Clearwater Historical Museum

For all there is to know about the Clearwater River area in northern Idaho, come through these doors. The Clearwater Historical Museum, in Orofino, focuses on the Nez Perce tribe, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, gold mining, early homesteading, farming and logging. The stories are told through artifacts, exhibits, photos, tools and old newspapers. See the stamp mill and collections of antique guns and fine china. Take a look at memorabilia from the Helgeson Hotel, which opened for business in 1924. Back then, rooms were a dollar a day and you could feast on a T-bone steak with all the fixings for even less. The Clearwater River is a bonanza for anglers, who have been known to reel in steelhead trout weighing in at more than 20 pounds. If you’re visiting in late fall, the Chinook salmon will be plentiful as well. The Dworshak National Fish Hatchery is well worth a visit. And there’s skiing and snowmobiling nearby.