laughing till I cried getting outplayed in a late-night trivia game by my 13 and 11-year-old granddaughters, Emma and Berkley. In awe of my daughter-in-law paddle-boarding like an Olympian with my grandson on her lap. Being humbled at Jason’s (my nephew) brilliant wife, Sara, who took the prize at Password. Getting Emma up on skis for her first time.
Those are among the experiences I’m having and the stories I’ll tell. They will define the most memorable times in my life. That’s what I learned on Family Vacation.
