Hi...
We will be traveling from Glacier to Seattle (family of four kids 8 %26amp; 12 )with a stop over in Coeur d%26#39;Alene. Our plan is to stop and do the Hiawatha Trail on the way and then spend two nights (Mon. and Tues. July 28th and 29th). I figure the first day will be spent in the travel and stopping to do the bike trail. I am wondering what would be the best way to spend the one day we will have there? Also any suggestions to dining....really looking for where the locals would go.... and yes we are on a budget.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks!
one full day in Coeur d'Alene
Hi
Coeur D%26#39;Alene is really nice in July, but can be hot. If you want entertainment, you could spend a day at Silverwood Theme Park. It is up Highway 95 about 26 minutes away from Coeur D%26#39;Alene. http://silverwoodthemepark.com/
It is really nice for families and the kids would love it, there is a real steam train that you can ride and robbers '; rob'; the train, a airplane museum, and a lot of rides. However, It might be kinda pricey for you if you are on a budget. If you are looking for fun without a whole lot of money. You could go down to Coeur D%26#39;Alene Lake and go swimming. It is really nice during July, and you can walk through downtown. On the other side of the Coeur D Alene resort there is a hiking trail called Tubs Hill. It is really nice through there.
The locals don%26#39;t eat downtown, it is expensive. If you want fast food, it is all on Appleway Ave. If you drive up highway 95 you will pass Appleway.
If you want something like Olive Garden, Red Lobster, or the like...You continue pass Appleway up 95. I hope you and your family have a great time.
one full day in Coeur d'Alene
In your traveling planning you will need to allow about an hour each way to drive from Coeur d%26#39; Alene to the Hiawatha Trail head at Taft, Montana. The Hiawatha is a great ride, be sure to bring bike headlamps if you bring your own bikes and I also bring a good flashlight because the first tunnel gets very dark.
Silverwood is a nice destination for kids, about a half hour drive north of Coeur d%26#39; Alene. If you want to stay in Coeur d%26#39; Alene the city beach and park downtown has a great beach and wood fort playground for kids. Also its not to far from the city beach and park over to Tubb%26#39;s Hill which is a large natural area in the downtown area with a great fairly easy hiking trail that gives access to beaches, great views and forested areas.
As described the downtown eating area choices tend to be overpriced but one exception may be Hudson%26#39;s Hamburgers on Sherman Avenue which has a long history in town and the kids might enjoy (Hudson%26#39;s is reviewed on this site). Some low priced options are on the east end of Sherman (Michael D%26#39;s for breakfast and lunch, or Moontime for lunch and dinner (Moontime is a pub style restaurant) otherwise as mentioned the Appleway and US95 area just north of Interstate 90 has multiple offerings. There are also several restaurants on 4th street as you head north from downtown including the recent opening of the Thai Bamboo restaurant, Capone%26#39;s is another pub style restaurant.
There is a wooden boat show on the lake and some other fun stuff going on in the summer.
I would check out two websites:
www.visitnorthidaho.com
which is the regional travel associaton, and
www.coeurdalene.com
which is the CDA chamber website.
Both websites have lists of events that may help you plan. There is an amusement park called Silverwood that may be fun for the kids.
Lots of little towns that will be fun--the Cataldo mission is great (and free), and Wallace is a quaint place. Lots to do and see.
CathyB
I%26#39;ve heard that the trail of the Hiawatha is a great bike ride, and good for all ages.
I%26#39;d have to second the above suggestion about checking out Wallace. A really neat looking little city just about 40 minutes east of Coeur d%26#39;Alene. You can eat lunch at the 1313 Club, which is very ';North Idahoan';, check out the historic city on foot (doesn%26#39;t take much time) and then maybe visit one of the Mine tours.
You could stop by the Cataldo Mission on the way to or from Wallace.
Also, Kellogg Idaho is nearby and they have the world%26#39;s longest single span gondola ride up Silver Mountain. Not sure of the price of that though...
As far as Coeur d%26#39;Alene -- all the above suggestions are great. The city beach is right next to the resort and you can pick up fairly inexpensive lake cruises from that point which are lots of fun.
As far as dining, the locals probably go to your typical chain restaurants off Hwy 95, and there are a lot of choices. If you want to spend just a little more, the Coeur d%26#39;Alene Resort has a coffee shop/restaurant called Dockside where you can dine and watch the boats in the lake.
Have a great time -- it%26#39;s warm and busy with tourists, but July is a great time to visit Coeur d%26#39;Alene.
Some helpful links
http://wallace-id.com/ (the city of Wallace)
http://silverminetour.org/ (mine tour)
www.coeurdalene.org/memberdetail_park.asp… (city beach)
http://thewhistler.com/tubbshill/index.htm (Tubbs Hill - a nice little nature walk downtown CdA)
Have fun!
So far everyone%26#39;s suggestions have been great, especially if you are on a budget.
The only other dining suggestions I would add, is Tomato Street, if you love Italian, they have a great family friendly atmosphere and good food.
Another suggestion I always give people if they are riding bikes is to park in the park and ride off of Northwest Blvd Exit, and bike centennial trail as far as you want to go, heading south and then east. You can see most of Coeur d%26#39;Alene, and stop and visit all the activities mentioned by the lake.
Hello islandbound04,
Coeur d%26#39;Alene is a great destination, no matter how long you have to stay.
My suggestion for a one day trip is to visit Downtown, on Sherman Ave. Sherman Ave offers a quaint, small town feel with some great stores that offer clothing, antiques, souvenires, there are art galleries and anything else you could think of.
If you hungry, you will be able to find something for everyone. There are coffee houses, bistros and deli%26#39;s. There are Italian, Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Greek and American restaurants.
Downtown also offers City Beach where you can play on the beach of Lake Coeur d%26#39;Alene or let the kids play in the huge play structure designed by the children of Coeur d%26#39;Alene. There are very clean bathrooms to use there along with basketball and volley ball courts and an outside theatre.
Also Downtown is Tubbs Hill where you can do some hiking or picnicing. There is beautiful scenery and great places to sit and admire the Lake.
And of course, The Coeur d%26#39;Alene Resort is Downtown. You can browse in their shops, experience their world-class winning salons and spa%26#39;s. They have five-star dining or casual family dining. And of course, they are right on the lake so the views are incredible.
Through all of this runs the Centennial Trail where you can bike or walk. The trail runs from Spokane, WA to Kellogg, ID.
Coeur d%26#39;Alene has so much to offer it%26#39;s hard to pin-point one thing. But if you are limited to one day, I do suggest you visit Downtown. If you would like more information, you can contact the Coeur d%26#39;Alene Visitor Center at www.coeurdalene.org or call 877-782-9232.
I hope this information helps. I hope you have a great trip.
Hi - a few other thoughts about Coeur d%26#39;Alene for you. First, for good food on a budget I%26#39;d second the recommendation for Moontime. I%26#39;d go to Bambinos on 4th street long before Tomato Brothers. On your way north if you did go to Silverwood you could stop at Rustler%26#39;s Roost in Hayden Lake for breakfast, long a favorite of locals.
Biking the Trail of the Coeur d%26#39;Alenes is a very nice day and there are good interpretive signs along the way. Another idea on the route to/from Glacier would be a day of whitewater rafting on the Clark Fork River. You will be arriving at I-90 right around St. Regis on your way from Glacier and the next town east is Superior. ROW Adventures, based in Coeur d%26#39;Alene, runs a one-day whitewater trip that is staged from Superior. It%26#39;s good for kids ages five and up and they have family rates making it affordable for a full day that includes lunch and all gear and guides.
I would echo that Tubbs Hill is a great hike and right in town. A few miles east of town is Beauty Bay and another 3-mile loop trail on Mineral Ridge.
Have fun!
Great suggestions everyone.....Thanks!
We have reservations at the Flamingo Motel for the two nights.
We will skip the theme park since we are coming from the theme park capitol.....Orlando.....but all the other suggestions are really great.
We will probably just do the trails and hang by the lake...read on one post that there are a few rope swings and such that the kids would love.
Thanks for the food suggestions...being from Orlando we do know how important it is to go where the locals go.
I didn%26#39;t realize that the Hiawatha trail was as close as it is to Coeur d%26#39;Alene.
Does anyone have any idea how long it takes to get from West Glacier to the Hiawatha trail?
Thanks Again! Bethany
You%26#39;ve gotten all sorts of good advice. I would definitely recommend eating at Tomato Street. It is very family friendly and has great ambience. (although often a long wait on weekend evenings) It is almost always listed first as a locals favorite on best of lists. The food portions are HUGE! So, unless you want leftovers, you might split entrees. That makes it even more economical and they are used to the request, so you won%26#39;t feel like a cheapskate! The Hudson%26#39;s Hamburgers is kind of a cult spot, but I%26#39;m not real keen on the quality... If you can get a boat ride across the lake to Eddy%26#39;s, you%26#39;ll get an amazing burger. The Hudson%26#39;s ones remind me of the 99 cent McDonald%26#39;s ones. It%26#39;s popular mostly among the young, poor college students! We have a Coldstone Creamery ice cream shop that kids enjoy, but you probably have that in Orlando. Syringa is an amazing place for sushi, although not real economical. Dockside is in The Resort hotel, although is surprisingly casual in decor and menu, nothing special. Bonzai Bistro is also a locals favorite downtown. Also, I noticed you are staying at The Flamingo downtown. On tripadvisor it is rated #2 and I have no idea why????? It is rather dumpy. It should be rated about #25. I don%26#39;t know the hotel rates for the times you are coming, but I would highly recommend you check out some of the chains and price shop. We have a brand new Hampton Inn, and a gorgeous Holiday Inn that is very new.
Well, I would say that the above post is by someone who likes large franchises and chains to some degree. Hudson%26#39;s is hugely popular among many types in town. The Flamingo is a great downtown location and yes, it%26#39;s an older place, but has character of the 1950%26#39;s hotels that lined the main drags in and out of town, rather than the non-descript chain hotels. Syringa Japanese Cafe is good, as is Takara and also the Olympus for Greek food right next door and both downtown.
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