Boise, ID

To read previous post in this adventure, go to http://boise.onethousandthingstodo.com/2008/09/08/idaho-adventure-white-bird-to-spalding/

We left Spalding, having learned a great deal about the life of the Nez Perce, and how the Clearwater River came to be their life’s blood. If you’re ever in the area, plan on several hours to tour the museum and the grounds of the old Spalding mission. The Nez Perce artifacts alone in the museum are worth the effort.

We had made reservations to stay at a Super 8 motel, located on the outskirts of Lewiston. But a noisy truck stop across the street changed our minds.

On our way to the Super 8, I had noticed a Casino right off the freeway. With the girls consent, we decided to drive back. As I pulled off the freeway, I noticed a sign that read, Clearwater River Casino. As I pulled around the parking lot, we ran right into the hotel.

We were pleasantly surprised with its timber construction. A massive stone fireplace, greeted us as we came through the doors. The gals at the front desk were pleasant and conversed with us as we filled in the paperwork. The rooms were large, spacious and clean.

After an hours rest, we left our rooms and headed for the restaurant. The main hostess was rude to us and another couple, when we both declined tables situated in the hot afternoon sun and asked for ones in the shade. Our waitress however, was nice, and apologized for the other gal’s behavior. For the price, the lunch was only so, so.

Later on, we headed for the Casino, which was comparable in size to Cactus Pete’s in Jackpot. They also had a smoking and non-smoking Casino. My only complaint-the smoking side was double the size of the non-smoking area.

The machines on either side of the Casino were tight. Mom and I promptly dropped 40 bucks each without so much as a hit. My aunt, who opted for the smoking section, dropped 20 bucks.

Wanting to save our money for later that night, we headed to our rooms for a nap. An hour later, my aunt called me to let me know the person next to them had a barking dog. We called management and security, but all they did was tell the person to keep the dog quiet. There were no more rooms available. We knew the Casino had a no pet policy, so if you go, make sure you’re not parked next to a kennel! With little sleep, my mother and aunt decided to wait till morning to do their gambling.

The next morning, I awoke before the girls, so I hit the Casino. I dropped another 40 without any luck. Mom and my aunt also dropped more cash, with the same results. We left the Casino disappointed.

As I went up to cash in a paper ticket for my remaining $7.50, a man screaming, “This place sucks!,” pushed passed me to get to the cashier. He let everyone in the casino know his displeasure, but he wasn’t the only one. Before we got back to our rooms, we heard an earful from half a dozen other patrons about rude service and tight machines.

I suspect the dog in the room was a fluke. If nothing else, my hotel room was excellent and I had a great nights sleep. Management though, needs to get a grip on a few things that distract from such a beautiful place. Besides a less than adequate restaurant experience, they need to loosen up the machines a bit, to keep their patrons coming back.

To be continued . . .