Coeur d'Alene Resort: Golf on Floating Greens and More
When you write about travel for a living you spend a lot of time going and coming. When you specialize in five start articles, POSH can get a bit over the top after two weeks for two big five star meals a day. So it's always a treat to write about something that mixes POSH and more affordable activities with reliable food and great water views. If it's near home like Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on what many believe is America's most beautiful alpine lake perfection obtains. Incidentally, my husband and I used to live at Lake Tahoe and we know both Coeur d'Alene and, just to the north, Pend Oreille Lakes are more attractive!
What makes Coeur d'Alene POSH is the Coeur d'Alene Resort with a spa, award winning restaurant Beverly's, and the unique "floating green" on the typically forgiving resort golf course. The rest of town is typically tourist with a bonus of 400 or so antique shops, wonderful fishing and nearby skiing. This compounds to a dandy destination we use as a weekend "special occasion getaway.
TRIP NOTE: Travelers touring the Northwest might take the long scenic route from Vancouver, BC through Hope. Spend a couple of days in Coeur d'Alene before hitting the Snake River Canyon river run and return to the coast down the Columbia River to Portland. Hit the Heathman Hotel for dinner and then head back to Seattle or BC.
COEUR D'ALENE RESORT
The Coeur d'Alene Resort's penthouse suite comes complete with a glass-bottomed swimming pool and a jetted tub that hangs out over the side of the towering hotel that's only a couple of steps from its massive marina on the lake. Several other suites rate as POSH too. There's a dandy indoor pool and hotel guests can use the Spa's Jacuzzi's, Fitness Center pool and workout facilities. There's a nice hill with hiking paths just outside the hotel, and lake tour boats and float planes load up just yards away.
BEVERLY'S
Beverly's perches about half-way up the massive resort tower with dual level dining to maximize views. We've eaten there three or four times. The menu ran to rather usual Northwest offerings, but nicely done and carefully presented, with just enough surprises - buffalo anyone - to make it interesting. The wine list is unusually rich, and the deserts are even richer. So leave room.
You can also get the same deserts downstairs at the casual Dockside where the Sunday Brunch draws mobs. Tito Macaroni's serves, what else, pizza and pasta. It's been awhile since we've eaten dinner at the resort as there's a wonderful Japanese spot just three blocks away in town that gets most of our dinner trade, but lunches at Beverly's are delightfu,l and a stop at Dockside for desert has replaced dinner at times. Deserts are HUGE!
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