North Idaho Summer Fun at North Idaho College

Spek Tater With My Party Face On

To thank people for being Cecil's friend on Facebook, North Idaho College invited all of us to join them for a fantastic summer beach party. Only Cecil's friends were invited. There was food, music, volleyball, beach activities, sailing, canoeing, and lake-kayaking. 

I was so happy to be getting out to the beach and enjoyed getting to know some new people, ate some good food, and had some fun! Now, they were serving potato chips so I was a bit nervous at first. You know how hungry some of those college students can be, but it all turned out ok and I just avoided looking at those who were eating them. 

It was great to see everyone taking advantage of the sailing, canoeing, and lake kayaking. Even considered taking a chance myself, but as some might not know, potatoes do not float in unsalted water.

As I watched everyone enjoying the beach on this beautiful day I was reminded of how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place and have such a great educational institution as North Idaho College right here in our backyard.  

I think those of us who spend every day here sometimes tend to forget what those that visit us for the first time experience. With our many lakes, mountains, rivers, outdoor recreation opportunities,four distinct seasons, and the friendliest people on the planet.  Who wouldn't want to live here, or at the very least visit us again and again?

My new mission is to get out and enjoy the many people, places, and things that North Idaho has to offer and then share my experiences with all of you. So be watching for where I might turn up next, or if you have some suggestions let me know!

Until next time this is Spek Tater, your official FYI North Idaho Touring Tater reporting to you from beautiful North Idaho!

Summer's Coming to North Idaho!

North Idaho is a tough place to top for friendly people, natural beauty and recreational activities, just to name a few.  But throw in a bus load of special events scattered throughout the year and you'd be hard pressed to find a place more fun to live or visit.

Summer is right around the corner, even if the end of April did seem like a return to winter.  And summer means a long list of events and festivals with such variety that there is literally something for everyone.  Let's take a peek at a few celebrations coming up in the next few months.

Depot Days, May 7-8 in Wallace, kick off car show season with vehicles of all types, makes and ages lining the downtown streets.  It's a family festival celebrating the Northern Pacific Railroad Depot with live music, kids activities, vendors and of course the historic Depot.

If you like car shows you'll want to be in Sandpoint the next weekend for Lost in the 50's.  The whole town goes retro with rock and roll, dances and car parade and show.  Herman's Hermits headline Saturday night's festivities.

The Priest Lake Spring Festival on May 28-30 has arts & crafts, live music, history, pancake breakfasts, silent auction, a parade on Saturday and fun run on Sunday.  Here's a schedule of events.

Post Falls Days, June 4-6, are always fun with vendors, kids activities, a fishing derby and a parade.

The Big Back-In is lawnmower drag racing in Rathdrum on June 20.  Yes, lawnmower drag racing!

The 4th of July finds celebrations in almost every community and fireworks from Bonners Ferry to Harrison to Murray.  Here's a list.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe hosts it's annual Julyamsh July 23-25 at Greyhound Park and Event Center in Post Falls.  It is the largest pow wow in the Pacific Northwest and celebrates Native American culture with song, dance, drumming, games and spirituality. 

Coeur d'Alene is a busy place from July 30 to August 1 with Art on the Green, Street Fair and Taste of Coeur d'Alene, three events all within walking distance of each other.

Return to the 1880's at Gold Rush Daze in Murray August 20-22.  The fun includes a parade, live music, car show, Saloon Girl Pagent and an old west shootout.

These are just a few of the many events that make summer in North Idaho a don't miss.  Get a complete list at FYI North Idaho.

North Idaho Parks, Part 2

Besides State Parks, there are a number of excellent parks in the cities of North Idaho.  This series will cover a variety of parks in the area and this week we'll look at Coeur d'Alene's City Park.

Located on the north shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene and just a block from downtown, the Coeur d'Alene City Park is one of the most popular parks in North Idaho.  How the park came about is another interesting piece of local history.

Much of the land now considered City Park, North Idaho College and the Fort Grounds residential neighborhood were in the boundaries of Fort Coeur d'Alene, later know as Fort Sherman.  The fort was active from 1878 to 1898 and the town and later City of Coeur d'Alene built around it.  By the turn of the century the fort was decommissioned and officially closed on March 9, 1900.  Not long after that the land was auctioned off to the public.

One of the biggest local investors was wealthy lumberman Frederick Blackwell who came here in 1901.  Blackwell and his partners built the Coeur d'Alene and Spokane Electric Railroad and started hourly trolley service between the cities in 1903.  Like all good railroads, they built and promoted attractions to put passengers on the trains.  By 1905 Blackwell Park had become 20 plus landscaped acres with walkways, fountains, flowers and over 250 different varieties of shade trees and was one of the most popular destinations of the Inland Northwest.  A dance pavilion hosted a band five nights a week, and there was a baseball diamond, bath house and grandstand within the park.  In 1909 a fatal head-on train wreck brought financial ruin and the rail line was sold to the Great Northern and the park to the City of Coeur d'Alene.

In 1937 a Civic Center was built to replace the pavilion and was touted as one of the largest log structures in the Pacific Northwest.  Between bleachers and floor seating, the building could house 2,500 people.  In 1942, after the construction of Farragut Naval Training Center, the building became a USO where thousands of sailors relaxed and were entertained.  In 1945 it was set afire by a disgruntled (drunk?) sailor and burnt to the ground.

In 1942 Playland Pier opened on what is now known as Independence Point.  For 33 years the amusement park and rides were a bonus to those visiting the Park or swimming at the beach.  It burned in 1975.

Now, City Park is just as popular as ever.  At 17 acres it offers families a wonderful place to spend the day.  Fort Sherman Playground is a large, fenced area for smaller kids in the Park.  Free concerts are held in the bandshell on summer Sundays.  The basketball court was recently voted best outdoor court in the area by the readers of the Inlander.   There are picnic tables throughout the Park, a shelter can be reserved by small groups, shade trees make for a cool summer day and the City Beach is considered part of the Park.  The Park is a favorite spot to watch the 4th of July fireworks and is home of the Taste of the Coeur d'Alene in late July.  City Park is also home of Ironman Village the end of June as the start and transition area for the annual Ironman Coeur d'Alene.

Pack a lunch, bring the kids and spend a day at Coeur d'Alene City Park.