Help planning a trip....

Hey All,

I am from PA, but am looking to go on a trip to Coeur d%26#39;Alene for a week sometime this summer. I was thinking of renting a place in the mountains,along the lake, somewhere in the woods and just chilling out with some guys doing the outdoors thing. I was just wondering if this would be possible in Coeur d%26#39;Alene. I didn%26#39;t know if it was swanky or if there is alot to do there as far as fishing, hiking, etc. goes. I am in the initial stages of planning this trip and any help would be appreciated. Any can%26#39;t miss spots, trails, etc. Thanks in advance.

Help planning a trip....

There are lots of rentals during the summer months. Here are a few sites that might help you with that...

vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/…coeur-d-alene

http://www.cdavacation.com/

There%26#39;s a lot to do in Coeur d%26#39;Alene in the summer months, and it definitely isn%26#39;t all ';swanky'; at all. Though the city does have it%26#39;s share of festivals and more ';touristy'; activities, the backbone of the area is the long-standing outdoors traditions and you%26#39;ll find plenty of spots to fish, hike, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

If you want to stay close to, but not IN the city, you might want to look at the Wolf Lodge area, or maybe head over to the west side of the lake to the Rockford, Mica, or Kidd Island bay areas. They%26#39;re close to the lake, very scenic and easy access to the Hwy if you want to take a drive.

Some other very pretty spots are east of Coeur d%26#39;Alene in the Silver Valley. It%26#39;s about a 40 minute drive and the towns are very picturesque (especially Wallace and Kellogg) and there%26#39;s lots of spots to bike and hike.

If you find yourself in the city, Tubbs Hill is the main hiking area and it%26#39;s located conveniently close to the resort, city beach and ';tourist'; areas. Even though you%26#39;re ';in the city';, the hike is very nice and offers fantastic views of the lake as you circle around.

There are a lot of smaller lakes considered to be in the Coeur d%26#39;Alene area, and you might find the seclusion and fishing even more appealing at those lakes. The closest are Hauser, Spirit Lake, Twin lakes, Fernan and Hayden Lake. None of them are as large or as striking as lake Coeur d%26#39;Alene, but they are very appealing.

If you don%26#39;t care at all about being close to the city, and just want to be in the Pacific Northwest and enjoy the Alpine scenery, you might even consider going north 40 minutes or more to Bayview, Sandpoint or even to Priest Lake, which I%26#39;ve heard is one of the prettiest spots in North Idaho.

A few other posters including the other ';local expert'; Dave, enjoy the bike trails and know quite a bit more than I do about the ';outdoorsy'; Coeur d%26#39;Alene, so hopefully they%26#39;ll sign on and give you some great advice.

Help planning a trip....

thanks so much for the quick reply. The thing is, I am not the outdoors type at all. But I want a getaway this summer that will really be a ';getaway'; from the noise and commoition of the Northeast corridor and the big cities here. My ultimate question would be, is it worth going across the country? I found airfare to be surprisingly reasonable for such a long trip.

KirkandMimi gave a very good run down for the area. This is an area which does enjoy the outdoors in the summer and the overall activity level is higher in summer versus winter, but during the week things do quiet down because lots of the summer activity comes from locals off work on the weekend. A rental out of town (Coeur d%26#39; Alene) would be very quiet while in town would be more active but also provide access to the services and events. The biggest plus is the weather, summer highs are usually in the 80%26#39;s with cool nights and low humidity which could be a welcome relief from high temps and high humidity.

%26lt;%26lt;My ultimate question would be, is it worth going across the country? I found airfare to be surprisingly reasonable for such a long trip. %26gt;%26gt;

That%26#39;s a really good question, and probably one that only you know the real answer to.

If you are really just looking for a calm, wooded area so you can just sit and enjoy the peaceful lake, trees, wildlife, I think Coeur d%26#39;Alene would work for you, but so would a lot of places I would guess.

It is a beautiful area, and that natural beauty is combined with a resort atmosphere and lots of activities (renting jet skis, boats, hiking, underground mine tours, shopping, etc.) just in case you do get a little antsy in the woods.

I wish I could give you a better answer...

If you truely want peace and quiet, away from the city think about the Clearwater country. We have the best of the best here, with out the crowds from Coeur d'; Alene and Spokane. Clearwater country shares the largest wilderness system in the US, except for Alaska, with Idaho County to the south. We have some of the nations top cut throat trout fishing and one of the worlds top small mouth bass fisheries. The Snake, Clearwater ( North Fork, South Fork, Middle Fork and main stem), Salmon, Selway, %26amp; Lochsa, all world class rivers, are within 2 hours of Orofino, and hundres of lesser rivers and creeks. We DO NOT have any lakes/ reservoirs surrounded by houses, marinas, resorts, roads, and any other developements. We just have pristine lakes and rivers. We have restored forest fire look outs for rent, many different cabins, unlimited camping. We also have many outfitters that will pack you in by foot, horse, lama, or ATV to remote wall tent camps. Is the Clearwater country worth visiting? Only if your mind and body needs refreshed like only true wilderness can do! If I can help, feel free to e-mail me for ideas/suggestions.