At 1,800 acres, Elk Mountain is the world's largest aroma hop farm, though
its output represents less than 8 percent of the hops used by A-B. The farm,
which was first planted in 1987, sits just 10 miles from the Canadian
border, north of Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The US-Canadian border is on the same
latitude as the prime hop-growing regions of Europe, and gets 16 hours of
sunlight in the summer. That, combined with swampy, low bottom land, makes
the setting ideal. "Hops like the river bottom, the silty, loamy type of
soil," stated Elk Mountain manager Brad Studer. The climate is wetter than
many other regions; the Elk Mountain farms only have to be irrigated two or
three times a year. Recipient of the Wildlife Habitat Council 1998 "Rookie
of the Year" award for their efforts to manage their lands in an
ecologically sensitive manner. North on 1-90 to Highway 1, left on Copeland
Rd, to Westside Rd and go south for view overlooking fields and processing
plant.
See the North Idaho Lakes Guideand the
North Idaho Rivers Guide
Lake Pend Oreille is the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the west with 111
miles of coastline, and Lake Coeur d'Alene is only a bit smaller, but we
have many other beautiful Alpine and mountain lakes. Boating on Hayden Lake,
Spirit Lake, Lake Cocolalla, or Twin Lakes is a daily activity for much of
the year. We have fantastic white water kayaking, and skiing on the Pend
Oreille River is a fav. So hit the water.
Boating
While Lake
Tahoe is often called too busy, or over-crowded, and for that matter, so is
our own Lake Coeur d’Alene, those descriptives are seldom associated with
Lake Pend Oreille. Big lake, few people. Cool. Nice to be able to open up
the throttle with clear horizons. While ideally you have your own boat with
slip and lakeside views, if renting, try All Season Recreational Rentals
(208-255-2431) or Sandpoint Marina (208-263-3083); or in Hope at Holiday
Shores East Hope Marina (208-264-5515. For non-motorized boating, the
Windbag Marina alongside City Beach rents day-sailors, canoes and
paddleboats. (208-263-7811) Our fav is the Shawnodese, a seriously cool
sightseeing boat with 30-passenger capacity; excursions daily
(208-255-5253). They have been on our radio shows a few times, and at about
half the price of other boat rentals, you can hire one of their jet boats
for a day, ½ day, or by the hour. My suggestion: hire with a captain. While
you might want to prove your competence or manhood by showing how well you
can handle a boat, if you want to partake in cocktails, and don’t know where
the coolest spots on the lake are, a captain, for a very minimal charge, is
a good thing.
The lake is
home to many species of fish, from perch and bass to and cutthroat trout,
and you can successfully shore-fish in many spots. Those are fun to fish,
but our lake is known for two ginormous trout, the mackinaw and rainbow, or
“Kamloops.” Catching one of these trophies is nearly impossible without
specialized knowledge and equipment, so go with a fishing charter for the
best results. Try Pend Oreille Charters (208-265-6781) or Diamond
(208-265-2565) or check the yellow pages.
208-597-6934
ArtTourDrive.org By some estimates, the area north of Coeur d’Alene surrounding
Sandpoint, and centering on Hope has over 500 artists. A group of these
Artists are opening their studios for this self-guided North Idaho driving
tour. Meet artists in their environs and see how it's done. Many of the
studios are open for the season June 1-Sept. 4 with special events in
July. No charge.
www.artonthegreen.org
The 40th Annual Art on the Green is August 1st -3rd
2008 on the North Idaho College Campus. A marketplace,
performance space and a gathering place for friends and families, this
yearly event is the highlight of the summer in Coeur d'Alene. This summer,
135-plus artists, a variety of performers and over 500 volunteers come
together to present Art on the Green for more than 50,000 people to enjoy.
Shuttle bus
services run between the west side of the campus and downtown during the
festival. Art
on the Green is a great place to buy handcrafted works in glass, clay,
leather, wood, metal and fiber directly from the artists. Or if you prefer,
create your own special art in our hands-on-art sections for children and
adults- materials and instructions provided. Enjoy our food selections- old
favorites and new additions. Plan to join in the celebration of art,
creativity and friendship at Art on the Green. Free shuttle bus between the
festival and downtown Coeur d'Alene.
Check out this YouTube Video of the Eagles
Each winter from November through February a migrating population of up to
150 bald eagles visit the Wolf Lodge Bay area of Coeur d'Alene Lake to feed
on spawning kokanee salmon. An
interpretive viewing
program is offered annually from Christmas through New Years during peak
migration. Use this
Eagle Watch Website
to learn more. Prime viewing is during Eagle Watch Week December 26th -
January 1st. At this time there are exhibits with telescopes at the· Mineral
Ridge Boat Launch and the Mineral Ridge Trailhead. Biologists and volunteers
will be available every day during the week to answer questions, except
during the very worst weather conditions. About 11 miles east of Coeur
d'Alene, Idaho. Take US-90 east from Coeur d'Alene for eight miles to Wolf
Lodge Bay (exit 22), then south on Highway 97 for three miles.
208-667-2314
http://www.cdaballoonfest.com/ Every Labor Day weekend Coeur d'Alene has the Lake Coeur d'Alene
BalloonFest. This is an outstanding event that benefits the KOOTENAI ALLIANCE
FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES.
While the BalloonFest does not offer rides, it is a good place to meet these
intrepid sky riders, and garner info on who does offer rides, as well as
other pertinent information. It is hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. They
can give you further tidbits if you call 877-782-9232
Read this article to find out more Bernard Peak
with snow covered north facing cliffs is home to a herd of 50 or more
mountain goats transplanted from the Clearwater National Forest, near
Blackwell Point on Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho.
Spring and fall is the best time to see the goats inhabiting the steep
cliffs on the east side of Lake Pend Oreille near Bernard Peak. The goats
are best seen from a boat or with high-powered binoculars.
Constructed in 1985, this fish hatchery operated by the Idaho Department of
Fish and Game is designed to raise up to 16 million Kokanee salmon annually.
They also raise westslope cutthroat trout, fall chinook salmon and rainbow
trout. All of the Kokanee are released into Lake Pend Oreille each June. The
hatchery is empty of fish from July to October for maintenance. Daily tours
are available.
The Hatchery is located on the Clark Fork River near the town of Clark Fork.
All of the Kokanee salmon are released into Lake Pend Oreille each June.
Daily tours are available 8am-4pm.
Check out this article about the Mission and Kellogg in the NY Times In the early 19th century, the Coeur d'Alene Indians had heard of
these powerful "medicine men" in black robes with a book (Indian word for
black robe is ‘Kaniksu,’ and that is what they called the Jesuit Priests.)
and wanted some of these men for their own tribe. They sent men east to St.
Louis, and in 1842 Father Pierre-Jean De Smet responded to request and came
to the area. Fr. Nicholas Point and Br. Charles Duet came and helped to pick
a mission location. The first was along the St. Joe River, but was subject
to flooding. In 1846, they moved it to the current location.
In 1850, the church was taken over by Jesuit Italian missionary
Antonio Ravalli, who began designing the new mission building. He made sure
that the building was constructed by the Indians themselves, so that they
could feel part of the church. It was built using the wattle and daub
method, and was finished some three years later, without using a single
nail.
In time, the mission became an important stop for traders,
settlers, and miners taking on the role as a hospitality and supply station.
It was also a working port for boats heading up the Coeur d'Alene River.
In 1961, it was designated a National Historic Landmark,
and in 1966 was put on the National Register of Historic Places.
Park hours are 9am-5pm daily all year. It is located 27 miles east of Coeur
d'Alene and 10 miles west of Kellogg on 1-90.
208-769-7780
www.cdasummertheatre.org Established in 1967, The Carrousel Players is Idaho's oldest
performing arts organization, becoming a non-profit corporation in 1984. CST
specializes in production of full-scale Broadway musicals during a 12-week,
36-performance season during the months of June, July and August. CST
performs in The Schuler Performing Arts Center on the campus of North Idaho
College by the shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene in scenic Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Tomlinson Sandpoint
Sotheby's International Realty
200 Main Street
Sandpoint, Idaho
208-610-1384
800-282-6880
Gary
Lirette,
REALTOR®
& host of the radio shows North Idaho Business
as well as North Idaho Arts on KSPT & KBFI in
Sandpoint & Bonners Ferry. When you need your real estate questions
answered...
