Coeur d'Alene, ID

The diverse beauty along the trail is worth exploring along with watching for the abundant wildlife. I’ve personally seen bears on the trail and moose, and have rollerbladed next to a Whitetail Deer for a few hundred feet, before she figured out how to get away from me. There are beaver and muskrats and an assortment of birds and raptors to keep the user entertained. Different times of the day adds new excitement and a new experiences like I am riding the trail for the first time.

The park had quite a few attractions to keep kids (and adults) of all ages having fun. There was a lazy river where you just grab a tube and float around the flowing current that goes in a big circle. This can be very relaxing as long as you don’t run into one of the many waterfalls located on the sides or get splashed by kids running by in the water without a tube (which can be fun too). There is also a younger children’s play area located above the lazy river that has very shallow water and multiple areas for kids to play and get squirted (including 2 mini waterslides that adults can go on too). In addition to these, there are also 3 waterslides located on an upper level, one that involves up to 4 people riding in a big raft down a waterslide.

Silver Mountain held their annual brewsfest event this weekend and my boyfriend and I decided to head up to the mountain and check it out. With our ticket purchase we were granted a ride up the gondola, a plastic collectors mug, 6 beer tasting tickets, free rides on the operating chair lifts and some music being performed in the amphitheater

My friends and I had decided to go garnet hunting so we all got together one summer day and headed over to Emerald Creek. I stepped out of the car near the garnet area and saw a sign “welcome rockhounds”. Although I do not consider myself a rockhound, I was there to do some hunting for garnets.

Camping in an area where you can also fish, swim and hike is always a good thing, so when my family found out about the Elk River Recreation District camping we thought we would try it out. From Moscow the city of Elk River is only 51 miles east on Hwy 8 so it is relatively nearby. The drive is very scenic and you can even follow through onto the Scenic Byway if you have a little more time.

My family and I recently joined the ranks of hundreds of hikers and walkers nationwide who have hiked to the Elk Creek Falls. The falls are located in Clearwater National Forest about 3 miles south of the town of Elk River, where there are some great camping spots. They are a relatively easy hike and the three trails lead you to the upper, middle and lower falls; he total combined height of which is an impressive 300 feet.

Rathdrum, just 14 miles northwest of Coeur d’Alene is a great little town and they have a wonderful city park. While visiting family we took our children to the park to get some of their energy out and found the park to be not only fun, but really pretty.

While camping at Graham Creek up the Coeur d’Alene River recently my husband and I went to Steamboat Pond to go fishing. I am never very lucky in the river so I was glad for some still water to try my luck, and boy did I have luck. On my first cast I caught a 12-inch rainbow and I was hooked, if you know what I mean. I soon found out that it wasn’t so much that I was a master fisherman as the fact that the stocked pond is teeming with fish.

My family has recently moved to Moscow, Idaho, which is 81 miles south of Coeur d’Alene off of US 95. The drive is relatively short, about an hour and a half, and the scenery is beautiful. On the drive down you pass through several small towns, one of which is Worley, where the Coeur d’Alene Casino is located. I have yet to go there, but I hear they have a really good All-You-Can –Eat buffet. Once you arrive in Moscow it’s a great town with a lot of things for families.

If you are looking for a good camping spot that is not too far from Coeur d’Alene, try Bumblebee Campground near Kingston. The campground is located right off I-90, thirty miles from Coeur d’Alene and is close to the river and several good fishing and hiking spots.