A Treat in the Woods: Morel Mushrooms — Sandpoint Idaho
The savory mystery of morel mushrooms is one I never get tired of. Every year, it is just as much of a thrill as it was the first time to come upon even one of these elusive treats. You’ve probably seen them dried, in tiny cellophane baggies in the produce section of your local grocery. And they probably cost around $7.99 for five or six shriveled little husks. If you are willing to look closely, be cautious and tramp around in the woods, you can find your own for nothing.
Of course, I can’t tell you exactly where I find mine, and no avid mushroomer will, unless under considerable duress. However, I will tell you how to look and when. Each spring in the Northern Idaho Panhandle, start looking around the last two weeks of April. Of course, 2008 was a doozy of a year and the morels didn’t bloom until much later. So, keep at it. Read the rest of A Treat in the Woods: Morel Mushrooms — Sandpoint Idaho »
There was barely time to catch our breath after we piled into the car. We all started chatting, exchanging opinions and thoughts about what we had just done. The consensus? Our trip to the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center was worth it, AND worthy of a repeat visit in the future.
A good friend and I were sitting around realizing that we are getting older and we are no where near the shape we used to be in. So what to do to get back in shape as well as have fun while doing it? The answer for us was easy…. Mountain biking. Though we had both been off the bikes for a while it was something we had done in years past. So as they say, once you learn you can never forget. If only that were the case with your muscles! 
On Saturday we decided to visit Copper Creek Falls, just this side of the Canadian Border. We were pleasantly surprised when the hike turned out to be very easy and the falls beautiful. The Falls is not just some little stream with a little tiny waterfall, this was the real deal. While you can’t hike to the very top of the falls, there is a lower trail that takes you to the river that the water dumps into, and a higher trail that takes you to a bridge and a great view of the falls. The river that the lower trail leads to was running really fast (so fast I wouldn’t let my 6 year old boy near it), but there was a bench nearby, so we were able to take a load off and enjoy the scenery in comfort.
We have lived in Sandpoint for almost eight years, and we have never taken a boat tour on the lake! We decided to remedy that recently when my parents came up for a weekend visit. We opted for the historical/geographical tour on the Shawnodese. This was a perfect (hot) afternoon activity!
Ever had one of those weeks where work seems to be more than you want to handle, and nothing seems quite to be going your way? That was my week for sure, what I needed was a recharge and fast. And I found the perfect place for exactly what I needed. Moments away from virtually anywhere in Sandpoint, Mickinnick is the perfect trail for escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life, without having to fill your gas tank to get there. 
Our schedules had kept us busy for months. We really needed to get out, to go away, to see a movie, to share a sunset, to gaze at each other over a brace of candles. Trouble was, we just couldn’t set all of the obligations aside, and by each day’s end we were whipped.
It was Father’s day and I decided to take my dad and his girlfriend out to lunch. They live in Hope so it limits you on the places you can go, just because there are not a lot of restaurants in Hope. But what is located in Hope are several delightful restaurants, one being the Wily Widgeon Café, located in the historic Hope hotel. 
Officially called the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox
