They say the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This isn’t always the case with Model A road trips. Sometimes short and straight is not what we want. Sometimes longer routes and curvy roads are better. That’s why we choose backroads over interstates and that’s why our journey from Coeur d’Alene to Kalispell was so beautiful. Tour leader Bob Krause described it this way in the USCAN’s travel guide.
“I haven’t chosen the shortest route to Kalispell today (205 miles), as that would have entailed just jumping on US 90 for a significant portion of the drive. That’s no fun! So, instead we’ll be traveling the secondary highways to Kalispell.”
The alternate route did not disappoint. We enjoyed mountains, forests, lakes, landscapes, and charming communities. Here are a few videos captured by the GoPro mounted to our Model A windows.
Here the camera was mounted to the back window. It captured the Johnson’s Model A traveling behind us as we were driving along US 2.
Note the engine and road sounds. This is all part of the Model A Road Trip experience and another difference between a typical road trip in a modern car. When taking a road trip in a modern car, you generally have your windows rolled up and your radio on. This is not true with a Model A when your windows are rolled down and you experience fresh air and the sounds of the road.
This is what we saw along a mountain pass in Idaho.
The other great thing about Model A backroad travel that you don’t experience on the interstate is the assorted small communities along the way. While driving from Coeur d’Alene to Kalispell, we passed dozens of different communities. Sights of school buses, diners, farms, flowers, and homes seemed to define each small town we passed. Each one had a spirit of community and patriotism. US flags were everywhere. Here’s a video that captured a giant flag which hung on a flag pole at Happy’s Inn between Libby and Kalispell.
I found an interesting article about the giant Happy’s Inn flag. Check it out here:
https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2024/jul/04/happy-to-be-an-american/
Once we reached Kalispell, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Thursday morning, we crossed the border in route to our next destination: Radium Hot Springs.
Model A Touring Club 