Coeur d' Alene Idaho : Coeur d' Alene Sightseeing Information

The French name Coeur d'Alene (pronounced core Da lane) was given to the Schee-Chu-Umsh Indians by early French Canadians or by French-speaking Iroquois Indians, who traveled through the area in the 1790s. Its literal translation is "heart of awl," meaning hearts like the point of an awl (a leather-working tool). The reason it was applied to the tribe is still a mystery. The most common explanation is that it was an attempt to describe their shrewd, sharp, tough trading practices.

The Lake City, the sparkling jewel of the Gem State, is always abuzz with activity, including art shows, athletic events, outdoor fun and an endless list of things to see and do.

Coeur d'Alene is the county seat of Kootenai County and is the sixth largest city in the state. Located at the junction of Interstate 90 and U.S. 95, Coeur d'Alene is bound on the south by Lake Coeur d'Alene, which serves as the major attraction for downtown. With city beaches, parks and docks, the lake is easily accessible for swimming, boating, picnicking and water-related sports. Lake Coeur d'Alene, called one of the world's most beautiful lakes by The Encyclopedia Brittanica, extends 23 miles to the south and has 109 miles of shoreline.

Shopping
The retail and service center for North Idaho, Coeur d'Alene provides hundreds of shopping experiences. Towne Center Mall (located at Appleway & Gov't Way) has chain book and quality discount, sport and card stores. Silver Lake Mall (indoors at Hwy 95 and Hanley) has over 60 retail and food stores including JC Penneys, Bon Macys, Sears, Orange Julius and more. Recent additions to the list of national favorites are T.J. Maxx, PetCo, Fred Meyer, Lowes Hardware, Home Depot, Costco, Office Max and two Starbucks Coffee shops. Unique boutique and gift stores dot the mid-town (South of Harrison on 4th street) area of Coeur d'Alene. For over a hundred years, locals and visitors alike have enjoyed shopping downtown because of the friendly service, immense selection, and unique lakeside atmosphere for which downtown Coeur d'Alene has become famous. Stroll down Sherman Avenue's "lamp-post and cobblestone" small town main street. There you'll find specialty shops of every type including jewelers, clothiers, antique shops, and art galleries. At every corner, discover quaint shops and restaurants tucked away on side streets.

Planned Growth
With the recent completion of the 15 story condominium project, city planners are embracing a vision of developing the downtown corridor with residential as well as cultural and business oriented tenants. A $6 million dollar library is scheduled to break ground overlooking McEuen Park at 7th and Front, in May of 2005. Boasting an auditorium, state of the art electronic media center, arts and cultural areas and food court it is destined to be a regional landmark. As additional multi family residential buildings and condominium projects are presented, the downtown area is poised for dramatic changes in the near future.

Endless Activities
While some prefer the treasures found in the variety of shops in the downtown area, others may find nature's treasures more to their liking. Heartier hikers will find the city's most scenic views from the world's largest floating boardwalk (at The Coeur d'Alene Resort), Tubb's Hill (it's trail head is where 3rd Street meets the lake) or the Coeur d'Alene City Park, complete with a 6,000 square foot wooden play structure and public swimming beach. From five star dining and wine shops to brew pubs, specialty coffee houses, ethnic food and family fare, downtown has something for everyone.

Frequent travelers to downtown will find something new with each trip. Exciting events, family activities and special promotions have drawn a renewed interest as well as new retailers to downtown. Don't miss the summer concert series (free to the public) Sunday afternoons at the band shell in the Coeur d'Alene City park. For a full calendar of events or information on business relocation.

Ironman USA Triathlon
Coeur d'Alene is proud to play host for the next five years to the Ironman USA Triathlon. The 2.4 mile swim will be a 2-loop rectangle entering and exiting Lake Coeur d'Alene from the city beach. The 112 mile bike ride will go through downtown, along Cd'A Lake Drive then through Hayden and Post Falls and finish back at the Cd'A City Park. The 26.2 mile run goes along Lake Cd'A and through the North Idaho College campus. The event will bring between 1,500 and 1,800 of the world's top athletes as well as thousands of friends, family and spectators to Coeur d'Alene. The event starts at 7 a.m. and ends at midnight on June 27, 2004. The race will feature 80 qualifying spots for the 2004 Ironman World Championships held annually in Kona, HI. In April, there will be an Ironman Idaho Camp. This three day program prepares novice and advanced triathletes for Ironman distance events.

*Quoted from fyinorthidaho.com.

Recreation

Coeur d'Alene offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities for individuals, families and groups alike and visitors. In Kootenai County, there are more than 80 parks and campgrounds, over 40 hiking trails, fishing, swimming, hiking, golfing, horseback riding, softball, tennis, amusement parks. That's why a lot of people visit here every year.

Outdoor
Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course

This course has played host to PGA touring pros and has been selected by Golf Digest as America's most beautiful resort golf course. It is famous for the world's only floating green and is open to the public.

900 Floating Green Dr. Coeur d'Alene

Coeur d'Alene Tribal Bingo/Casino

Open 24-hours, 7 days a week. Over 1000 Vegas-style machines, off-track betting, and $30,000 Bingo sessions. World class entertainment including championship boxing and live concerts. Free shuttle bus service. Located 30 minutes south of Coeur d'Alene on Hwy. 95.

30 Minutes South of Coeur d'Alene on Hwy. 95
Worley, ID 83876-0236

Cougar Bay Preserve
Just minutes from downtown Coeur d'Alene on Hwy 95, visit hundreds of acres preserved by the Nature Conservancy of Idaho offering a trail system and interpretive signs.

Kayak Coeur d'Alene

Come and enjoy a three-hour guided sea kayaking tour on beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene. Beginners and families welcome. Tours offered mornings, afternoons, and sunset.

307 Locust Avenue, Coeur d'Alene

Mineral Ridge Boat Launch
This popular fishing access site on the east end of Coeur d'Alene Lake has a concrete launching ramp, floating mooring, fishing docks and gravel surfaced parking area. Each winter from November through February a migrating population of 30 to 50 bald eagles visits the area to feed on spawning kokanee salmon. During the peak of the migration from Christmas through the New Year, the BLM conducts interpretive viewing programs.

Take US-90 east from Coeur d'Alene for 8 miles to Wolf Lodge Bay (exit 22), then south on Highway 97 for 1 mile.

North Idaho Centennial Trail
Scenic 24-mile trail extending from the WA/ID border to Higgens Point on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Primarily class one trail featuring rest areas, scenic overlooks and interpretive signs.

Rider Ranch

Gentle horses and friendly rides offer you a truly Western experience on our real working ranch. Day rides, dinner rides, hayrides, children's parties and activities for families and large groups offered just 15 minutes from downtown Coeur d'Alene. Reservations, please.

6219 S. Wolf Lodge Rd. Coeur d'Alene, ID

River Odysseys West (ROW), Inc.

A river adventure is waiting for you! With trips from mild to wild, ROW has something for rafters of all ages. Superb guides. Great whitewater. Family friendly.

Route of the Hiawatha (Taft Tunnel Bike Trail)
A 13-mile historic rail trail through nine train tunnels and across seven skyhigh trestles, for mountain biking and hiking. Shuttle service, bike, helmet and light rentals. Located on theID/MT border.

Silver Mountain Resort

The region's best winter skiing. Ski and snowboard, Northwest style, smack dab in the middle of North Idaho's rough and tumble mining country at an undiscovered ski and snowboard treasure - Silver Mountain in the Bitterroot Range. Call for a complete summer events schedule.

Silverwood Theme Park

If you're looking for fun, look no further! Come experience the Northwest's largest theme park, Silverwood! Here you'll find thrilling rides, great restaurants, unique shops, exciting games, and dazzling live entertainment. Silverwood's newest attraction, Boulder Beach Water Park features a gigantic wave pool, chute and drop slides, a lazy river, a kiddie treehouse fortress, pools, water everywhere fun, and new for 2004 is a high speed waterslide complex. And best of all your price of admission covers all rides and shows in both Silverwood and Boulder Beach, so you can enjoy each of them as many times as you like. 15 miles north of Coeur d'Alene on Highway 95.

15 minutes North of Coeur d'Alene on Hwy.95 (Athol)

Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
More than 72 miles of paved path through the historic Silver Valley, into the Chain Lake Region, along the shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene, through Heyburn State Park, and the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation.

Tubbs Hill

Enjoy a hike on Tubb's hill, located on third and front St. Enter through the Diamond Parking lot.

The Tubbs Hill Foundation, Inc., is a non-profit organization for the preservation of the aesthetic qualities of Tubbs Hill. Their address is: P.O. Box 3061, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816-3061.

Vacation Sports Rentals
Experience the beauty of Lake Coeur d'Alene on our personal watercraft, boats and pontoon boats. Skis, boards and tubes also available with boat rental. Enjoy the dazzling North Idaho back country this winter on our one and two passenger snowmoblies.

622 Sherman Ave. Coeur d'Alene, ID

Wild Waters Waterslide Park

Water slide theme park, water slides, tube ride, pool, hot tub, snack bar, arcade, gift shop and large, grassy picnic area. Come spend the day.

2119 N. Government Way Coeur d'Alene, ID

Wiley E. Waters

White water rafting excitement on the Clark Fork River through the Albertson Gorge. Great full-day trips for groups, family, and businesses of all sizes that are affordably priced. Offering rafting and kayaking trips on the Spokane River as well.

Liberty Lake, WA

Bobby D's Custom Tour and Charters LLC
Experience the friendly waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene and Pend Orielle aboard the Joanna. A variety of escape tours with seating for six adventurers in a heated and dry cabin. Starting July 1, 2004.

Brooks Seaplane Service
Experience the wonder and excitement of a seaplane flight over the breathtaking beauty of North Idaho. Sightseeing and charter flights from what has been rated "one of the most beautiful" places in the world. Ask about group rates, charter flights, and flights of longer duration.

City Dock at Independence Point Coeur d'Alene, ID

The Coeur d'Alene Resort

Come experience the beautiful Coeur d'Alene Resort! With a multitude of restaurants and lounges, a European spa, Championship golf course, and lake cruises on beautiful Coeur d'Alene lake.

115 S. 2nd St.Coeur d'Alene, ID

Lake Coeur d'Alene Cruises, Inc.

Explore the bays and inlets of one of the world's most beautiful lakes aboard the Fun Fleet of Lake Coeur d'Alene Cruises. Daily cruises, Shadowy St. Joe River Cruises, Sunset Dinner Cruises and Sunday Brunch Cruises are available. All cruises depart from Independence Point, located just west of the Coeur d'Alene Resort.

City Park at Independence Point Coeur d'Alene, ID

Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association

Locals and visitors alike enjoy the friendly service and unique selection that Downtown Coeur d'Alene has become famous for. As you explore the historic center of the City, you'll discover that they offer a small town flavor with big city values. You'll find specialty shops of every kind... including jewelers, antiques, and art galleries. Downtown also has a wide variety of dining choices, including a brew pub and specialty coffee shops, all offering a relaxing atmosphere.

408 Sherman Avenue, Suite #318 Coeur d'Alene, ID

Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association

Group Coordinators, Inc.
Complete destination management services since 1985. Services include: day tours, spouse programs, outdoor adventures, charters, evening events, step-on guides, meet and greet services, airport transfers, registration/hospitality desk, and custom tours throughout the Pacific Northwest. Multilingual capabilities - Japanese, German, and French.

Triple Play
Northwest's newest and largest family fun center. Go-karts, bumper boats, indoor and outdoor miniature golf, bowling, laser tag, climbing wall, tube crawl, arcade and great food.

175 W. Orchard Hayden, ID

Golf
Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course
This course has played host to PGA touring pros and has been selected by Golf Digest as America's most beautiful resort golf course. It is famous for the world's only floating green and is open to the public.

900 Floating Green Dr. Coeur d'Alene, ID

Hidden Lakes Golf Resort

Golf with all your senses. A beautiful landscape, championship golf, ground-floor real estate opportunities, unlimited recreation and friendly hospitality... Welcome to Hidden Lakes Golf Resort, North Idaho's premier four-season resort destination. The course offers up to 7,000 yards of play. Moose graze on riverbanks, oxbow lakes and ponds. Awarded Best Golf Course Restaurant by Pacific Northwest Golfer, "The Lodge on Hidden Lakes" is also recognized as one of Wine Spectators top 100 restaurant wine cellars in the world. Just three miles east of the golf course, our waterfront resort offers cabin rentals and RV hook-ups.

Stay and Play Packages are also available in our Presidential Suites. Season: April 1 ? November 15 Length: 6,923 yards (black); 6,084 (blue); 5,157 (red) Green Fees: $59

151 Clubhouse Way Sandpoint, ID 83864

Stoneridge Golf Course

For some golfers the peaceful natural beauty at StoneRidge, set amid northern Idaho�fs thick conifer forests and blue mountain lakes, is the reason they keep coming back. For others it is the pure challenge of our 6,684 yard, par 71 Championship Golf Course with just enough water hazards and white sand bunkers that even the biggest hitters play with care. For both the seasoned and occasional player, now there's even more reason to golf StoneRidge. Our new 19th hole provides the opportunity to extend your game ? or maybe settle that bet, with one more chance to redeem yourself on this beautiful 238 yard, par 4 finish.

Plus, you will get a chance to play the tough 8th, ranked as one of Idaho's "mean" 18 holes. We are open April 1st to October 31st. Green fees are $33 weekdays and $39 weekends, both including cart and range balls. Our Grill Restaurant is open daily 7 am to 9 pm with the best breakfast, burgers and beers in the region!

355 Stoneridge Road Blanchard, ID

Art / Culture

"No Moose Left Behind" Public Art Project
Various area artists have artistically embellished 40 tabletop and 25 life-size, fiberglass moose now displayed around the Coeur d'Alene area. These will be sold by auction September 25, 5pm at the Coeur d'Alene Resort, and proceeds will maintain the Foundation which provides grant awards to teachers in Coeur d'Alene School District 271.

1044 Northwest Blvd. Ste E Coeur d'Alene, ID

Art Spirit Gallery

Enjoy top quality original art by some of the leading artists of the region. Each month is a new show from April through December with opening receptions on the second Friday of the month. The gallery is in a beautiful old building in the heart of downtown Coeur d'Alene.

415 Sherman Ave. Coeur d'Alene, ID

Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre

Producing professional Broadway musicals in stock with full staging and live orchestras during June, July and August. At Schuler Auditorium on the NIC campus.

1000 W. Garden (NIC Auditorium) Coeur d'Alene, ID

Devin Galleries

Coeur d'Alene's largest art gallery featuring artwork by today's most acclaimed artists and tomorrow's rising stars. The collector's choice for original paintings, sculpture, prints, art glass, jewelry and more. Expert design assistance available in the area's finest custom framing department. We specialize in building art collections for private & corporate collectors with artwork for every taste and budget.

507 Sherman Ave. Coeur d'Alene, ID

Museum of North Idaho

Discover the fascinating history of the Coeur d'Alene region. Exhibits explore steamboats, railroads, communities, recreation, forest service and Coeur d'Alene Indians.

115 Northwest Blvd. Coeur d'Alene, ID

Opera Plus!

Opera Plus! brings opera, opera related events and educational enrichment opportunities to all ages in Coeur d'Alene and the surrounding region.

Opera Plus!

Painter's Chair Fine Art Gallery

With over 5200 square ft. the Painter's Chair Fine Art Gallery is Coeur d'Alene's newest and finest art gallery featuring the art of renowned (local) artist Stephen Shortridge.

223 Sherman Ave. Coeur d'Alene, ID

Cottage Gallery
The Cottage Gallery opens May, 2004. It is a unique, fine art gallery nestled under an elm tree on Sherman Ave. The gallery will feature local and regional paintings, ceramics, sculptures, collages and many more fine, artistic creations.

1520 E. Sherman Ave. Coeur d'Alene, ID

Coeur d' Alene Traffic Information

Nearest Airport
Spokane International Airport
9000 W. Airport Dr., Spokane, WA, 99224

Direction : Take I-90 WEST. Exit at 277/US-2 WEST. Merge onto US-2. Take SPOKANE AIRPORT exit. Keep LEFT at fork. Follow AIRPORT DRIVE to the terminal.

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�fAlene. Omnibus (208) 667-6664 and Payless Airport Shuttle (208) 762-7443 provide transportation. The following airlines provide service to Spokane International Airport:

Spokane International Airport

  United Airlines
  Northwest Airlines
  Delta Airlines
  Southwest Airlines
  Alaska Airlines/Horizon Airlines
  Air Canada
  Big Sky Airlines
  West Airlines.

Limousine Service
The Resort provides limousine service to and from the Spokane International Airport. This service is available with 24-hour advanced reservations. The current fare is $25 per person round trip. To reserve, call 208-765-4000 or 800-688-5253 (toll free U.S. only) and ask for the transportation department. In addition to your name, give your arrival date, arrival time in Spokane, name of the airline or carrier, and flight number. As of June 18, 1996, there is a nonrefundable charge of $25 for no-show guests who have confirmed transportation arrangements.

Taxi
Taxi service is approximately $65 one way from Spokane.

Rental Cars
Most national car rental companies have a reservations desk across from the baggage claim area at the airport.

The Coeur d�fAlene Airport
It provides charter and private air service, with the capacity to land 34-seat passenger planes. There are vans, taxis, rental cars and shuttles available from both airports.

Bus
Greyhound Bus
Greyhound Bus can be reached by calling 800-231-2222

Rental Car
Dollar Rent A Car
800 Northwest Blvd. Coeur d'Alene, ID 838141
Tel : 208-664-0682

Coeur d'Alene Limousine
1875 N. Lakewood Dr. Third Floor Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
Tel : 208-929-9999

By Car
The Resort is easy to reach by car. If you are arriving from Southern Idaho, take Highway 95, which runs through Coeur d'Alene, and take the City Center exit into town. The Resort will be on your right. If you are arriving from Canada, follow Highway 95 and also take the City Center exit. For attendees arriving from the West Coast (Oregon and Washington states), follow I-5 or any other state highway to I-90 and take I-90 East to Coeur d'Alene, then take Exit 11 (City Center exit). If you are coming from Montana, take I-90 West to Coeur d'Alene, and then take Exit 15 (City Center). Turn left from the off-ramp and drive through town approximately 2 miles to the Resort, which will be on your left. Coeur d'Alene is 5 hours east of Seattle, 6 hours south of Calgary (Alberta, Canada), and 8 hours north of Boise, Idaho.

Amtrak
W. 221 First Ave. Spokane, WA 99204
Services
� Staffed Station
� Checked Baggage Service
� Enclosed Waiting Area
� Restrooms
� Payphones
� Paid Short Term Parking
� Paid Long Term Parking
� Vending
Trains Serving this Station : Empire Builder

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