Sandpoint and Coeur D'Alene

I don't have any recomendations for specific things to do, places to go, other than just explore the lake. Its been a while since I was there, so names are kind of fuzzy.

I will say, though, that if skiing is really important to you, I wouldn't consider moving there. Sandpoint is great in the summer, but is by no means a ski town. If you are living there, Schweitzer is a good enough hill that it will keep you occupied, but it is by no means a great ski hill. The amount of challenging terrain is pretty minimal, if any at all. Its certainly not the type of place any really dedicated skier would choose to ski.

If skiing is just one of many hobbies, then you might love the area. The lake is gorgeous.

All of this, of course, is just my opinion, not trying to offend anyone.

It's Coeur D'Alene Dammit. Lots of cheap hotels and Best Western and better places if your needs include such amenities can be found in and near Sand Point. Coeur has many more but is a bit of a drive from Sand Point
Try Ivanos in Sand Point. Great Italian with good wine and some seldom seen dishes that would please your palate,
Coeur D'Alene has some good eateriers (Takara for Japanese and the Wine Cellar for Italian and lots of pubs ) but Sand Point for it size has a few worth visiting. Power House is another we liked

While you are there, go to Thor's pizza. (actually I'm not sure if it's open in the summer) If you see Thor, tell him Jamie said hi. We were on the same ski team in college, and I work with his brother.

Hey, a friend of mine used to work there! I had spaced the name until now.

If you see an very tall scary looking bald jewish guy who is actually very friendly and has a blue heeler, say hi. His names Rob Goldworm, tell him David Greenwood said hi.

I used to go up to Hayden Lake when I was with Louisiana Pacific. Great area. Good luck in your quest. Spokane is not very far.

I made the title correction based on Garry's correction. I don't think I'd have done much better in an effort to spell French. I think its intentionally devious.

Coeur d alene and Sandpoint

Si. I stayed at a motel in Sandpoint on my way back from Fernie and Kimberly enroute to Spokane airport and really like motel, can't remember name but will look up for you and post it later.

Sandpoint, 4th of July. Sandpoint to me is really a tourist town. There is an interesting wine maker, shops etc. Schweistzer will have a lot of 4th activities going on. Rec. any reservations you need, make the ASAP.

Between Coouer and Sandpoint there is Silverwood Theme park, cool place especially if you have kids. A family could spend all day there easily and not be bored.

Couuer d alene will have great fireworks. Food in Couer: reasonable Italian and good Tomatoe Street on Apple Way, downtown the Wine Celler on Sherman, reasonable relatively intimate good cooking etc., Couer d Alene Resort Beverlys expensive but excellent. Cedars Restaurant, expensive but good/excellent on the water. Then there is all the usuals; Red Lobster,Olive Garden,Appellbees etc. AND. about 15 minutes East of Couer on Hwy 90 is the WOLF LODGE on you left, make reservations and they have very very good, big steak dinners. Price medium, i.e., 2 steaks dinners, wine etc. about $50-very good.

Schweitzer is a very good area, has a front side fog problem however. I'v skied there about 6 times (2 hrs from my house) and only once without fog on the front side.

Since you're looking you might consider looking at Kellogg/Wallace area. If your settle in that area you'd be close to Silver Mt. and Lookout ski areas. If you have time take the Gondola up to the top of Silvrer and check out the ski area lst hand (thats what I did 6 yrs ago).

Sandpoint is pretty close to Fernie, Kimbery, Red, Whitewater and Big Mt..

I'm getting windy so I'll shut off and look for the name of that Motel for ya.

Sandpint and Cur d leen

Si, Motel was Quality Inn, 807 N th Ave, (close to Schweitzer) phone 208 2632111. Reasonable, clean, swim pool, restaurant and up in Northern part of Sandpoint. Any other questions etc. PM me and I will give you my phone number. I moved to Saint Maries Idaho 5 yrs ago and love it here.

No kidding we got one town spelled Ponderay and another Pend Orielle and somehow they are pronounced the same way. I prefer the first. I guess we got our local culture passed down by French woodsmen . Trappin , huntin and colonizin and such mischief. At least the Brits could spell things how they are printed in our Americun language, sort of .

Quality Inn. cheap and right near the turn off to Schweitzer. Which is a great area if you explore a bit but Maggot is right the steeps are very short lived.

Last time I was at Schweitzer for a race I heard a couple of old timer locals sitting in the lodge talking. One asked the other if they new what Schweitzer meant. When he said he didn't, his buddy said it was Austrian for FOG!

Whenever i was anywhere near Hayden Lake, I changed my name to Cliff Smith, if you get my drift. Insisted everyone who knew me called my Cliff Smith.

Si currently lives in Southern Michigan. Home of the 300-foot "mountains".

Good thing he has the condo in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

I have to disagree with Maggot's interpretation of Schweitzer. In the real world, most people don't have the financial wherewithall to live in Jackson, Verbier, Vail, Chamonix, etc. Sandpoint is a fine place to live and Schweitzer is a very decent place to spend the winter skiing. I have skiied all over the western U.S. and most of Europe,and Schweitzer is not the very best, but that being said, it is very far from being even close to the very worst. It is a solid ski resort with 2400' of vert and close to 2900 acres of terrain. If you can't find something interesting to ski there, then you aren't even trying. It behooves one to get "off piste" on occasion and see what the "real world" has to offer,not live vicariously through Epic and TGR and offer hollow insight as to what a specific area has or does'nt have to offer to a "real skier".

YMMV

I love Sandpoint. If I could make a living there I would totally be happy living there and skiing on that mountain even though its not as great as some others I am used to. Its not terrible either. I lived in whistler for several years and had some of the best lines at my disposal on a regular basis. Now I live 90 minutes from mountains that aren't much different from Schweitzer and while I do miss Whistler skiing, I don't miss the crazy transient feeling of the place. There is a lot to be said for Sandpoint as a place to live and really, Schwietzer is decent skiing. You're an hour from Spokane international airport if you want to go somwhere, or perhaps drive up to Fernie, but I don't think Fernie is as close as some people are making it out to be.

Courdelaine gets REALLY hot in the summer. FYI.

Hot, schmott, bts683......at least it's a dry heat. Try some 90+ degree weather with 95% humidity Eastern style.

Nah, you won't like Schweitzer, Si. Move along. Nothing to see there.

dry heat true, but its well over 100 for a lot of the summer, so I'm told.

60's and 70's now but later it will be in the high 80's and the 90's. It might wander over 100 sometimes but it is the middle and southern parts of the state that have the higher heat recordings.
The dryness of the atmosphere is great and makes what heat we get more tolerable than other areas with high humidity. 90 in Seattle feels hotter than 100 in Eastern Washington.

Sand Point/ Schweitzer are great!!

I grew up in Pullman, and made the weekend trek to Schweitzer many times, It is a nice mountain in a nice town in a great part of the state.

If I ever move back to the PNW, SP would be high on the list..and Richard Butler is long gone

It does get foggy..that much is true

great hiking/mountain biking as well in the Cabinets/Purcells etc.

IJ has it right, the mountain is solid..one could do so much worse

Sandpoint Etc.

Yep its really hot in No. Idaho, no snow, lousy powder, huge crowds, bad to terrible traffic, really high crime rate, little tiny mountains, crummy off piste skiing and grizzly bears and wolves running you off the mountain all winter and summer. It really sucks - stay away.

For example. Today, fathers day I was going up the St. Joe fishing and it was so cold and rainy I stayed home and watch the US Open all day in front of my fire place which went all AM. The lst paragraph is BS this one is the truth. Damn global warming.

For laughs in July and August sometimes I hang around the checkout stand at Harvest Foods here in ST. Maries and listen to all the locals complain and whine aboout the damn heat (90-92 degrees) being from Sacramento this is a real hoot.

Wow, nice personal attack there buddy, all because I said SP is not the place to move based solely on the skiing.

You're right though, all I ever ski is low angle groomers, and even thats a pretty rare occasion. I'm really much more fond of talking about skiing on the internet, where I can pretend I'm really rad.

What a tough guy! If it isn't steep don't even bother!

Of course, if skiing isn't important to you, what are you doing on this site in June?

Sniff, sniiiiiiiiiiiff.........smells like summer!

I apologize Maggot. I didn't mean anything personal.

Si, all Bonni remembers of Sandpoint this past trip is the hospital for 4 days!

Too bad I'm not great with names, I stayed at a cheap neat motel and ate there too, it was on just about out of town towards Schweitzer.

Ate within walking distance of the hospital a couple times and found the food and service very good every where I went (all two or three spots).

We were talking just the other day about an eventual move and the entire area is very high on my list.

Si, Spent a fair amount of time at Schweitzer....There is a tremendous amount of choices ...the back side has been opened up and there is a tremendous am`t of off piste skiing....there is a group operating off the back side for off piste skiing...I don`t remember the name or site at this time....they have the large sherpa skimobiles that carry 6-8 people and pull a sled with equip or people for uphill conveyance.... guides are available for a 1/2 or full day with lunch --makes for an enjoyable day...pm me if you need the info and I`ll get back to you...I found Schweitzer to be a most enjoyable
Area with a tremendous variety of options....great cycling also......I have a friend who has hiked and biked the area extensively and is very knowledgeable
about the Mtn... often the patrol calls him in for lost skiers search..PM me and I`ll give you all of the info----Larry C