Postcard - Lewiston, Idaho/Clarkston, Washington

"Straddling the Snake River and the Idaho-Washington line at the junction with the Clearwater R., Lewiston and Clarkston (beyond) are at the head of a 464 mile slackwater route to the Pacific via a $1 billion series of dams and locks on the Snake and Columbia Rivers. New grain terminals (lower center), marinas, parks, and shipping facilties are utilizing this new lake behind Lower Granite Dam 33 miles down river. The pool level is backed up the Snake R. to Asotin, Wa., (upper left). The famous annual Lewiston Roundup rodeo grounds are at the bottom of picture. Sinuous dikes line the shores."

This postcard might date as late as the early 1980s. Certainly no later than 1983. When I lived in nearby Pullman three decades ago I would visit Lewiston/Clarkston and came to regard them as the Inland Empire version of Aberdeen/Hoquiam. Televised Lewiston ads for trucks made sure to let potential customers know a free rifle would be included as a bonus with the purchase of a vehicle. I'm not kidding.  Lewiston TV in the early 1980s was a weird trip. 

One time I was a passenger on a small plane leaving from Lewiston. A live chicken was stored behind my head. As we hit turbulence over the Tri-Cities and we all thought we were going to die, the chicken was freaking out. All I could think of was, "Great. I'm biting the Big One. But do I have to do this with a chicken?"

On the other hand, Lewiston had great newspaper, with a wonderful local columnist back then. And the surrounding scenery is amazing.

The Lewiston Grade, a truly terrifying drive in the winter, complete with runaway truck ramps, is the main entrance from the north via Washington State. One time almost 30 years ago I stopped on this grade and got into a conversation with a retired mobile home tourist who exclaimed with gusto "Hot Doggies!" over something. The term stuck and I have used it ever since.