Since Coeur d'Alene is a walker's town, check in or park. The Coeur d'Alene Resort gets, and deserves, the upscale trade. There are a host of B&B's and all the usual motel chains and RV parks. We particularly like the RV park at Silverwood about 15 minutes or so north of town. It's just across the highway from Silverwood Theme Park with its classic aircraft and lively amusement park built around the old Knott's Berry Farm roller coaster. More on Silverwood later. There are decent cabins, motels and hookups off Highway 95 north of town and at lakeside resorts like Squaw Bay or Arrow Point. One, Lake Coeur d'Alene RV Park, also has jet ski rentals. Parks and motels in town seem a bit noisy on summer weekends, but fine otherwise. If you park downtown in lots near the Coeur d'Alene Resort you might pick up a London Tour Bus and rubberneck around town from the top deck while you note spots to visit later. You can also park near the Museum of North Idaho near the spot where Coeur d'Alene empties into the Spokane River. The Museum's logging displays remember logging's past, and the nearby Fort Sherman, built in 1877 by the military, is worth a quick visit. Do realize that many locals and frisky visitors walk or bike around town, and rental bikes and motorbikes are available. Rental power, paddle, sail and "bike" boats offer another attractive way to look at the lakeshore.
Shop Until You Drop
Since town is so compact, walking in the fifteen or twenty blocks around the Coeur d'Alene Resort puts you past or into most of the best antique and crafts shops. More shops scatter north out of town along Highway 95 as quality and prices, and one can assume, rents seem to decrease with distance from the lake. First time the number, and variety of antique shops always astonishes visitors. Big city visitors find the prices astonishingly low too. With bargains so available you can devote a day or more to prime spots like the Wiggett or Coeur d'Alene Antique Malls where dozens of booths offer a Fibber McGee's closet of choices. Art Galleries like Frame of Mind show the variety of artists attracted to the area by the fine scenery and moderate prices. The Mall connected to the Coeur d'Alene Resort has some exceptional art too.
When we visit Coeur d'Alene, we stage our day. Scenic photography, sightseeing flights and slow "rubber necking" drives are best early. Tours, aquatic activities and attractions outside town fill the middle of the day. This works up hearty appetites for fine local restaurants and, for the disco minded, nightlife. Or for my husband, nighttime brings a chance to molest fish.
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