I had a very relaxed time cycling with the Spokumbent group while staying with friends Robin and Chris. I had talked to Robin and Chris about my trike tour plans for next summer. So far, the route to Wenatchee, Washington from the SoCal desert is terrific. Part of my plans for next summer's tour is to return to the Spokumbent Retreat and then continue riding to Tater TOT. The distance between Wenatchee and Kellogg, ID is 265 miles. There is just enough time to cycle between the 2 events and be relaxed. I talked to Robin about route ideas, and she suggested driving Hwy 2 from Wenatchee toward Spokane to see if it would be safe. I was thrilled to see Hwy 2 is an excellent road for cycling with a wide shoulder. Interestingly, when I put cycling directions into Google Maps, a completely different route comes up. I'll have to look closer at this other route to ensure all the roads are paved before altering my plans.
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| Google Maps suggested cycling route from Wenatchee, WA to Kellogg, ID |
As the Spokumbent Retreat was winding down, my thoughts turned to where to go for the following week. There was a week between the Spokumbent Retreat and Tater TOT and the 2 events aren't far apart. I learned there were others at Spokumbent in the same predicament. They had made plans to ride the trails around Spokane, Washington while camped in RVs at the local KOA. This sounded like a splendid idea and I decided to join in the fun.
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| Monster wagon at a Spokane park |
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| Triker gang parked on a bridge |
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| Paula's reflective sunglasses |
I drove my trailer into Spokane and met up with 3 other RVers who were also on their way to Tater TOT. We spent 3 nights there and rode the local trails. The weather was perfect and the bike paths are very nice. On one of our rides, we met up with Herb, a local Spokane triker who was also at the Spokumbent Rally. He lead the group on a terrific ride all through Spokane and even picked out a nice restaurant we could stop at. We discovered there is wonderful cycling in Spokane.
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| Gathering at the KOA |
From Spokane, I had a reservation to park at a Harvest Hosts alpaca farm and spend the night. The owner took me on a nice tour, and I bought a wool hat to keep me warm while touring. The alpacas were beautiful. The farm was actually very close to the KOA I had stayed at, and I could hear the same trains rumbling past.
I headed to Kellogg, Idaho, to attend the Tater TOT Rally. I didn't take the direct route on I-90 but backtracked on Hwy 2 to Reardon to continue checking out the cycling route for next summer's trike tour. I used Google Maps to plot a route from Reardon to Cheney into Plummer. From Plummer I can pick up the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes to Kellogg. There were a couple of turns that I bypassed because the roads weren't paved, but the route is beautiful and very lightly traveled. I have to say, so far, the cycling route I'm making plans to ride next summer is terrific and I'm getting excited.
Once I made it to Plummer, I was able to get on I90 for the quick drive to Kellogg where I had a reservation for 8 nights at the Crystal Gold Mine RV park. Even though I was arriving a few days early, there were already lots of trikers attending Tater TOT set up in their RVs.
This year's Tater TOT was very special. The weather was perfect and the event felt energized. There were more than 150 trikers which is more than I've ever seen at any event. Tater TOT is an event that has always prided itself on being unorganized. For many years, the Fairbridge Hotel has been the headquarters for TOT. One thing necessary to keep TOT going year-to-year is negotiating a price for a block of rooms and then notifying everyone of the dates. 2 years ago, many of the regular attendees boycotted the hotel because the prices went up. With trikers scattered in other hotels and AirBnBs, the event started to feel like it was falling apart. Attendance had also suffered greatly due to Covid. Even before Covid, Tater TOT had become a time when people got together to ride with friends rather than be part of the larger group. It had become cliquish. Because there was next to no organization, new people tended to feel left out. I would argue they were left out.
A year ago, Janet Buckwalter of Stein Trikes decided to take a leadership role. She did a fantastic job and brought much-needed organization and attention to the event. She went, in person, to the Fairbridge hotel management to negotiate a price for a block of rooms. Then, she communicated clearly and regularly through emails and Facebook posts whenever there was new information. She followed up on any suggestions as well as answered all questions to make Tater TOT more successful. This was like a shot of adrenaline in the arm for the event. I think everyone had a really good time. There aren't many triking events and I am thrilled that Tater TOT is growing again. Janet has also accepted the organizational role for next year again. The dates for 2025 are June 22 - 26. You can find more info or ask questions on the Facebook Page for TOT.
My Tater TOT wasn't the best because I got sick with the flu. It wasn't Covid or food poisoning. No one else got sick, so I don't really know what happened. I rarely get sick which made this quite surprising. I was able to ride for the first 2 days, and then I was down for the next 2. I did a lovely ride with a group that stayed an extra day. I'm already looking forward to being there next year. Since I'm expecting to be touring next year, I'll be staying in the hotel instead of my RV.
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| Ivy puppy |
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| Friends Barb and Patty at the Center of the Universe |
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| Happy drone flying |
My current predicament is where to go next after Tater TOT. I want to continue exploring a touring route for next summer's trike ride. My big question, at the moment, is ... do I want to stay in the US for the tour or should I cross into Canada? Stay tuned.....
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