Romantic getaway in Northern Idaho

Hi all

I have business in spokane next week and looking to an area close to Spokane for a few days. Just me and my wife and we%26#39;re looking for a romantic time in that area.

I%26#39;ve heard about a casino in the worley area, nice restaurants in cda. Would rather not stay in cda resort because of the pricing.

Any suggestions on where we can go.

Thanks...-lynn

Romantic getaway in Northern Idaho

The casino you%26#39;ve heard about in Worley is the Coeur d%26#39;Alene Casino - www.cdacasino.com - They%26#39;re about 35-40 minutes south of Coeur d%26#39;Alene on Hwy 95. I don%26#39;t know the pricing and haven%26#39;t stayed there, but the casino is definitely one of the best in North Idaho if you%26#39;re into gambling. They have shows and concerts, too. I can%26#39;t think of any real ';romantic'; spots in Coeur d%26#39;Alene other than a few nice b%26amp;b%26#39;s in the downtown area. Despite the fact that we%26#39;ve been married 20 years, I%26#39;m not real good on ';romantic'; (unfortunately for my wife...) but there are some great restaurants in the area. If you like your dining dark and rustic, the Wolf Lodge Restaurant, east of CdA about 30 minutes on Hwy 90 is fantastic. It%26#39;s in a remote area and has great food. There%26#39;s also a very small restaurant in Hauser Lake, just slightly north of CdA about 20 minutes called Chef in the Forest that%26#39;s supposed to be fantastic. Lastly, there is a floating restaurant called Cedar%26#39;s that%26#39;s in Cda, off Hwy 95 south, about 5 minutes from downtown that%26#39;s kind of neat. The whole restaurant sits on the lake and you can watch the boats and airplanes (if there are many next week). The food isn%26#39;t bad and the atmosphere is nice.

If I think of any more, I%26#39;ll add it to this post.

Romantic getaway in Northern Idaho

Thank you so much for your thoughts.

What are your views on the hotels besides the CDA resort..

Looks like it got some negative reviews for a number of reasons.

Also I%26#39;ve heard positive things about the Wine Cellar restaurant in CDA. Have you eaten there?

I%26#39;ve stayed at the resort a few times and if you get the right room, the view is fantastic. I don%26#39;t have a problem with the rooms, but they could use a little updating. The room size is good, the bathrooms are great and each room has a gas fireplace that is nice. The hotel is getting a major updating this year and it probably needs it considering the price of a room. The restaurants are only OK. Beverly%26#39;s is the most expensive and apparently the food is very good. Dockside, their coffee shop has a big breakfast buffet on Sundays that is very good but besides that, the food in general is only average (and the coffee shop needs updating very badly -- they play bad ';muzak'; and the booths are a hideous light blue).

The only other hotel that comes close as far as amenities would be Templin%26#39;s, which is about 20 minutes west in Post Falls. They have a nice view of the Spokane River and a good coffee shop. The rates are quite a bit less than the resort, but there%26#39;s nothing within walking distance at all.

There are a bunch of smaller chain hotels -- in my opinion the best of the bunch is La Quinta Inn and Suites. There are two La Quinta -- make sure you get the one on Sherman. It%26#39;s walking distance to the downtown area -- don%26#39;t think they have any restaurant, but there are quite a few around.

I%26#39;m personally not a bed %26amp; breakfast person, but there are some very nice ones around. You can out in the woods, near the lake, in town, almost anywhere. There%26#39;s a list of the better ones at http://www.bb-cda.com/ .

I%26#39;ve eaten at the Wine Cellar a few times and it%26#39;s been very good. The service is always great, and the food is always at least very good. I%26#39;m not a wine expert, but I have been there with a few and they%26#39;re very impressed with the choices. They have a live musician and it%26#39;s always very tasteful and relaxing music, the restaurant is dimly lit and nicely decorated. The location is right in the middle of town on Sherman and is a little tough to find since it%26#39;s actually an underground cellar.

I%26#39;m still trying to think of anything I may have missed regarding your original question - romantic things to do.

A very good website that has a list of pretty much everything that happens in the area is http://www.fyinorthidaho.com/

You might find some ideas there, too.

Kirk

Have you looked at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane? It%26#39;s a beautiful hotel. Or are you looking for a place away from Spokane?

Kirk

Someone told me about japan house suites hotel on sherman. They said they are a normal looking motel but have excellent accomodations, bedding and nice touches.

Do you know anything about this? 21st and Sherman?

Also have you heard of Angelos Italian Restaurant.

The more we look the more there is to do in CDA..

Thanks- lynn

http://www.japanhousesuites.com/

I%26#39;ve driven by this motel many times -- it does look defintely ';ordinary'; from the outside. I%26#39;ve never heard anything negative or positive, but the location is very good -- not too far from the resort area (beach, park, shops). Website doesn%26#39;t give too much information, but it looks clean.

I%26#39;ve heard good things about Angelo%26#39;s. Haven%26#39;t been there, but I know people who have and they%26#39;ve enjoyed it. Not a lot of good Italian restaurants -- wish there were more. If you like Italian, about your only other choices are Olive Garden, Tomato Street and Tito Macaroni%26#39;s. The last two are both very unpredictable -- had some great meals and some not-so-good. Maybe I%26#39;ll try Angelo%26#39;s by the time you arrive. If I do, I%26#39;ll let you know how it is.

Another good restaurants that we%26#39;ve tried -

Cricket%26#39;s Steakhouse and Oyster Bar on Sherman (by the resort). Nice atmosphere, $11.00 - $13.00 entrees and good food.

thanks for cricketts. Looks like good food and a fun place. With Crickets for fun and food, Angelos and wine cellar we are all set for food.

What about other activities. Is there a movie theater? Short hikes near CDA? Cultural stuff next week? Looks like it%26#39;s a bit early in the season to have lot of tourist activivies going on.

What about a spa or massages for the mrs. other than the CDA resort. Any thoughts?

Coeur d%26#39;Alene has a brand new theatre and it%26#39;s great -- we needed one. It%26#39;s Riverstone Cinemas in a newly developed area right where the Spokane River meets Lake Coeur d%26#39;Alene. The theatre has 14 screens and the seats are the stadium type so you won%26#39;t get your view blocked by the person in front. It%26#39;s on Northwest Blvd. (which turns into Sherman).

There%26#39;s also CdA Discount cinemas, but since they%26#39;re discount, they play movies about 3 months after they%26#39;ve hit the regular theatres. It%26#39;s a good deal at $3.50 though.

The closest and most popular hike is Tubbs Hill. You can%26#39;t miss the hill -- sits right at the lake%26#39;s edge next to the CdA Resort. Not too strenuous, but you will be going up and downhill.

The most popular day spa is located in the same area as the new theatre -- Zi Spa

http://www.zispas.com/

You%26#39;re a little early for the real ';tourist'; stuff, like lake cruises and festivals, but the weather should be good next week. This time of year most visitors will walk the little downtown area (doesn%26#39;t take long), maybe walk along the resort boardwalk (which is the longest floating boardwalk), maybe visit Silver Mountain (which has the longest gondola ride in the world, believe it or not), do some golfing if the weather permits, drive up to Sandpoint, which is a cute town with an ';artsy'; feel to it, or maybe over to Wallace, a neat looking old town, where the entire town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

When I think of more, I%26#39;ll add it to the thread.

Kirk

Have a few other questions for you.

What is the best coffee place in CDA?

How about any outstanding bakeries?

Is Hudson%26#39;s as good as the reviews it say it is?

Any other ';must see'; locations in CDA?

Is the college campus a nice place to see?

Thanks for your comments

There%26#39;s a good coffee place on 4th street - coffeeville. Also a bakery/coffee house called Bella Rose Bakery Cafe %26amp; Coffee House which I haven%26#39;t been to, but it%26#39;s on Sherman, right in the downtown area. We also have a few Starbucks, the newest one in Riverstone (where the new theatre is).

Hudson%26#39;s gets mixed reviews, but most seem to like it. They%26#39;re also located on Sherman (the main street in downtown).

Not sure you%26#39;d get much out of the North Idaho College campus. It%26#39;s in a older neighborhood area called Fort Grounds, close to the city beach and park -- just north of the Resort, but I don%26#39;t know of anyone who%26#39;s visited it just to see it.

I think you%26#39;ve hit the must-sees -- or at least the activities that will be open/available when you%26#39;re here.

The Resort

Boardwalk at the Resort

Public Beach and Park

Sherman Ave. (shops, antique stores and bars/restaurants)

Tubbs Hill hiking

Coeur d%26#39;Alene Casino (good casino and nice drive along Hwy 95 south)

If you%26#39;re into golf, the resort%26#39;s world-famous Floating Green on the lake.

Historic town of Wallace (40 minutes away on Hwy 90)

Silver Mountain Resort (world%26#39;s longest gondola)

Sandpoint (50 minutes north on Hwy 95)

and all the other good stuff like restaurants mentioned earlier.

I think you%26#39;ll have a nice time -- lots of people really fall in love with the city (which is why the population is booming!)

Kirk

lips hurt during