schweitzer
1/24
At long last, Cindy and Sam will spend a weekend in Idaho to celebrate their 3rd anniversary of dating. They have planned a weekend getaway doing one of their favorite activities: skiing. Over three years ago, they stood on Cindy’s balcony in Capitol Hill, having nearly just met, discovering that they were both enthralled by the opportunity to ski in the PNW in the winter. Fast forward three years of exploring every nook and cranny of the PNW mountains, their dreams are about to be realized at Schweitzer mountain in Idaho.
Friday around 4pm, they begin their journey into the unknown east. Their spirits are high as they each have two personal Spindrifts. Sam begins behind the wheel, swiftly taking off to Idaho. He dons his new and very cool sunglasses. Cindy sits anxiously in the passenger seat, so that she can work. To Sam’s surprise, she does not do any work. Instead, only talks about work and plays with her gloves.
The ride is quite smooth. They listen to the season 2 severance podcast, which Sam thoroughly enjoys. They also find the land flattening and gas prices descending. So far the east is bountiful, albeit dark. Cindy finds the cheapest gas in the land, at which point Sam thinks he only has a short remaining drive to Spokane. Somehow, Spokane is still 2 hours away. The drive coincides with Michelle’s phone call to Cindy and Sam, where they learn much about the mysterious basketball boy she flew across the country to visit. Eventually, they reach Spokane. Cindy has long-awaited the city of Spokane and spoken of it numerous times. On the drive in, they observe an intriguing light-up building in the center of the city. They eat dinner at a Mediterranean place called Baba Spokane. They do a 3 for $33 course meal. It is delicious, and they have yet again eaten too much. Back on the road, Cindy braves the wheel for one hour and brings the pair safely to Fairbridge Inn, home for the next two nights. During their late-night check in, they are welcomed to the Fairbridge Inn (and Idaho) by Brenda - a hilariously quirky woman who warns us of her ex-husband living in Seattle. Sam strikes up a lighthearted conversation with Brenda. After check-in, Sam walks away and exclaims “What a sweetheart!”. Cindy’s heart swells for Sam because he is such a kind soul. They settle in their room, use some marijuana, and take a stroll around the hotel to appreciate the custom Idaho artwork.
Afterwards, they settle in bed in their log-themed hotel room and end the night with many rounds of Big Boggle. Cindy wins all but Sam wins one.
1/25
Cindy and Sam rise at 8:30am. Sam is like a brave warrior because he wanders down to breakfast alone and retrieves a hot coffee for Cindy. Cindy is eternally grateful and admires her generous boyfriend. They package up their Hey Bagel and drive over to the shuttle bus. The shuttle bus is convenient and soon enough, they are plopped at the ski lift. They aren’t prepared for what Schweitzer has in store.
At the top of the lift, they are ambushed with 360° views of the mountainous region surrounding. Amidst the mountains are breathtaking views of lakes and rivers that weave through the valleys. Clouds are sparsely dispersed and appear to be resting on a glass surface that suspends them midway between the mountain peaks and lake surface. Cindy and Sam are in awe at how beautiful it is and take numerous photos.
After they fawn over the view, they begin to ski. Like the views, the skiing also surpasses their wildest expectations. The snow is chalky and abundant, but not so much so as to trip Cindy up. It is easy to grip and carve, making for fun skiing. They discover Schweitzer to have a very fun layout and spend the day exploring different areas of the mountain and pursuing trees to ski through. It is truly a delightful day and the skiing is extremely fun.
At the end of the day, they reward themselves with hot cocoa from the lodge. Sam opts to make a mocha. They sip their hot cocoa and call it a day. Cindy looks very cute and pleased with her day as she sips.
Back at their lodging, they shower and are eager to hit the town. As the trend continues, they are shockingly pleased by the quaint downtown area. They meander through various shops and discover that Sandpoint has much to offer in terms of merchandise and town lore. They learn of the competing bridge drama of the 1800s and even get to walk on the bridges. They discover an amazing second hand store where Cindy finally scores a rain coat! Everyone is cheery.
Naturally, thoughts veer towards the prospect of dinner. The couple makes their way to McDuff’s. It’s a revered eatery located in an ancient post office that has been refurbished into a cozy brewery. Sam has ordered a pumpkin beer and philly cheese steak, and Cindy orders a huckleberry concoction and a cubano. As usual, Cindy orders something delicious and Sam drools over Cindy’s meal as he reluctantly eats his own sandwich. After dinner, they use marijuana again, and they make their way to the ice cream shop they walked past earlier. The shop workers are friendly and offer numerous samples. Much to their delight, it is scrumptious and they get to eat a hot waffle cone that they cannot stop raving about.
Back in their hotel room, they settle in by playing some Big Boggle, doing the crossword, and watching TV. They are extremely amused by the advertising of the travel connect four Cindy gifted Sam for Christmas. It is clearly off brand and very inspiring.
1/26
It’s sad but today Sam and Cindy pack their bags to leave their new home. They realize they did not use the hot tub, but had too much of a fun time anyways. They treat themselves to a drive to the mountain rather than the shuttle, and make their way down to the creekside parking lot. After a short hike to the lift, Sam and Cindy begin their final day of skiing Schweitzer. They immediately discover a new ski lift hidden inside of an old barn, and are wowed by the creativity of such a structure. They return to their favorite lift of the mountain, and spend the morning doing 8 enjoyable ski runs, including another go at the T-bar. During their day Cindy asks Sam if her skiing has improved, to which Sam replies “it’s the same. Have you been trying to improve?” This is a disturbing reality check for Cindy, as she is reminded that doing the same thing over and over again doesn’t mean she will passively improve. It reminds her of how she played chess a bunch but her chess score stayed the same because she wasn’t trying anything new. She makes a note to be more intentional with her everyday happenings and watches videos on how to ski better at home. They call it quits at 1PM and begin their drive back to Seattle with Sam at the helm of the car.
The two grow quickly hungry and decide to grab a bite to eat in the famous Ceour d’Aleine. They arrive at a sports bar, which seems to be playing a very important football game. The restaurant is packed with people, American culture, and food. Cindy orders a very intriguing taco salad and a grapefruit fizz, while Sam opts for the pastrami sandwich and a beer. Their food quickly arrives, all except Cindy’s coveted grapefruit fizz. After a bit too long of eating and enjoying their food, Cindy’s grapefruit fizz is made by the waitress and given to its rightful owner. It is deliciously refreshing with the perfect amount of jalapeno-induced spice. They depart the restaurant and hit the road again.
Somewhere along the way day turns to night, Cindy takes the helm, and the two return safely to Seattle. Sam is left struck with gratitude and excitement due to how fun this trip was, how much he loves spending time with Cindy, and how amazing it is to be with her for three years. He looks forward to many more. Cindy spends much time thinking of her next meal but thoughts of how wondrous life also flitter through her mind.