Harrison

Always up for a new "Harley" adventure, Mike and I set out for a ride around Lake Coeur d' Alene on a Sunday morning in early September. The lake was beautiful and amazing. Known as one of the world's most beautiful lakes, it has 109 miles of shoreline. Our mission...to ride around the entire lake.

About ninety minutes into the ride, we came upon the charming town of Harrison. Named for President Benjamin Harrison, this town was incorporated in 1899 and was once the largest city on Lake Coeur d'Alene. In 1917 about half of the residential area and a number of businesses were burned in a major fire and sadly most of the town was never rebuilt. Today Harrison is home to 203 people. Talk about a small town.

I must say I was taken by the charm of this little gem. Check out some of my photos ~

 

 

Main Street ~ Harrison

Museum

Just off the Beaten Track

 

We left Harrison and continued around the lake towards home, stopping a couple of time to take photos.  One of the more interesting stops is described on the sign below:

 

 

 

As usual, a picture is worth a thousand words:

 

Another beautiful day in North Idaho ~

 

 



 

Route of the Hiawatha

North Idaho is rich with history and we have had great opportunities to explore the area.  In early August, we loaded up our bicycles and headed east to the Montana/Idaho state line and the Route of the Hiawatha. 

This bike trail is a rail to trail conversion, following the old Milwaukee Railroad which was built around the turn of the century.  Along the trail, there are markers indicating the distance from Chicago where the rail route originated (total distance 1750 miles). 

The trail begins at the St. Paul Pass Tunnel on the Montana side.  The tunnel is 1.7 miles long and the temperature inside remains a cool 44 degrees year round.  The tunnel is really dark, illuminated only by the lights on the bicycles traveling through it.  It seems to go on forever. The tunnel runs under the Montana/Idaho state line so when you come out the other side, you are in Idaho. 

On the Idaho side of the tunnel is a beautiful natural waterfall and the start of an amazing adventure that takes you on trails, bridges, and tunnels through picturesque scenery.  At one point, we stopped to enjoy a picnic lunch and take in the beauty around us. 

The route is downhill so it is fairly easy for those of us with little mountain biking experience.  It is approximately 17 miles long and when you finish, you are at the bottom of the mountain.   A shuttle takes you and your bike back up to the Idaho side of the  St. Paul Pass Tunnel.  To get back to the parking lot, you have to travel through that really dark tunnel one more time. 

It is pretty amazing when you reach the other side and realize what you have accomplished and the natural beauty that you have seen.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. What do you think?

Sandpoint

Last month, I tagged along with my husband, Mike to Sandpoint.  He was going there to meet up with some fellow musicians and play music for the day. I decided this was a great opportunity to explore Standpoint's charming downtown area. 

Located about 40 miles north of Post Falls, Sandpoint is situated on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille.  The lake is more than 43 miles long and 6 miles wide with depths of more than 1,200 feet.  I believe that it is the largest and deepest lake in North Idaho.

I spent the day browsing through the many galleries and shops along First Avenue. They showcase many local artists that draw inspiration from the beautiful landscapes and natural resources that are here in North Idaho. 

I purchased a small Dream Catcher made by Mae Stone, a Navajo Indian artist from a shop called Blue Lizard.  Legend has it that bad dreams get caught in the web and the good dreams work their way through the center hole to the sleeping person.  I decided that day to start collecting Dream Catchers...they are so beautiful and there are so many variations.

I enjoyed a tasty panini at the Cedar Street Cafe.  It was interesting to see that they accepted Canadian Dollars.  Of course, Sandpoint is only about 60 miles south of the Canadian border and a vacation destination for many Canadians.

Aside from visiting the shops, I spend the day photographing this quaint town.  Here are a few of the photos.  All in all , it was a great day and Sandpoint is definitely a place that I look forward to visiting again soon.

Huckleberry Picking

The mountains of Coeur d'Alene are known for their abundance of huckleberries and apparently you are not a true North Idahoan if you have not experienced the tradition of picking wild huckleberries.  The huckleberries are a round purple berry native to North Idaho and are actually the official state fruit (didn't know that we had one.)  The best picking is between late July and early August. 

I was invited by our new friends to go huckleberry picking in early August.  We headed up the mountain early one weekday morning in an effort to avoid the afternoon heat as well as the weekend pickers.  We prepared ourselves by wearing long pants, long sleeved shirts, and hiking boots.  Berry picking can be a dangerous endeavor since it involves hiking up and down hills and squeezing between bushes.  On our belts, we carried plastic milk cartons modified to hold the berries that we picked. 

It was exciting to walk among the trees and bushes searching for the coveted purple berry. Although it is easy to get lost in the quiet process of picking, you have to remember to be on the lookout for wildlife.   Apparently bears also love huckleberries.  They are high in carbohydrates and are one of the primary food sources for grizzly and black bears.  We also saw evidence of recent moose activity in the area (fresh droppings). 

By the time we headed down the mountain, we had gathered several gallons of huckleberries.  I went home with a gallon myself.  I later found out that these precious berries sell for almost $60 a gallon.   I guess I hit the jackpot!

Huckleberries are delicious. They are great to use in recipes in place of blueberries or as a topping for ice cream or french toast. Check out my photo of huckleberry french toast...yummy!

Mother Nature

Since I only recently began my blog, I have been trying to catch up (in chronological order) all that I have experienced since the move.  However, something happen yesterday that moves right up to the top of my subject list...

As you know from previous blog posts, I have three Bichon Frise dogs, Cooper, Bonzo, and Daisy.  Many would say that these little "cotton balls" are strictly companion dogs and most likely breed to be so.  Yesterday...I say, that all changed.

On a daily basis, squirrels abound in our yard and a new pastime for the pups has become chasing this little critters from fence to tree and back again.
It is definitely the highlight of their day.

We were relaxing in the backyard with friends, watching the dogs chase squirrels when we noticed that one wasn't moving quickly like the others.  He landed himself in our back fence between two posts that overlap to provide privacy from our neighbors.  The dogs were barking furiously so we went over to check it out. 

He had some blood on his nose and was definitely injured or sick.  We immediately locked the dogs in the house and proceeded to figure out what to do.  The squirrel tried to climb up the fence but kept slipping down as though he just did not have the energy to get himself out of this precarious situation. 

Not sure what we should do, we started toward the house and then noticed another squirrel scampering across the top of the fence.  We watched in amazement as the healthy squirrel took the sick squirrel in his mouth and quickly headed up the nearest tree.

We could not believe what we just witnessed. We were speechless. What an amazing miracle of nature. Maybe this happens everyday in Idaho, but it is something that we would never have experienced in the big city.

River Floating

North Idaho is definitely known for it's waterways.  With many lakes, rivers, and streams outdoor activities ranging from boating to  fishing to river floating.  In July, our new friends invited us to join them on a river float.  Coming from Southern California, we weren't sure what to expect but we were open to a new adventure.

Outside Coeur d' Alene, there are many rivers and we drove to one known for river floating.  The key is to have two vehicles so that you can take one to the top of the river and park the other at the bottom.  This way when you float down river, you have a way to get back up to the vehicle that is parked where the adventure began.

Trust me when I say the river water was cold!  It was shallow enough to allow you to ease into it and once you are adjusted to the temperature, it was really quite refreshing.  The bottom of the river was filled with river rock.  I was so glad that I had a pair of practical water shoes to protect my feet.

Everyone in the group tied on to each other so that we stayed together as we floated down the river.  It was really relaxing and lots of fun. 

We only had one opportunity this first summer to experience river floating but I know that we will be on the river alot more next summer.

 

Settling In

Getting "settled" is hard work but actually lots of fun. How do you take a 4 bedroom 2000 sq.ft. ranch home plus cabinet shop and music studio and move it into a 3 bedroom 1600 sq ft tri-level home? Well, it takes patience, creativity, and talent. It also helps to have a master carpenter/installer for a husband. Mike has set up wall to wall shelving in the garage and I am going through each and every box to repack and relabel. I guess it would have been smart to do that when we packed but time did not allow us to do so. It is interesting to open each box and knowing that there is not room for everything, choose the treasures that I want to be surrounded by in this house. I am choosing things that have some meaning to me. Many are gifts or things that I acquired when traveling. My main problem...too many framed treasures and not enough walls. I guess it is fair to say that ever since selling my frame shop, I have had this problem.

As we settle in, we certainly feel at home here and so do the pups.  You can see from the photo below that they love to watch the Idaho life go by.  Last week we had a flock of quails walking around our front lawn.  Everyday we are visited by squirrels and dragonflies. Nature abounds here in Idaho.

Life is simpler and I am learning how to relax.  Idaho time is a little like Hawaii time and very different from California time.  Here things get done when they get done. Less urgency equals less stress and

to me that is definitely a good thing.

 

 

 

The Move

With a job and a place to live, we were ready to start our adventure in Idaho. 
The trip was approximately 1400 miles and took three days. We drove in our truck with a 24' trailer with all our treasures inside.   It was our first road trip with our three beautiful dogs and they were truly amazing. The moment the truck started moving, the dogs went to sleep and the moment we stopped, they woke up. We stopped every couple of hours for a "potty break" and short walk and that is probably why it took us 3 days. There were many great tales along the way such as the minor traffic accident on the highway in South Salt Lake City, purchasing the fake Indian jewelry in Montana, and spending the night in the infamous Bridal Suite in South Idaho. Of course only pictures can truly describe the beautiful landscape that we saw on our journey to our new home in Post Falls, Idaho.

The Beginning

If you are living in or near a busy metropolitan area, have you ever wondered what life would be like in a small town?  I did.  Through this blog, I will share with you about my new life in Post Falls, Idaho.  I hope that you will be inspired to take a chance and re-create your life...like I did, ~ by design.

My husband and I lived in Orange County, Southern California.  About 40 miles outside Los Angeles.  The population of Orange County is 3,055,000 people.  With wonderful beaches, thriving businesses, and warm weather year round, it attracts people from all over the world.   The cost of living is very high and you must work long hard days to be able to afford to live there. The lifestyle in Orange County, is one of "hustle and bustle."  

For us, work took up most of our time and energy.  We were definitely just living to work.  We wanted our time back.  Time to be together and simply enjoy life.

In May of this year, we decided that a move to Post Falls, Idaho might just be the answer that we were seeking.  With a population of 28,104, Post Falls is located just west of Coeur d'Alene, a beautiful lakeside resort community.

Once we made the decision to move, things started to fall into place assuring us that we were on the right path.  My husband landed a job just 10 miles from  Post Falls.  With a definite job, our next step was to find a place to live.  I spent a lot of time online searching and came across a property that seemed perfect for us. 

The home is located in a beautiful established community just steps from the Spokane River. At the river, there is a community park and private beach.  Something we could never afford in California.  The house had everything that we were looking for. For a third of the price of our monthly mortgage in California, we were able to rent a 3 bedroom home on a 1/4 acre lot in a beautiful neighborhood.

And  so the adventure begins...