Coeur d’Alene has become known as a vacation destination for Calfornians, and rightly so.  With the pristine 25 mile long lake for swimming and boating, a well stocked downtown area, and easily accessible hiking trails in the area, Coeur d’Alene has much of what people are looking for in a vacation destination. With the popularity, of course, comes the higher prices, so it is not as budget friendly as other nearby areas.  

During my stay, I made sure to enjoy the area from both the land and water.  I started with a quick hike at Tubbs Hill. Walking distance from the downtown area, Tubbs Hill juts out into the lake and offers a few miles of trails throughout its rocky and hilly peninsula. The main loop trail passes a few tucked away beaches that are perfect stopping points along the 2.2 mile loop hike. I didn’t bring my bathing suit with me on this hike, but others who were in the know about the beach options did and enjoyed a peaceful moment in the water. 

To explore the lakefront, I rented a bike from the downtown area and biked a small portion (7.5 mile one way)  of the 24 mile long North Idaho Centennial Bike Trail to Higgins Point. The part I biked was fairly flat – outside of one killer hill – and easy to navigate. Higgins Point peninsula offered a small wooded area for a break and a snack before heading back.

I ended one day with a Bands on Boat sunset cruise.  Leaving an hour before sunset, the cruise provides drinks, a small selection of food, and live music as it completes a two hour cruise around the lake.  The bands vary from rock to country and feature some popular local bands. The company features day, brunch, and other cruises as well, and spending two hours on the water was a lovely way to enjoy the lake. 

Downtown Coeur d’Alene has a large selection of restaurants, tourist shops, homegood & craft stores, and art galleries.  With the California crowd, I wasn’t surprised to also see a fair amount of healthy food options – definitely more than any other place I visited during my 3 week road trip. 

While there’s a farmer’s market every Wednesday in Coeur d’Alene, Saturdays bring the much larger Kootenai County Farmers’ Market in nearby Hayden. Featuring over a 100 vendors as well as live music, it was a nice place to grab lunch and support the local farms and artisans. 

Coeur d’Alene was part of a three week road trip, so on the way into the city and out, here are some of the other places I stopped. 

30 minutes west of Coeur d’Alene is the mountain town of Wallace. Wallace is a charming blast from the past. Set in a valley along the Coeur d’Alene river, people came to Wallace in the late 1800s for the silver. At one point, 21% of the world’s silver was mined here.  While the mines have closed and the population now sits around 800, many of the historic buildings still stand; so a walk through the downtown area feels like a walk through time.  The old railroad station has been turned into a small museum, the Stardust Motel has kept its original neon sign, and the Red Light Garage (a diner) hosts a treasure trove of Americana memorabilia. There’s even a spot in the town that is deemed “The Center of the Universe” (called such in 2004 by the town’s Mayor). The town is also the hometown of actor Lana Turner, whose first performance at Liberty Theater at the age of 6 is memorialized.

Further west, the 50,000 Silver Dollar Inn in Haugan, Montana serves as a rest area, bar & restaurant, tourist shop, casino, gas station, and inn.  The large tourist shop has any western item you could imagine – from clothing to truck accessories, large scale art pieces to tchotchkes.  But, what makes this a place to stop is the thousands of silver dollars embedded in the walls and bar top of the restaurant.  While the place is currently called the 50,000 Silver Dollar Inn (it has been renamed as the number has gone up), as of 2022 they’ve acquired more than 80,000 donated Silver Dollars. If you donate one, your name will be featured under the coin in their collection. 

30 minutes south of Coeur d’Alene, I made a quick stop at the Trailhead of Coeur d’Alene bike path terminus (same one that I rode earlier) in Plummer. While I wasn’t planning on biking this time, I stopped here to check out an impressive statue I saw from the road.  The Coeur d’Alene Tribe Warrior and Veterans Memorial honors the tribal warriors of the past and present that have fought to defend the country from the 1858 Steptoe Battle to the Vietnam War.  The steel statue of a warrior on a horse commands attention, and the concrete slabs around the circle list the soldiers who died in each war. 

An hour later, I arrived in Moscow: Home of the University of Idaho. The town has earned the nickname “Heart of the Arts” because of its dedication to supporting musicians and artists. Trees and quaint lampposts flank both sides of the wide main street.  The area features a collection of cafes, stores, art galleries, music venues, and public murals. While sometimes art galleries can feel too formal for the everyday person, Moscow’s art galleries felt inviting and casual.  Because of this, I was able to relax within the spaces and really take in the beautiful paintings and sculptures. 

The drive south winds through the mountains and there are several lookout points and historic markers to stop and check out. As someone who loves a good view, needs to stretch my legs on a long drive, and wants to learn about the local history, I stopped by almost all of them. 

While the history of this one isn’t anything too special, I have to mention the one that refers to my name. Looking out over the Clearwater and Snake Rivers in the Spiral Highway section of rt 95,  Mackenzie’s Post honors fur trader Donald Mackenzie’s outpost established in 1812. You don’t have to stop at this specific historical marker, but make sure to stop at at least one of the viewpoints along the windy highway to take in the beautiful view of the valley below.