Caribou Lake - Sandpoint
I 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. Read the rest of Caribou Lake - Sandpoint »
It was the 6th annual wooden boat festival in Sandpoint and my family and I decided to take a stroll around the boardwalk to see the boats. We parked near the courthouse and walked down to the Sandpoint marina boardwalk. Alongside the old Powerhouse there were several vendors selling barbeque food, drinks and boating supplies, you could even get a safety check for your boat! 
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. As always I’m a huge fan of skipping out of work (of course by taking the day off and not just not showing up) so I decided to take the family out for a day of fun and sunshine. 
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: 
“If you buy that, I’m not refinishing it!” They looked like sisters, but they might have been long-time friends who just resembled each other. One of them had discovered a treasure—an old end table with a lot of mileage on it—and she hoisted it before her like a shield. Her companion had apparently been through this before; she was stating her case, holding her ground, drawing a line in the sand. Table Lady laughed and reassured her. “It’s perfect! Don’t you dare touch it!” 
In all the years we’ve lived in Sandpoint, we’ve never done 
Nothing stirs patriotism like an Independence Day parade, and the flags were out in earnest for Sandpoint’s 2008 Fourth of July procession.
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 that wraps around the arboretum. 
My favorite holiday is the 4th of July, and I could think of no better way to spend the morning than watching the annual Parade. It weaves all through downtown, so there were plenty of places to sit and watch the festivities. We got there about 45 minutes early, which turned out to be great, because we ended up with an ideal spot to watch. We chose Farmin Park, across from Wells Fargo, so there was shade, and more importantly, a place for my 6 year old to play while we waited for it to start. It started at 10 (and it actually started on time!) and lasted a full hour and a half. It was probably the longest parade I’ve been too, and I regretted not bringing chairs. We just sat on a blanket on the curb, and after an hour, we were very sore. Next year, we will bring a chair and leave really early again. 
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.
