Coeur d’Alene is one of those mysterious places we’ve always heard about but hadn’t yet visited. Perhaps we were intimidated by the weird name which has way too many extra vowels, but turns out is easily pronounced: “CORR – DUH – LANE,” after the Indian tribe whose ancestors have lived here forever.
CDA is a vibrant lakeside town with plenty of outdoor recreation, vaulting it to the top of our list of places we would spend a month or more in future summers. Wanna meet us here?
It’s a Water-ful Life
CDA is anchored by Lake Coeur d’Alene. It is only 35 miles east of Spokane, Washington, and besides the lake, the Spokane River is a beautiful place to spend a sunny summer afternoon. Especially if you’re a dog, because they have a waterside dog park where Rover can swim to his heart’s content.
Feel the Beat
For a city of only 60,000 it has an incredibly vibrant music scene — especially in summer, you can hear live music somewhere every night of the week – whether at the downtown art walk, breweries, small venues, or multiple free outdoor concerts around town.
Fun on Two Wheels
North Idaho Centennial Trail, one of the best off-road bicycle paths in the country, runs through CDA. Running 23 miles from the Washington/Idaho border, and mostly along the lake in this area, it’s flat and safe, especially if you’ve been known to your friends in the past as “Crash Miller.”
History, Schmistory
The Museum of North Idaho offers a variety of walking and cemetery tours. Fort Coeur d’Alene (later renamed Fort Sherman — again, probably because nobody could spell it) was established in 1879. The tour included a visit inside Fort Sherman Chapel, the city’s oldest church, school, library, and meeting hall.
What Goes Up, Must Also Go Down
With mountains and hills in every direction, CDA is a hiking dream. Many visitors opt for Tubbs Hill, a 2-mile network in downtown, of forested hiking trails encircling a rocky hilltop with panoramic lake views and swimming beaches.
Mineral Ridge National Recreation Trail (12 miles from downtown) is a 3-mile loop trail, up up up to a viewpoint of the far end of Lake Coeur d’Alene. It’s got thigh-burning climbs, rolling hills, historic remains, and ferny forests. We loved it!
Lake Pend Oreille
We drove 24 miles north of CDA to Farragut State Park, on the southern tip of Lake Pend Oreille (another mouthful) in the Coeur d’ Alene Mountains. This late has crystal-clear glacial waters and is 43-miles long and the 5th deepest lake in the U.S. The park has a bit of everything, including a radio-controlled airplane field and a World War II history museum, Museum at the Brig.
We did a four-mile hike along the lakeshore, which took twice as long as usual because Finn jumped in the water at every little opening. They also have beautiful campgrounds with hookups, and we would definitely camp here for a week or more the next time we come this way.
Cute, Cute, Cute! Did I mention cute?!
Leaving Farragut, we ran across the most darling little self-serve farm stand, chock full of fresh-baked goodies: snickerdoodle cookies, rosemary garlic loaves, sourdough foccacia, fresh eggs and much more. You leave your money in the can and lock the door on your way out. This would never fly back home!
Pair slices of asiago focacchia bread with all the leftovers in our fridge (and huckelberry jam from Montana), and VOILA! An impromptu RV charcuterie is served!
The cuteness isn’t confined to the countryside. Back in town, the cutest little wedding chapel (with rows of love locks outside), no doubt enticing the many bachelor and bachelorette parties roaming around downtown. Vegas better watch out in the impromptu wedding market!
There is so much more to do in CDA that I didn’t even touch upon … lake cruises, massive McEuen Park, farmers markets, parasailing over the lake, golfing, the world’s longest floating boardwalk, and so much more. It was the perfect match of a deluxe destination with a chill mountain/lakeside town. We will definitely be back … and for longer next time!
Did a Road Scholar bike tour in CDA with my GFs last Sept. Great time – great town! Plan to go with Doug next May (hope to fly his new plane there by then).
I didn’t know you had been here before, I would have grilled you for further information! :). May would be a wonderful time of year, and of course private transportation would sweeten the deal!!! CDA was soooo fun. We really loved it!
Loving the MT posts, Tessa. I’m getting great ideas for future stops. Poor nearby Spokane just endured some horrible fires. Tons of houses burned. Did you see signs of that?