Mar 032013
 

It has been exactly one week to the day that we have returned home from our wonderful trip to McCall, Idaho.  After hours of sorting photos and layout design I am happy to begin sharing our story with you!

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On the drive to McCall I had a lot of time to think (about nine hours!) about how I will present our trip to you here on J5MM.  In the beginning I thought one post would be perfect as I usually do — but on the drive back I realized that my story covering McCall would need more than one post.  We met some pretty incredible people on this trip and made forever friends, we dined at some fantastic restaurants and experienced outdoor adventures I never knew existed.

But first I would like to share with you some photography from our road trip to McCall and our final destination being at McCall RV Resort and Northfork lodge where our Airstream camp would be for the next seven days.

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A beautiful scenic lookout in Lewiston, Idaho.

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The views were nothing short of amazing here in Idaho.  It was my first time visiting this beautiful state and I know for sure I want to come back and explore even more.

Another stop we took was to stretch our legs along the Salmon River.  I will let the pictures speak the words here — just stunning!  The banks along the Salmon river are cloaked in white sand.  I have never seen a river with white sand  — oceans yes — rivers?  No.  Absolutely incredible and beautiful!!

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We finally hit some (melted) snow on the roads approaching McCall.  Speaking of the roads here in Idaho, they are smooth as butter!  We could hardly tell we had the Airstream behind us once we hit the border.  That was very refreshing !

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Nine hours and 470 miles later, we made it to our final destination.  Hubby and I both agreed next time we would break the trip in two as traveling that many miles in one day is a lot of road to cover.  But since I work in Corporate America and don’t have a lot of vacation time —  time is always of the essence during our trips — for this trip, it was especially necessary.  We had a lot planned — every day was filled with activities so it was absolutely necessary that we arrived Saturday evening as Sunday morning our vacation in McCall officially began.

When we checked into McCall RV Resort we were greeted with smiling faces from Carrie and Dwight who were at the front desk.  They got us up to speed on the runnings of the resort and where to find what.  Also Carrie was generous enough to offer up her big book of dining suggestions for us, full of tips on some of the best places to go and eat.  I was happy to spot on that list the places we already had reservations for (it was at that moment I knew we would be eating well!).

When we were ready to head back to the Airstream to find our spot (G4, by the way) Dwight hopped into his golf cart and guided us to our spot helping us hook up!  I would also like to say how WONDERFUL it was to have our propane tanks re-filled by the staff at McCall RV resort.  That was such a nice perk since it really is a pain to take the tanks off, haul them to a gas station to get them refilled and then drive them back in the frigid cold weather to re-hook them up.  So yes, what a nice surprise that was!!!

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That evening after we settled in, I heated up some of the best mac and cheese we ever had that I brought along on our trip from the Seattle based:  Skillet (story to come soon!)  Skillet definitely made my life easier (and more delicious) whipping up dinner when we arrived as I was pretty drained from our trip.  Hubby declared it was the best he ever had.  I will admit.  It was pretty amazing stuff.  I added sliced cherry tomatoes to mine — the boys had theirs sans tomatoes.

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The next morning we enjoyed some chocolate croissants, sugar bruleed grapefruit and some espresso topped with sweetened condensed milk (my latest obsession).  A yummy (and easy) way to start our day!  While the boys headed up to Brundage Mountain for some skiing, Oliver and I were very much looking forward to exploring our surroundings here at McCall RV Resort and Northfork Lodge.  I understood there was an indoor pool, hot tub, workout facility and steam room too.  I knew the laundry facilities would be a great help on our trip too (lots of ski clothes!).

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Oliver did really well on our trip.  I think he enjoys staying in the Airstream with us more than at home — something about the cozy close quarters makes him happy I sense (probably gives him comfort to be able to see his wolf-pack whereabouts at all times).  I am also happy to report the peace of mind all of us had during this trip using the Tagg Pet Tracker GPS attachment that hooks onto Oliver’s collar.  Should he had gotten lost (Heaven forbid!), using my android (or iphone) app,  I would have been able to find him via gps tracking.  I look forward to sharing with you in more detail the benefits of this device — ESPECIALLY when traveling since you may end up in uncharted territory with your furry family members.  The peace of mind one receives while traveling using this device is priceless.  I could not have imagined taking this trip without Oliver’s Tagg.

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And so begins the exploration of McCall RV Resort and the STUNNING Northfork Lodge.  When you enter the main lodge, you are greeted with this cozy view.  Off to the right of this room is a reading lounge where you may borrow books, games and purchase some items for your RV should you need them.  There is also a yummy ice cream cooler, fyi!  Oh and if you need a bag of ice — McCall RV Resort has you covered there too.

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The majestic grand room where events are held from weddings to business meetings and celebrations alike.  This was where B worked on a project for school during our stay.  Very comfortable for that!

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Now comes the fun part — the POOL !!  Every night it was here that we met so many locals from McCall who come here regularly to swim and enjoy the facilities.  What a wonderful place to relax after a day on the slopes and let the kids play and enjoy each others company while making new friends.  The showers here are free for guests and the restrooms are open 24/7.  Everything here from the pool, hot tub and shower facilities are meticulously maintained which gave us a great feeling.

I took these pictures early morning as the sun was streaming in through the windows.  My camera lens kind of fogged up from coming in from the cold (-8 this particular morning) and into the warm — but I am still pretty happy with the shots that I share with you.

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Our seven day stay at McCall RV Resort is one we will never forget and hope to come back and experience in the summertime (everyone has been telling us to do this!).  We hear there is amazing fishing in Idaho as well as other summertime activities that we do hope to explore.

Thank you McCall RV Resort for your wonderful hospitality!  You have come highly recommended by many people in the community and it’s no wonder!  From your spacious RV spots (some even along the river in summer), full hookups, generous amenities, friendly and ever so helpful staff made our stay at McCall RV Resort one of the best experiences ever.  Thank you!!!

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McCall Trip Roundup:

Part 1: Arriving ♥
Part 2: McCall Town Guide ♥
Part 3: Skiing Brundage Mountain and Apres-Ski at the Shore Lodge ♥
Part 4: A Snowmobile Adventure to the Burgdorf Hot Springs and Beyond ♥
Part 5: A Day at Tamarack Resort ♥
Part 6: Apres-Ski at Rupert’s in Historic Hotel McCall ♥
Part 7: A Culinary Adventure in the Forest ♥
Part 8:  Brundage Cat Skiing Adventures & Apres-Ski at the Pancake House ♥

  10 Responses to “{ McCall, ID } Part 1: Arriving ♥”

  1. Saw you leaving McCall in your Airstream. Hope your travels home were safe and pleasant.

  2. Nice to see Rupert’s on your map! Can’t wait to read more – keep posting!!

    • Yes and I had the utmost honor to meet Chef Gary Kucy — the man not only has an amazing culinary mind but he is so down to earth and one of the nicest people I have met!

  3. Wow, you make me want to buy and Airstream and head straight for McCall. This was a great post, you are really talented.

  4. I absolutely loved this post! I like how you have broken down your trip and given ideas as to what is in store. That lodge is simply rustic and charming. Looking forward to more!!!!

  5. I so want to take off immediately for McCall. What a wonderful post and I am looking forward to all the rest about McCall.

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