Megaload=Disneyland Castle?

Parked between the Clearwater River and U.S. Highway 12 at Kooskia, Idaho, on Thursday, the first megaload of a ConocoPhillips half-drum awaits the next leg of its journey to Billings.

KOOSKIA, Idaho – Huckleberry sourdough pancakes, cigarettes and bulbs for strobe lights are among the purchases megaload crew members are making as the oversized cargo rolls through Idaho.

Kooskia was bustling on Thursday, just after the arrival of half a coke drum bound for a ConocoPhillips refinery in Billings. The first four days of a three-week journey are on U.S. Highway 12.

“The megaload is our Disneyland castle,” said Lara Smith, an owner of Three Rivers Resort in Lowell and the Western Motor Inn in Kooskia. “Everybody has a picture of their kids in front of the megaload.” Elaine Williams, Lewiston Tribune

Will the boost in Idaho businesses silence some critics of megaloads?