The Garnet Cafe (Breakfast & Coffee): A local favorite for breakfast downtown, which means a wait on a weekend. Put your name down, walk the block to the lake, and come back for it.
Le Peep (Breakfast & Coffee): Breakfast and brunch with outdoor seating right on the river in Riverstone. A long menu, and that patio is the whole reason to go in the summer.
Timberline Adventures (activities): A zipline course that builds all afternoon to one 800-foot line across an entire valley. Easily one of the best organized tours in the area.
Centennial trail viewing point (activities): The paved trail runs twenty-four miles from Higgens Point through to Post Falls and on into Spokane. Flat, scenic, and good for bikes or a long walk.
Tubbs Hill - Hiking trail with lake views in Coeur d'Alene (Hiking Trails): A two-mile loop around the headland straight from downtown, with coves to swim off. The single best walk in Coeur d'Alene, and it costs nothing.
McEuen Park (attractions): The big downtown park at the foot of Tubbs Hill, with a splash pad and playground. Where most Coeur d'Alene days seem to either start or finish.
Floating Boardwalk (attractions): One of the longest floating boardwalks in the world, wrapping the Resort marina. A twenty-minute loop out over the lake, and best at sunset.
Fort Sherman Playground (activities): A big shaded playground a short walk from both downtown and the beach. Useful to know about when the kids need twenty minutes to run it all off.
Mineral Ridge Scenic Area - Hiking and sightseeing (Hiking Trails): A 3.3-mile loop climbing to an overlook above Beauty Bay, with interpretive signs. The best lake view you can earn in about ninety minutes flat.
Honey Eatery and Social Club (Places to eat): Seasonal bistro plates and brunch upstairs, a dim cocktail room downstairs. Two completely different nights out at the same Sherman Avenue address.
Franklin's Hoagies (Places to eat): A tiny counter turning out hot hoagies and breakfast sandwiches to order. Cheap, fast, and a genuine local habit rather than a visitor stop.
Jimmy's Down the Street (Places to eat): A classic diner on Sherman that has outlasted most things around it. Big breakfasts, bottomless coffee, booths, and absolutely zero pretense.
Seasons of Coeur d'Alene (Places to eat): A quiet downtown dining room built around a short seasonal menu. Small, calm, and far better suited to a slow dinner than it is to a quick one.
The Olympia (Places to eat): A long-standing Greek kitchen downtown, heavy on both the garlic and the hospitality. A simple room with very generous plates coming out of it.
Moon Time (Places to eat): A dark, friendly pub on Sherman with far better food than it needs to have. Good beer list, and a crowd made up of actual Coeur d'Alene locals.
Syringa (Places to eat): Japanese small plates and sushi named after the Idaho state flower. Creative rolls, and a room that locals here have kept full for years now.
The Buoy Bar & Grill (Places to eat): A straightforward bar and grill near the water with far more locals than visitors. Good for a burger and a beer without any planning at all.
Top This Frozen Yogurt & Treats (Places to eat): Build-your-own frozen yogurt with a long wall of toppings to work through. A reliable way to end a hot afternoon when nobody wants the same thing.
Sushi I (Places to eat): A long-running neighborhood sushi bar priced well below the downtown rooms. Nothing flashy about it, just consistent rolls and quick service.
2-Hours Guided Segway Tour in Coeur d'Alene (activities): A small-group roll through downtown taking in McEuen Park, Fort Sherman and the waterfront. A genuinely fun way to get your bearings on day one.
Bluegrass Park (attractions): A neighborhood park with ball fields, a playground and plenty of grass. Not a destination, but handy if you need somewhere to let everyone loose.
Regal Riverstone (activities): A comfortable big-screen theater in Riverstone with recliners and good sound. Dinner and a film without leaving the block is an easy evening.
Westside Pizza (Places to eat): Takeout pizza done well, which matters more than it sounds when you have a full house. Order ahead and collect it on the way back from the lake.
Sunset Bowling Center (activities): An old-school bowling alley in town, nothing modernized about it. Cheap lanes, cold drinks, and more fun than the newer places for exactly that reason.
Bardenay Restaurant & Distillery - Coeur d'Alene (Places to eat): The country's first restaurant and distillery, and a Riverstone staple. Good for a long lunch, and the gin comes from the tanks you can see.
Pastry and More (Places to eat): A local cake and pastry shop that also puts out a proper lunch menu. Where people here go when a birthday cake is needed on very short notice.
Big Red's Barn Indoor Animal Experience and Education (attractions): An indoor animal experience on Government Way where kids can actually get close. A reliable hour when the weather has ruined the outdoor plan.
Museum of North Idaho (attractions): A small, well-made museum on the logging, steamboat and tribal history of the lake. An hour here changes how the whole area looks afterward.
Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Company CDA Pub (Breweries): A no-nonsense craft brewery and pub with solid food to go alongside it. Local beer, local crowd, and none of the fuss some taprooms insist on.
Cricket's Restaurant and Oyster Bar (Places to eat): Oysters and steaks on Sherman since 1985, now Thursday through Sunday from 11:30. The owners split the building and River & Rye took the other half.
Fisherman’s Market & Grill (Places to eat): Half fish counter and half lunch spot. Eat in, or buy sushi-grade fish to take back and put together your own dinner at the house that night.
Anthony's at Coeur d'Alene (Places to eat): Northwest seafood right on the Spokane River in Riverstone. Ask for a patio table about an hour before sunset and order the alder-planked salmon.
Satay Bistro (Places to eat): Where we go when we are treating ourselves. Southeast Asian plates, a thoughtful wine list, and some of the best cooking you will find in town.
Beverly's (Places to eat): Seventh floor of the Resort with the whole lake laid out below you. This is the special-occasion table in Coeur d'Alene, so book it well ahead.
Elmer's Restaurant (Coeur d'Alene, ID) (Breakfast & Coffee): Big comfort breakfasts and a welcoming room off the freeway. We order the German pancake every single time and have never once regretted it.
Meltz Extreme Grilled Cheese (Places to eat): Grilled cheese taken well past reasonable, in the best possible way. A guaranteed hit with kids and a bit of a soft spot for the rest of us.
Fire Artisan Pizza (Places to eat): Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza in the middle of downtown. Charred crusts, creative combinations, and a room that fills up fast on a weekend night.
Rokko’s Teriyaki and BBQ (Places to eat): Fast, generous teriyaki plates that will carry you through the whole afternoon. A quiet local favorite for a cheap and genuinely filling lunch.
CaddyShack (Places to eat): Golf simulators, a full menu and plenty of room for a group. One of our better rainy-afternoon plans for when the lake is not cooperating at all.
The Crown & Thistle Pub (Places to eat): A proper British pub downtown, dark wood and low ceilings included. Fish and chips, a pint of something real, and a dart board in the corner.
315 Cuisine (Places to eat): Tucked into a private garden four blocks off the lake, this is where we send guests who want to be downtown without being in the middle of downtown.
Midtown Bluebird (Places to eat): Small, stylish and consistently excellent, with a wine list to match the food. One of the dinners we end up recommending most often in Midtown.
Hudson's Hamburgers (Places to eat): Five generations at the same counter since 1907. Cash only, no fries, and the hot mustard is the whole point. A Coeur d'Alene rite of passage.
Capone's Pub & Grill (Places to eat): The local sports pub, with games on every screen and a deep tap list. The pastrami is the thing that people drive across town for on a Sunday.
Vault Coffee (Breakfast & Coffee): A small downtown cafe in an old bank building, vault door and all. Good espresso and a quiet corner, a block off the Sherman Avenue traffic.
Fine Brewed Cafe (Breakfast & Coffee): A social little cafe that we keep coming back to for a quick breakfast. Good coffee, and a mimosa list far longer than it has any right to be.
Evans Brothers Coffee (Breakfast & Coffee): Some of the best coffee in North Idaho, roasted up in Sandpoint. At the Coeur d'Alene shop, grab something from Bean and Pie to go alongside it.
Vantage Point Brewing Company (Breweries): A big, open brewery downtown with a long beer list and a full food menu. Enough room that a whole group can turn up without having to call ahead.
Daft Badger Brewing (Breweries): A downtown brewery where the kitchen is as good as the beer, which is not always the case. Big patio, and an easy walk down from Sherman Avenue.
Marie Creek Trailhead (Hiking Trails): An 8.7-mile out and back following the creek through thick forest east of town. Quiet, shaded, and you will rarely pass more than a few people.
Bakery By The Lake At Parkside (Breakfast & Coffee): Coffee and something sweet one block from City Park and the Tubbs Hill trailhead. Our go-to for grabbing breakfast on the way down to the beach.
Shiki Sushi Bar & Japanese Grill (Places to eat): Our regular sushi stop downtown. Sit at the bar and let the chef send a few things over, you will do better than ordering off the printed list.
Prairie pavilion (Places to eat): Rotating food trucks parked around shared tables out on the prairie. Check who is parked there that day, the lineup changes through the week.
Panhandle Cone & Coffee (other): Hand-crafted ice cream and local coffee under one roof downtown. Works equally well as a morning stop or as the last thing on a summer night.
The Salvation Army Kroc Center (activities): A huge community center with pools, waterslides, a gym and a climbing wall. Day passes available, and a lifesaver on a cold or wet afternoon.
My Sushi Sensei (activities): A two-hour class where you roll four styles of sushi with an instructor doing the hard parts. A good rainy-day plan, and you eat what you make.
Moose Lounge (bars): Home of the moose mug, and a downtown fixture for very good reason. Live music, a real crowd, and a bar that has earned its regulars over years.
The Goat Lounge (bars): An upstairs lounge for adults only, with craft cocktails, wine and tapas. The most grown-up room downtown and a good way to start an evening.
Iron Horse (bars): A Sherman Avenue institution with a long American menu, live music and karaoke nights. Not quiet, not trying to be, and all the better for it.
Lucky Monkey (shopping): A downtown clothing shop with an actual point of view, rather than the usual lake-town souvenir racks. Good for a gift you did not plan to buy.
Downtown Coeur d'Alene (shopping): Sherman Avenue runs from the lake up through the old town, lined with independent shops, galleries and bars. Park once and walk the whole thing.
Silver Lake Mall (shopping): The indoor mall on the north end of town, now anchored heavily by outdoor gear. A practical stop if the weather turns and you need to re-kit.
Vicino Pizza Neapolitan Style Pizzeria (Places to eat): Neapolitan pizza with a soft, blistered crust, just over near Riverstone. The half jalapeno, sausage and honey is the one people come back for.
T-Blue Boutique (Riverstone) (shopping): A Riverstone boutique with stock that turns over constantly, so it is never the same visit twice. The owner and her team make it worth going.
Rumour Boutique (shopping): A small downtown boutique mixing clothing with home pieces, beautifully laid out. Easy to walk in for a look and walk back out with two things.
The Well~Read Moose (shopping): An independent bookshop with a cafe tucked in the back at Riverstone. The staff picks are good, and it is a lovely place to wait out the rain.
City Park (attractions): The main downtown beach and green, where the boardwalk and the swimming beach meet. The center of Coeur d'Alene summer, and free to everyone.
Jump For Joy (attractions): An indoor trampoline park that will exhaust the kids completely in about an hour. Socks are required, and it gets loud on a weekend afternoon.
Frontier Ice Arena (attractions): Public skate sessions and skate rental year round, which is useful in winter. Check the schedule, open sessions move around the hockey bookings.
Cherry Hill Park (attractions): Pickleball and tennis courts, a playground and trails running up into Canfield. One of the better neighborhood parks on the north side of town.
Lake Coeur d'Alene Cruises (activities): The best seat on the lake is the deck of a cruise boat. Sunset sailings in summer, and the holiday light cruises run from November into January.
KJ Watersports Boat Rentals (activities): Boat and watercraft rentals on the lake, and the easiest way onto the water without owning anything. Book a few days ahead in July and August.
Pizza Factory (Places to eat): Straightforward family pizza with a salad bar and big booths. The easy answer when you have a carful of kids and nobody can agree on anything.
The Daily Brew (Places to eat): A drive-through coffee stand that locals are genuinely loyal to. Consistent espresso, a friendly window, and quicker than anywhere downtown.
Angel Art Gallery (attractions): A warm little gallery on Sherman with a genuinely varied collection. The owners are usually in and happy to talk about the artists on the walls.
J. Rome Gallery (attractions): A contemporary gallery downtown that feels more like someone's beautifully kept front room. Easy to wander into and surprisingly hard to leave.
Pilgrim's Market (shopping): Local natural foods grocer with a hot bar, good cheese and a deep bulk aisle. Where we shop for the house rather than the big-box stores in town.
Yummy Crab (Places to eat): Seafood boils poured straight onto the table, bibs on and hands in. Loud, messy and a lot of fun with a group that does not mind a bit of mess.
Vine and Olive Eatery and Wine Bar (Places to eat): European small plates and a deep wine list right on Sherman Avenue. Good for a long, unhurried evening with a group that likes to sit and linger.
Dockside Restaurant (Places to eat): Lakefront dining at the Resort that actually works with kids in tow. Save some room, because the ice cream sundaes here are a local tradition.
Terraza Waterfront by De Leon's (Places to eat): Mexican plates on a deck hanging out over the Spokane River in Riverstone. The best summer patio in town on an evening when the sun is fully out.
Hokkaido Ramen & Boba Tea (Places to eat): Proper bowls of ramen and a long boba list in a small, friendly room. Exactly what you want on a grey North Idaho afternoon in the shoulder season.
Crafted Tap House + Kitchen (bars): A long wall of taps downtown and a kitchen that holds up its end of things. Lively most nights, and the easiest place to meet a group for a drink.
Maha Coffee Roasters (Places to eat): A small roaster with a warm room and a careful hand on the espresso machine. Good for an hour with a laptop or a quiet morning conversation.
DOMA Coffee Roasting Company - Cafe (Places to eat): One of the Northwest's better roasters, with a cafe looking out over the river. Beautifully built room, and the beans travel well as a gift.
Roots Wood Fire (Places to eat): Wood-fired pizza with a short, confident menu and a warm room behind it. Easy to walk into midweek when the rest of downtown is fully packed out.
Husky Boys (Places to eat): A Midtown sandwich shop building genuinely oversized subs to order. Add a cookie on the side, they bake them in-house and they are still warm.
Back Pocket Bakery (Places to eat): Sourdough built on a house starter and clean non-GMO flour. Go early on a weekend, because the good loaves and the bagels are gone by mid-morning.
Bear Paw Cookies Bakery (Places to eat): Family-run shop turning out enormous warm cookies, crepes and ice cream. An easy win with kids, and a reliable bribe on the drive back home.
Caruso's Sandwiches and Artisan Pizza (Places to eat): Brick-fired pizza and subs on bread baked that same morning. Counter service over on Ironwood, quick enough to fit into a day of running around.
Chalice Brewing (bars): A three-barrel brewhouse on Sherman in a historic storefront, original brick and tile intact. Small batches, so the list changes week to week.
El Jefe's Grill Mexican BBQ (Places to eat): Sinaloa-style Mexican barbecue grilled over mesquite, over on Best Avenue. Family owned, and easily one of the more interesting plates in town.
Gelato By The Lake (Places to eat): Scratch-made gelato on Sherman, steps from the City Park beach. The owner trained in Italy and it shows. Perfect after a loop around Tubbs Hill.
Lantern Donuts (other): Chef-made donuts and pastries on Sherman, with coffee roasted in-house. Go early, the interesting flavors sell out before the morning is over.
Izzy's Comfort Kitchen (Places to eat): Scratch Southern cooking on 4th Street from a husband-and-wife team. Cozy, a little bit country, and one of the better finds in all of Midtown.
Pho Thanh & Cafe Inc (Places to eat): North Idaho's first Vietnamese restaurant, family-run since 2004 on 4th Street. A deep bowl of pho from here fixes most things, weather included.
Ten/6 (Places to eat): Cajun and Creole brunch in a full Alice in Wonderland setting on Government Way. Theatrical, a little bit odd, and genuinely very good cooking.
The Lanai (Places to eat): Hawaiian-inspired breakfast and lunch in Midtown, opened by Maui restaurant people. The coffee comes from their own roastery back home on Maui.
Treehouse CDA (bars): Elevated comfort food in a room with real character to it. Good for a date night, or a dinner where you want to make a little bit of an effort.
The Cedars Floating Restaurant (Places to eat): A dining room floating on the Spokane River, tied up there since 1965. Steak, seafood and a sunset. Call ahead and ask for a table by a window.
Malvagio's Italian Trattoria (Places to eat): Pasta made that morning and wood-fired pizza, set well away from the downtown rush. It feels like a neighborhood place because that is what it is.
Roger's Ice Cream & Burgers (Places to eat): A walk-up window that has been pouring shakes since 1940. Order at the counter, eat at a picnic table, and watch the neighborhood go past you.
Blue Creek Bay Recreation Site and Trail (Hiking Trails): A peaceful forested walk along Blue Creek with views out over Wolf Lodge Bay. Close enough to town to fit into a morning before anything else.
La Condesa (bars): A moody Latin cocktail lounge downtown, modeled on Mexico City. They hand you a glass of champagne at the host stand before you even sit down.
Trolley Pub CDA (activities): A pedal-powered bar on wheels that loops the downtown pubs. Best with a group of your own, and surprisingly hard work after the second stop.
Trader Joe's (other): The one people always ask about before they arrive. Useful for stocking the house on arrival day, and the only location in the Idaho panhandle.
Giuseppe's Pasta Posto Osteria (Places to eat): Hand-made pasta on Sherman Avenue, opened this year in the old Collective Kitchen space. Small menu, done properly, and booking ahead is wise.
Coyol Cocina & Tequila (Places to eat): Traditional Mexican cooking from family recipes, opened on Sunset this summer. A long tequila list and plates you will not find elsewhere in town.
Journey to the North Pole Cruise (activities): A forty-minute cruise out through the lights to the North Pole, running mid-November into January. Book early, the evening sailings go first.
Bald eagle watching at Higgens Point (attractions): Dozens of eagles gather over Wolf Lodge Bay to fish the kokanee run from late November into January. Drive out to Higgens Point and bring binoculars.
Holiday Light Show at The Coeur d'Alene Resort (attractions): Over 1.5 million lights go up around the Resort and out onto the lake. The ceremony and fireworks land on the Friday after Thanksgiving each year.
The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course (activities): Home of the world's only floating green, reached by boat as part of the round. Even non-golfers end up watching the 14th hole from the shore.
Coral Cafe (Breakfast & Coffee): Scratch breakfast and brunch on east Sherman, new this summer. A small room, a short menu, and a welcome alternative to the downtown waits now.
Crescent Moon Sourdough (Breakfast & Coffee): A Midtown sourdough bakery and coffee counter with seating outside. New this year, and a quieter alternative to the downtown breakfast scramble.
Florette (Breakfast & Coffee): A new downtown spot covering coffee, breakfast and pastry in one stop. Handy for guests who want all of it without walking three different blocks.
House of Brunch (Breakfast & Coffee): The Spokane brunch favorite opened a downtown room on Lakeside this year. Generous plates, and close enough to walk to from most of the lakefront.
People's Waffle (Breakfast & Coffee): Sweet and savory waffles on 4th Street, and the whole kitchen is gluten-free. Genuinely useful to know if anyone in the group cannot eat wheat.
208 Banh Mi (Places to eat): Vietnamese sandwiches from a truck parked on East Sherman. Cheap, fast, and a genuine change of pace from the burger and pizza run downtown.
Bunker Birdie (Places to eat): A new late-night option in Riverstone, which that end of town has been short of. Walkable from both of the Riverstone condos for a late bite.
Nan's Authentic Thai (Places to eat): Thai cooking out of a truck, and new to the area this year. Coeur d'Alene has never had much Thai, so this one is genuinely worth seeking out.
River & Rye (Places to eat): The new half of the Cricket's building facing Sherman, under the same owners. Craft cocktails and a menu leaning Spanish, French and Italian.
The Golden Skewer (Places to eat): Skewers off a grill on East Sherman, new to the lineup this year. Exactly the sort of truck worth tracking down rather than settling for a chain.
Canfield Mountain Loop (Hiking Trails): A 5.6 mile loop on the mountain that sits right above the town. Shared with dirt bikes in stretches, so keep an ear out on the blind corners.
East Canfield Butte, Trail D (Hiking Trails): A harder 6.4 mile route up the east side of Canfield, with the whole valley and Hayden laid out at the top. Earn it and the view pays you back.
Sazia Pastry House (Breakfast & Coffee): A pastry house and coffee counter opening on East Sherman. Check it is open before sending anyone, but it is one to keep an eye on this winter.
Calypsos Coffee Roasting (Breakfast & Coffee): A downtown roaster that has been here longer than most of the competition. Comfortable chairs, strong coffee, and a room people settle into.
Tito's Italian Grill & Wine Shop (Places to eat): Italian cooking on Sherman with a wine shop attached, so you can take the bottle you liked home with you. Reliable for a group dinner downtown.
Mudgy and Millie statue walk (activities): Five bronzes of a moose and a mouse hidden around downtown, from the local children's book. A free scavenger hunt that keeps small kids moving.
Hayden, Idaho
Kootenai County Farmers' Market (Places to eat): Saturday mornings from May through October, with a Wednesday market too. Local produce, bread and makers that are well worth the early start.
Chomper Cafe (Breakfast & Coffee): One of our favorite breakfast spots anywhere up here, and it happens to be in Hayden. Small, busy, and well worth the wait on a weekend morning.
Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center (attractions): A small aviation and invention museum that is far better than you expect. We tell people to stop in and they always come back surprised by it.
Raptor Reef Indoor Water Park (attractions): Indoor slides, a wave pool and an outdoor hot tub at Triple Play in Hayden. Evening sessions are cheaper and noticeably less crowded than afternoons.
Hayden Discount Cinema (activities): Second-run films at a fraction of the usual ticket price up in Hayden. A cheap, easy evening, and the kind of small-town theater worth keeping.
Northwest Pizza Company (Places to eat): A women-owned Hayden pizzeria that is not at all shy with the toppings. Solid, no-drama dinner if you are staying north of town and want takeout.
The Bee's Knees Whiskey Bar (bars): A proper whiskey bar in Hayden with craft cocktails and a deep back bar. Quiet enough to actually talk, which is rarer around here than it sounds.
Belle’s Brunch House (Places to eat): A small family-run brunch house in Hayden, unhurried and unpretentious. Worth the drive north when the downtown breakfast waits get out of hand.
The Moose Lounge North (bars): The Hayden outpost of the Moose, same welcome and a little more elbow room. Where the north-end locals tend to end up on a Friday night out.
Flame and Cork (Places to eat): Handmade wood-fired pizza in Hayden with a proper wine list behind it. Warmer and quieter than the downtown pizzerias, and easier to get into.
Thirst Taphouse (bars): A cozy Hayden taphouse with a rotating board and decent food to go with it. A good unwinding spot after a day out on the north end of the lake.
Cochinito Taqueria - Hayden (Places to eat): Chef-driven Mexican street food on Government Way, built on local ingredients. Order the al pastor and whatever agave drink they are pouring.
Mad Bomber Brewing (Breweries): A Hayden taproom with a big range on tap and room to spread out. Easy to reach from the north-end properties and usually not crowded midweek.
English Point Trails (Hiking Trails): Gentle forested loops above Hayden Lake, well signed and easy underfoot. Our pick when you want a walk in the woods without earning it first.
The Porch Public House (Places to eat): A big wraparound deck looking out over Hayden Lake and a pub menu to match. The afternoon stop we recommend most on the north end in summer.
Liberty Lake, Idaho
Pentagon Bistro & Martini Bar (Places to eat): Twenty minutes west in Liberty Lake, with a seriously long martini list. Worth the short drive for a dinner well away from all the lake crowds.
Liberty Lake Regional Park (Hiking Trails): An 8.4-mile loop through old-growth cedar to Liberty Creek Falls, twenty minutes west. Roughly four hours and 1,500 feet of climbing in total.
Hayden Lake, Idaho
Triple Play Family Fun Park (attractions): Go-karts, laser tag, bowling, axe throwing and a water park in one building. The all-in answer for a day when the weather will not cooperate.
Naples, Idaho
McArthur Lake WMA Access - Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game (attractions): A quiet state wildlife area north of Sandpoint, good for birds and moose at dawn. Bring binoculars and go early, before the road traffic picks up.
Harrison Lake Trailhead (Hiking Trails): A climb to an alpine lake in the Selkirks, north of Sandpoint. Steep in places and worth every step, with the lake entirely to yourself midweek.
Roman Nose Lakes Trailhead (Hiking Trails): Three alpine lakes in the Selkirks reached on a short, steep trail. A proper day hike from the Sandpoint side, best from July into September.
Sandpoint, Idaho
Blue Heron Cafe & Samuel Store (Places to eat): An old store and cafe on the way into Sandpoint, friendly and entirely unhurried. Good salmon, daily steak specials, and very generous desserts.
Schweitzer Mountain Resort (Ski Resorts): Two big bowls above Sandpoint with long gladed runs and views over Lake Pend Oreille. The best mountain in the Inland Northwest for a family week.
Festival At Sandpoint (attractions): An outdoor summer concert series on the water at Memorial Field. Bring low chairs and a picnic, and check the lineup before you plan an August trip.
Family canoe adventure down North Idaho's Pack River! (activities): A slow, shallow paddle down the Pack River into Lake Pend Oreille. Easy enough for families, and you will likely have long stretches to yourselves.
Sandpoint City Beach Park (attractions): A long swimming beach and park on Lake Pend Oreille, right in Sandpoint. Shallow and calm, with the Cedar Street bridge just a short walk away.
Mickinnick Trail (Hiking Trails): Three and a half miles and 2,200 feet straight up above Sandpoint. Steep the whole way, and the lake view at the top is the reward for all of it.
Pend d'Oreille Bay Trail (Hiking Trails): An easy mile and a half along the shoreline just outside Sandpoint. Flat the whole way, so it suits everyone and it works in almost any weather.
Schweitzer Nature Trail (Hiking Trails): An easy two mile loop around the village at Schweitzer, open through the summer. Ride the lift up and walk the ridge before heading back down.
Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters (Breakfast & Coffee): The original roastery, where the beans for the Coeur d'Alene shop are roasted. Start a Sandpoint day here, it is two blocks off the main street.
MickDuff's Beer Hall (Breweries): Brewing in Sandpoint since 2006. The Cedar Street beer hall has the big patio, live music and trivia, and the pub up on 2nd does the family menu.
Panhandle Cone & Coffee - Sandpoint (Breakfast & Coffee): The Sandpoint side of the Panhandle Cone family, and the right last stop of a day up north. Hand-crafted ice cream, and coffee if the weather turns.
Pend d'Oreille Winery (bars): A working winery in a historic downtown building, pouring tastings with live music most evenings. Bistro Rouge next door handles the food side.
Panida Theater (attractions): A 1927 movie house still running as the heart of downtown Sandpoint. Check what is on, it ranges from film festivals to touring bands and comedy.
Matchwood Brewing Company (Breweries): Opened in 2017 on Oak Street and quietly very good. The Spruce Tip Pale Ale took a medal at the Great American Beer Festival and is the one to try.
Di Luna's Cafe (Places to eat): Breakfast through lunch on Cedar Street, built around local produce. The small gift shop attached makes it an easy place to lose half an hour.
Hydra Steakhouse (Places to eat): Open on Lake Street since 1975 and barely changed. Prime rib, a proper salad bar, and the sort of room Sandpoint has kept going for fifty years.
Idaho Pour Authority (bars): Sixteen rotating taps and a whole wall of bottles to take away. The best place in town to work out what the Inland Northwest is actually brewing.
Pack River Store (Places to eat): A country store out on Rapid Lightning Road with a genuinely serious kitchen behind it. House-cured meats, and you need to reserve before going.
Oak Street Food Court (Places to eat): A permanent home for Sandpoint's food trucks, with shared tables in the middle. Everyone picks something different and the lineup changes through the week.
219 Lounge (bars): A proper old downtown bar with more taps than anywhere else in Sandpoint, and live music most weekends. Where the night tends to end up there.
Athol, Idaho
Silverwood Theme Park (attractions): The Northwest's largest theme park, twenty minutes north, with Boulder Beach attached. Go on a weekday and get there as the gates are opening.
Farragut State Park (attractions): Four thousand acres on Lake Pend Oreille with trails, swimming and five disc golf courses. A small day-use fee, and the Brig museum is worth a look.
Candle in the Woods (Places to eat): A fourteen-course wine-paired dinner served like a party at a friend's house, twenty minutes north. Book months out, this is a destination meal.
Sweet Lou's Restaurant and Tap House (Places to eat): Two miles north of Silverwood with twenty-four taps and a big sunny patio. The obvious landing spot after a long day out at the theme park there.
Beacon Pizza & Tap House (Places to eat): The community hub out on Old Highway 95, with specialty pizzas, a wall of taps and arcade games in the corner for the kids to disappear into.
Country Boy Cafe (Places to eat): A North Idaho landmark diner in Athol with a loyal local following. Chicken fried steak and biscuits, and portions nobody finishes on their own.
Tandoori grill & bar -Athol (other): Authentic Indian cooking out on Old Highway 95 in Athol, of all the places. Butter chicken, fresh naan, and a long list of vegetarian options.
Coffee Corral (Breakfast & Coffee): The coffee stop in Athol, and the last one before the Bayview road. Worth building into the morning if you are heading out onto the water early.
Bumblebee Burger's (Places to eat): A straightforward burger counter in Athol, handy on the way back from Farragut or Silverwood. Quick, filling, and no waiting around for a table.
The Iron Pizza Company (Places to eat): Table-service pizza in Athol with live music some nights. One of the closest proper sit-down dinners to the Bayview house, about fifteen minutes out.
Pastime Club (bars): An Athol bar with a patio and live music, and the local crowd to match. The nearest real evening out from Bayview without driving into town.
Kellogg, Idaho
Silver Mountain Resort (Ski Resorts): Thirty minutes east in Kellogg, reached by the longest gondola in North America. Skiing in winter and an indoor waterpark open all year round.
Mullan, Idaho
Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area (Ski Resorts): An hour east on I-90 at the Montana line, averaging over 400 inches of dry powder. Four lifts, 34 runs, and a famous free ski school for kids.
Route of the Hiawatha Trail (attractions): Fifteen downhill miles through ten tunnels and over seven high trestles. Bring lights, rent bikes at the top, and take the shuttle back up after.
Mead, Idaho
Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park (Ski Resorts): A nonprofit hill with 52 runs and seven lifts, about an hour and a quarter west. Affordable lift tickets and a genuinely friendly local feel.
Kootenai County, Idaho
West Canfield Butte (Hiking Trails): A 3.2-mile out and back climbing the butte behind Dalton Gardens. Short, steep enough to feel it, and the view over the valley pays you back.
Elk River, Idaho
Beauty Creek Trailhead (Hiking Trails): A forested climb up from the Beauty Bay campground on the east shore. Eleven miles out and back if you go the distance, and shaded most of the way.
Post Falls, Idaho
White Pine Park (attractions): A well-kept Post Falls playground shaded by big trees, so it stays cool. Four slides, swings and a climbing structure, and good for birthdays.
River City Lanes (activities): Bowling, arcade and food under one roof in Post Falls. Our standard answer for a rainy afternoon with a mixed-age group to keep entertained.
Anchored Coffee & Bakery (Breakfast & Coffee): Post Falls coffee with a bakery-leaning kitchen behind the counter. The breakfast burritos and bagel sandwiches are better than they need to be.
Republic Kitchen+Taphouse (Places to eat): A Post Falls taphouse with a good patio and a kitchen that takes itself seriously. Our usual stop on the way back in from the Rathdrum side.
Sawmill Grille & Spirits (Places to eat): A rustic Post Falls kitchen doing wood-fired plates and craft cocktails. The upstairs whiskey lounge is the real reason to stay on a while longer.
The Oval Office (Places to eat): An intimate Post Falls dining room with elevated plates and a signature martini. Our usual suggestion for a date night north of the river here.
The White House Grill (Places to eat): Mediterranean cooking in Post Falls, famously and unapologetically heavy on the garlic. You will smell like it afterward. It is entirely worth it.
Q'emiln Park (attractions): Trails, swimming and rock climbing along the Spokane River in Post Falls. The granite walls draw climbers, and the river beach stays fairly quiet.
Falls Park (attractions): Overlooks the Post Falls dam and the gorge below it, with walking paths and a fishing pond. The viewpoints are better than the parking lot suggests.
Up North Distillery (Breweries): A small Post Falls distillery running tours and tastings of award-winning spirits. Their honey-based liqueurs are the ones worth taking home.
Jitterz Espresso (Breakfast & Coffee): One of our favorite drive-through stands, locally owned and kept affordable. Great coffee, good drinks, and a few small things to eat as well.
Post Falls Pavilion (Places to eat): A food truck court with indoor and outdoor seating, so everyone picks their own dinner. Good for groups that cannot settle on a single kitchen.
Beau Monde Outlet Post Falls (shopping): A Post Falls outlet with a genuinely curated rack rather than picked-over leftovers. Worth a stop if you like digging around for a good find.
Yoke's Fresh Market - Post Falls (shopping): A regional grocer with a strong deli and produce section over in Post Falls. Closer than town for anyone staying on the west side of the river.
The Wellness Bar Post Falls (Places to eat): Smoothie bowls, cold-pressed juice and lighter plates over in Post Falls. Useful after a few days of eating your way around the lake nonstop.
Supa! Authentic Japanese Kitchen | Post Falls (Places to eat): A small, spotless Post Falls kitchen cooking Japanese home food rather than sushi-bar standards. The katsu curry is the one to start with here.
Burger Bunker (Places to eat): An unfussy Post Falls burger counter doing all the classics properly. Big portions, fair prices, and almost never a wait worth worrying about.
The Old European Restaurant (Places to eat): Scandinavian breakfast made entirely from scratch. Order the aebleskivers, the little Danish pancake spheres, and do not agree to share them.
Emma's (Places to eat): Looking out over the golf course in Post Falls, with live music most weekends. An easy, low-key evening if you are staying on the Rathdrum side.
Fu-Ki Japanese Steakhouse (Places to eat): Teppanyaki tables with the full knife-and-fire show, plus a sushi bar. The most reliable group dinner in Post Falls when nobody can agree on one.
Dam Bar & Restaurant (Places to eat): Inside Templin's on the Spokane River, with water views from most of the tables. Northwest plates and cocktails, and a good quiet dinner out.
Capone's Pub & Grill Post Falls (Places to eat): The Post Falls side of the Capone's family. Scratch pizzas on bread baked in-house, an easy call for groups, and Tommy's Pastrami is the order.
Gathered (Places to eat): Family-owned, genuinely warm, and sharing a kitchen with Stacie's Cakes. Order dinner, then absolutely leave room for a slice of one of the cakes.
Jefe's Tacos and Tequila (Places to eat): The Post Falls taqueria from the El Jefe's family, opened this summer. The same Sinaloa-style grilling, in a quicker, more casual little room.
Kickers Country Dance Hall (bars): A country dance hall with live music opening downtown. Confirm the opening date first, but it will be a distinctive night out once it is running.
Post Falls Brewing Company (Breweries): A small downtown Post Falls taproom with a rotating board and a loyal crowd. The kind of brewery that functions as the neighborhood living room.
Selkirk Abbey Brewing (Breweries): Belgian styles brewed properly in Post Falls, which almost nobody out here attempts. Try the Infidel if they have it, and take a bottle home.
Worley, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene Casino (activities): Thirty-five minutes south through the farmland, with gaming, a spa and a championship golf course. Run by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and worth the drive.
Rathdrum, Idaho
Nadines Mexican Kitchen (Places to eat): Rathdrum's family-run Mexican kitchen, generous and completely unhurried. The kind of place that a small town keeps busy entirely on its own.
Penny's Pit Gourmet Burgers (Rathdrum) (Places to eat): A small Rathdrum burger joint grinding its own patties every morning. Quick, filling, and only about five minutes from the door of the cottage.
Westwood Brewing Co. (bars): Rathdrum's own brewery and, honestly, the social center of the town. Walkable from the cottage, and the taproom fills up with actual neighbors.
Rathdrum Mountain Park (activities): Hiking and disc golf on the hill above Rathdrum, with views back over the prairie. Quiet, free, and five minutes from the Pine and Vine Cottage.
Golden Glo Espresso (Breakfast & Coffee): Rathdrum's own coffee stand, and the first stop on most mornings out there. Quick, friendly, and they will remember you by the second visit.
Cascadia Pizza Co. (Places to eat): Wood-fired Neapolitan pies that hit the table in about twelve minutes. Thin, chewy crust and topping combinations that go past the usual list.
The Local Deli (Places to eat): A small-town deli counter in Rathdrum putting out honest sandwiches. Handy for building a picnic before a day out on the water or the trail.
Harlow's Diner (Places to eat): Rathdrum's breakfast and lunch diner, the kind of place where every regular has a usual. Walkable from the Pine and Vine Cottage front door.
Super 1 Foods (shopping): The full grocery store in Rathdrum, and much the closest one to the cottage. Stock up here on the way in rather than driving back into town.
San Francisco Sourdough Eatery (Places to eat): Sandwiches on sourdough baked in-house, and a longtime Rathdrum lunch standby. A quick stop on the way out to the lake or up to the trailheads.
Fish ON (Places to eat): Rathdrum's seafood-leaning kitchen, a short hop from the cottage. Fish and chips done properly in a town that does not have many other options.
Paul Bunyan Restaurant (Places to eat): An old-school walk-up doing burgers, hot dogs and thick malts. Nothing here has changed in decades, and that is precisely the appeal of the place.
JC Coffee Co (Breakfast & Coffee): A small coffee operation in Rathdrum run out of a truck. Worth knowing about, because the town runs short of options early on a weekend morning.
Jitterz Sit & Sip (Breakfast & Coffee): The sit-down Jitterz in Rathdrum rather than the drive-through window. Somewhere to actually sit with a coffee, plus beer and wine later on.
Lakeland Perk (Breakfast & Coffee): A Rathdrum coffee stand over on the Lakeland side of town. Quick morning stop on the way out toward Spirit Lake or up to one of the trailheads.
Giorgi's O'Malley's Pub and Grill (Places to eat): A full-service pub and grill in Rathdrum doing all three meals a day. The most complete sit-down option within walking distance of the cottage.
Hot Pot Ramen House (Places to eat): Ramen and hot pot in Rathdrum, which is not something the town had before. A warm, quick dinner close to the cottage on a cold winter evening.
La Cabana Mexican Restaurant (Places to eat): Sit-down Mexican in Rathdrum with a kids menu, which matters out here. Saves the drive into Post Falls when nobody wants to get back in the car.
Hauser, Idaho
Embers by the Lake (Places to eat): A small lakeside spot on Hauser Lake, well off the usual tourist track. Worth the fifteen minutes out from Post Falls for the setting alone.
Plummer, Idaho
Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes (Hiking Trails): Seventy-three paved miles from Plummer through to Mullan, following the old rail bed. Pick any trailhead, ride a stretch, and turn around when you like.
Cataldo, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene's Old Mission State Park (attractions): The oldest standing building in Idaho, raised in the 1850s without a single nail. Thirty minutes east, and the quietest hour you will spend here.
Sagle, Idaho
Gold Hill Trail (Hiking Trails): A steady climb on the east shore south of Sandpoint, looking back over the whole lake. Good in spring when the higher trails are still buried.
Bottle Bay Resort & Marina (Places to eat): A boat-in lunch spot further up Lake Pend Oreille, and a proper day out on the water. Check the season before you plan a whole trip around it.
Pinehurst, Idaho
Independence Creek Trail (Hiking Trails): A long creek-side trail east of town that runs over fourteen miles if you let it. Walk out as far as you want and turn back when you are ready.
Clark Fork, Idaho
Scotchman Peak Trail (Hiking Trails): The big one out past Clark Fork, and a serious climb. Mountain goats at the top that are used to people, so keep your distance and your lunch.
Spirit Lake, Idaho
Brickel Creek Coffee (Breakfast & Coffee): Coffee and something sweet in Spirit Lake, and the obvious first stop in town. Small, local, and a good enough excuse to make the drive up there.
Annie's Country Kitchen (Places to eat): A proper small-town country kitchen in Spirit Lake, twenty minutes up from Rathdrum. Breakfast and lunch, and the drive is half the pleasure.
Mi Pueblo Authentic Mexican (Places to eat): Sit-down Mexican in Spirit Lake with a kids menu. A reasonable dinner stop if you have spent the day on the north end of the chain of lakes.
Linger Longer Lounge (bars): A Spirit Lake lounge that keeps going later than most things up there. Food right through the evening, and the name tells you the intended pace.
Maine St Taphouse (bars): A taphouse on Spirit Lake's main street doing lunch and dinner. An easy stop if you are up that way for the lake or heading toward Blanchard.
The White Horse Inn and Saloon (bars): A historic saloon on the main street in Spirit Lake, with live music on the right night. One of the more characterful rooms anywhere in the county.
Bayview, Idaho
Ralph's Coffee House & Cafe (Breakfast & Coffee): Breakfast, lunch and coffee right in the village, which saves the drive to Athol. The closest thing Bayview has to a proper morning meeting place.
Captain's Wheel (Places to eat): A Bayview mainstay down on the water, open from lunch through to late. The one place in the village you can count on for a full dinner service.
Taverna (Places to eat): Italian cooking on Lakeside Avenue, a short walk up from the Bayview docks. The only proper sit-down dinner in the village, and it holds up.
The Dock at Bayview (Places to eat): Food and seasonal live music out on a floating dock in Scenic Bay. You can tie up and walk straight off the boat, which is very much Bayview.
MacDonald's Hudson Bay Resort (activities): Boat rentals, fuel and a marina store right in Scenic Bay. The simplest way onto Lake Pend Oreille if you did not bring anything of your own.
Bayview Mercantile (shopping): The village store for coffee, ice, snacks and fishing tackle. Everything you forgot to pack, without driving the twenty minutes back to Athol.
Wallace, Idaho
Wallace Historic District (attractions): An entire silver-mining town on the National Register, fifty minutes east. Walk the main street, tour a mine, and have lunch before heading back.