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Did I just read that right? I paid $3.95 for one gallon of gas right here in Coeur d’Alene? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised when gas is above $4 nation-wide. Well, there went our planned trip to Yellowstone and Disney Land. Not only is gas up, but everything else is up, it’s not only keeping us home, but many others to. I guess we’ll just have to stay here in North Idaho and find things to do.
I think we need a Staycation!
Fishing season is in full swing and it’s time to stake out your favorite spot. For this my husband and I go up to the Chain Lakes east of Coeur d’Alene. The chain lakes consist of about a dozen small lakes that feed off the Coeur d’Alene River and are great for catching northern pike and largemouth bass. Our two favorites are Rose Lake and Bull Run.
Bayview is a quaint little town that sits right on the waters edge. There is plenty of activities around Bayview. There is boating, hiking, swimming, eating, biking and fishing. Bayview is also home to the Naval Acoustic Research Detachment
What to do on a Sunday morning? Having 4 children, 2 of which are in diapers, and 2 dogs makes the activities a little more challenging. However, you can always count on nature to provide an engaging, fun experience. My husband and I remembered a spot we passed when coming back toward Coeur d’Alene from Kidd Island Bay on Hwy 95. We notice a side road with cars parked along it and people walking along a path with their dogs. We had been looking for a place that is friendly to our four legged critters and allows us to get outside and have some fun. We made a point to say we would check out this little spot sometime in the near future.
Just outside of the adorable town of Wallace Idaho is the Sierra Silver Mine tour. I had been on this trip once before when I was in the second grade, just a few years ago! It was nice to see that the tour had not lost any of it’s charm and was just as much fun now as it was then. I took two friends with me, one of them who went on this tour with me in the second grade and my other friend who was from out of town. We arrived in Wallace about a half hour before the tour started and had no problem getting on the next tour.
Every year on Memorial Day weekend my family goes camping up the Coeur d’Alene River at Graham Creek. We found this spot several years ago and fell in love with the scenery, the hiking trails, and the close proximity to the river.
My wife and I love the Travel Channel. One of our favorite types of shows to watch are the Haunted Places shows. We aren’t sure exactly why, but we just can’t seem to watch enough of these shows. Around Halloween we were watching The World’s Scariest Places. They always show the Stanley Hotel (where The Shining was filmed) and we always say how we are going to stay there one night.
The Painter’s Chair Gallery opened in April 2004 features pieces from several well known artists, both locally and nationally. Owned by Stephen and Cathy Shortridge, the gallery features several of Stephen’s own paintings as well as paintings of his daughter Hayley Shortridge. Other featured art includes jewelry, bronze sculpture, and blown glass pieces.
One of the many advantages to living in and visiting Coeur d’Alene is the Bald Eagles. Every year, hundreds of these magnificent birds, often with their young, travel south to Coeur d’Alene Lake to feast on the Kokanee Salmon at the end of their spawning period. Eagle watching is a great family adventure, and only happens once a year. Out of all the winter activities, this is an experience that you will remember for a lifetime.
Get a little nostalgic this holiday season as you enjoy horse drawn carriage rides and ice skating in beautiful downtown Coeur d’Alene. The Chamber of Commerce along with the Coeur d’Alene Resort offer a bit of an old fashioned Christmas along Sherman Avenue with its second year of carriage rides, and the premier of a new skating rink.
