Coeur d'Alene

Coeur d'Alene is the largest city in Northern Idaho.

Understand

A century ago Coeur d'Alene was at the epicenter of mining and timber-forestry which dominated the state's early history and politics. Fortunately for visitors, much of that blight is long gone. Today the city is known as a tourist haven for outdoor pursuits. Coeur d'Alene also features a renowned golf course with a free-floating island green, the only such hole in the world. Several other public and private golf courses abound. World class snow skiing is within a 90 minute drive of downtown Coeur d'Alene. Lake Coeur d'Alene offers boating and water-skiing as well as fishing for bass, trout, and salmon.

Often referred to by locals as simply "CDA," Coeur d'Alene is sometimes considered the easternmost edge of of the greater Spokane area, although the city is the anchor of a metro area in its own right. Like much of northern Idaho, Coeur d'Alene often relates more to eastern Washington than it does to southern Idaho and the capitol.

Get in

By Air. The Spokane, Washington International Airport is just 40 minutes west of Coeur d'Alene with non-stop flights arriving daily from cities including Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Boise, Vancouver, Calgary and others. There is ground transportation available from the Spokane Airport to Coeur d’Alene. The following airlines provide service to Spokane International Airport: United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Horizon Airlines, Air Canada, Big Sky Airlines, and America West Airlines. The Coeur d'Alene Airport serves private aircraft and is located just north of Coeur d'Alene.

Airport Shuttles Call Omnibus (208) 667-6664 for ground transportation from Coeur d'Alene to the Spokane Airport.

By Rail Amtrak is stationed in Spokane, WA, just 30 miles west of Coeur d'Alene. For information, call Amtrak at 800-872-7245 or visit www.amtrak.com

Get around

City Link provides free bus transportation to select areas, including the movie theatres and casinos

Do

• Lake Coeur d'Alene Swim on one Coeur d'Alene's long public beach, or travel to other parts of the lake. There is also a parasaling business in CDA. The Lake is also very good for watersports such as skiing or wakeboarding.

• Silverwood Theme Park The park is located a short drive north of Coeur d'Alene. Awesome place for the kids - great rides for all ages. Or visit the adjacent Boulder Beach waterpark. You can easily spend 2 days here at the two parks.

• Wild Waters A small water park located off Interstate 90. There are several waterslides and a childs area as well.
• Red Horse Mountain Dude Ranch, 11077 East Blue Lake Road, ☎ 888-689-9680, [1]. Red Horse Mountain Ranch offers a western dude ranch experience from dining to a wide array of seasonal activities.

• Lake Coeur d'Alene Kayaking, 202 E Sherman Ave, ☎ 800-451-6034, [2]. ROW Adventure Center is the only outfitter who offers kayak trips on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Eat

The CD'A Brewing Company is an outstanding microbrewery / restaurant with the unusual situation, great beers brewed on-site AND great food. The restaurant is a few blocks up from the lake and in the middle of several art galleries. Great for families and a beer on the late summer nights (its still light up here in the summer until about 10:30 PM!)

Drink

• Coeur d'Alene Brewpub [4] - Good brews crafted onsite. Pool and jukebox. Kegs, cases, 6-packs and growlers available. 2nd and Lakeside, downtown. Stumbling distance to the Lake beach, coffee shops, burger joints, post office, and most of the CdA downtown area.

Sleep

• The Roosevelt Inn (The Roosevelt School), 105 East Wallace (just blocks from downtown), ☎ 208-765-5200, [3]. checkin: 3 pm; checkout: 11 am. Relax in historic elegance in this turn of the century re-brick school house converted to CDA's finest bed and breakfast. Easily walking distance to downtown and the lake. $89-319.

Splurge

• The Coeur d'Alene Resort[5] Located on the lake, in the middle of downtown, the CDA Resort also has a golf course with a "Floating Green" and a Marina.

Get out

Routes through Coeur d'Alene

Spokane ←

W  E

→ Wallace → Missoula

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!