Sandpoint, ID

On a recent trip to scout out locations for my friend’s September wedding we stopped by Jewel Lake. Jewel Lake is located off of Dufort road in Sagle, near Vay and the Hoo Doo Valley. I know it sounds like a lot, but it was actually easy to get to.

Located west of Priest River is Albeni Falls Dam on the Pend Oreille river. My friend and I stopped one day on a trip back from Washington. Inside the visitor center we found a list of tour times, with the next tour leaving in 30 minutes. We waited outside in their picnic area where there were a few information signs about the dam and several picnic tables. Once it was time for the tour we met up with our tour guide and another group that was taking the tour. Our tour began with a decent down a small hill towards the powerhouse.

got up early on a Saturday morning and met my dad for a hike up to Caribou Lake. My dad had been there once before and this would be my first visit. When I got into my dad’s truck he informed me that he had forgotten the guide book and we would have to rely on his memory on how to get there. Fortunately his memory is better than mine, since you can often find me asking him “have I been there before”?, and the majority of the time I have been to where I am asking, but have forgotten

It was the 6th annual wooden boat festival in Sandpoint and my family and I decided to take the stroll around the boardwalk to see the boats. We parked near the courthouse and walked down to the Sandpoint marina boardwalk

Ever have the desire to get away? Maybe a trip to a beautiful beach in an exotic locale, maybe in Maui, Cancun, Sydney or some other fantastic area. Well this just might fill that need without all the expense of airfare, hotels, and everything else that is included with a long vacation. And where it might not be the beautiful warm beaches of Maui you can have the best of both worlds a great beach and the beauty of Northern Idaho. And where can you find this great place? Look no further than Sandpoint’s City Beach.

It seems like everywhere I go I hear grumblings about gas prices. And it’s all true, what people are saying. We are paying more for gas this summer than we did last summer. Good thing we weren’t planning any big trips this year, otherwise we’d have to tap into our retirement fund! Instead of a vacation this year, my family is taking a staycation! What’s a staycation, you may be asking yourself? It’s a period of time where we will stay at home and relax, explore our community, and take day trips – all within a short drive from home. We may decide to take a week off for our staycation, or we may just do it over several weekends. Here’s what we’re thinking about doing:

Located in the Lakeview park is the North Idaho Native Plant Arboretum. The arboretum is a great experience for anyone looking to see the majority of the local flora. The are eight main habitats that are found along the twisting dirt path the wraps around the arboretum.

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.

June 28th was Schweitzer’s opening day for summer and to celebrate they offered free chairlift rides to anyone in attendance. I took a friend and called a few more and we all headed up to the mountain to partake in the fun. My friend and I reached the mountain and found our way to the [...]

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 [...]