Journey from Vancouver to Yellowstone National Park

Hi,

My husband and I are travelling to Canada/America in the summer. We are making the BIG drive down to Yellowstone from Vancouver and we were wondering whether Coeur d%26#39;Alene is a good point to stop for the night.. (it seems to be halfway...ish). Also, we would be grateful for any tips on hotels in that area, (close to the I 90 road which we will be travelling on, but close enough for us to be able to take a little look at Coeur d%26#39;Alene.

Any help, greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Leanne.

Journey from Vancouver to Yellowstone National Park

Yes it would be a good place to stop. You will have gotten past Spokane (the last larger city between here and Yellowstone) and any major urban traffic issues. Here is the web site for Coeur d%26#39; Alene tourist information: www.coeurdalene.org Couple of thoughts on hotels. The major downtown hotel is the Coeur d%26#39; Alene Resort, upscale, on the lake, and but well off I 90. There are a wide variety of chain Hotels located along Appleway which is adjacent to I 90 most of which are rated on this site. One hotel that seems to be getting very good ratings on this site is the Holiday Inn Express Coeur d%26#39; Alene , located on Seltice Way which is just off I 90, it is also fairly easy to go from the Holiday Inn Express to downtown and the lake.

Journey from Vancouver to Yellowstone National Park

Thanks so much for your help. Just read the reviews for Holiday Inn Express...sounds good, going to book it.

Thanks

Leanne

Hi. I am a local. I have lived in CDA for more than 20 years. Coeur d%26#39;Alene is beautiful and if you get the chance to spend the whole day here I would recommend it.

While you%26#39;re here make sure you take a walk around the Fort Sherman park by the beach and the floating boardwalk at the CDA resort.

Also be sure to hike the nature trail around Tubbs Hill (right by the resort and the boardwalk). It takes about an hour (two at the very most) to walk around. Very pretty, the best views of the lake, lots of little secluded beaches for swimming or a picnic. You%26#39;ll probably see lots of locals jumping off the cliffs and rocks into the water.

As you are passing through the area you might check out the Route of the Hiawatha. It is about 45 minutes east of CDA on I-90. It was a railway that has been converted to a bike path. It is a 15-mile gradual downhill trail that winds through the mountains – you%26#39;ll go through 10 tunnels and over 7 high trestle bridges (when you get to the bottom you take a bus back up to the top). It has got spectacular views and makes for a great family-friendly adventure. You can rent bikes and headlamps - you%26#39;ll need lights for the very long and very dark Taft tunnel - at the nearby Lookout Ski Resort. Go to this website for more details: http://www.skilookout.com/hiaw/

Good local restaurants...

Tomato Street on Appleway has great Italian food and pasta, their smashed sandwiches are delicious and the atmosphere is really fantastic. This is probably my favorite local restaurant (they have a location in Spokane too) Good wine list and big portion sizes.

White House Grill in nearby Post Falls (only about 3 miles west just off I-90 on the corner of Seltice and Spokane Street) has amazing authentic Greek/Turkish/Mediterranean food…go at lunch time, for dinner you need reservations and even with reservations you will wait forever, but there is usually no waiting at lunch. Ask about the specials and the ';Spring Bowl'; it is not on the menu but always available…their Shepard%26#39;s Salad is great too

If you are wine lovers stop by Barrel No.6 on Sherman Ave. downtown. This local wine bar serves wine grown regionally and made locally by Coeur d%26#39;Alene Cellars, their basic red is great

For fantastic desserts go to the Dockside restaurant in the CDA Resort...their ';Gooey'; sundaes are the best (the sundaes are about $8 each, but big enough to feed 2 or 3 people, you can get a smaller ';personal sized'; sundae too, but that is not as fun) The food at Dockside is good too, but we usually just go for dessert (then take a walk around the boardwalk)

Hudson%26#39;s Hamburgers on Sherman is good for a simple lunch while shopping downtown…their burgers are famous and oh so good…but that is pretty much all they serve, burgers and pie, they have been around for literally about 100 years

Michael D%26#39;s just off Sherman on CDA Lake Drive serves a great breakfast, especially if you like a good omelet – they are not open for dinner, just breakfast and lunch

If you are a coffee lover there are tons of great Cafes here…Java on Sherman has a great drink called the Bowl of Soul (espresso and Mexican hot chocolate, a little on the sweet side, but soooo good) Java is a good place for breakfast too