Much like the rest of the town, a quirky stop for a leg stretch & photo op…read more There are signs in shop windows telling you how many steps away you are. The manhole pic requires a strategic run out into the road when there's a break in traffic. Thankfully, there's not a lot of traffic! Do yourself a favor if you're driving by on the highway and take the exit to check out Wallace, the center of the universe, sort of...

Every town has their thing, and this is the thing for Wallace. They have proclaimed themselves the…read morecenter of the universe, and right there in the middle of town, in the middle of an intersection, is a little medal/manhole that says it. Wallace. The center of the universe. It's also played up by the local restaurants and shops, who proudly display signs in their windows telling you how many steps away you are from said middle. And then at the intersection, there are signs pointing across the road, so you cross, and then another points you to cross again, and so on, and so on, in a big square. Be careful when you go out there. Despite it being a city thing, the safety piece was maybe not exactly well thought out, so just keep an eye on traffic when you dart out there into the middle of the road to get your photo. And then, go enjoy Wallace; it's a cute town. Don't forget to climb some of those stairs in the hills above town!

For my first visit to the northern peninsula of Idaho, I decided to make a stop in the town of…read moreCoeur d'Alene. Coeur d'Alene has a charming downtown waterfront and it's here where you'll find this Tubbs Hill Trail. I believe hiking along Tubbs Hill represents the city of Coeur d'Alene well. It's an easy 2 mile round trip loop that oversees the harbor from a distance. Basically, it's a perfectly fine nature trail. There are 26 or 27 posted marker signs along the trail to guide you (including a halfway point). It's absolutely impossible to get lost, lol. To be specific on where Tubbs Hill Trail officially begins, you can find the starting point right next to the Rotary Harbor House (which looked like a relaxing spot to grab some fish tacos and catch views from the pier). Since the hike is a loop, if you begin by going off to the right hand side, there are spots along the way to descend down the rockside and go swimming in Lake Coeur d'Alene. I noticed a lot of people were relaxing and lounging out on the rocks while taking refreshing breaks in the water. If this sounds enticing, then remember to bring your bathing suit and a towel, lol. The first part of the hike offers panoramic lookouts of not only the boats docked beside the waterfront, but also the historical landmark - Hotel Coeur d'Alene. Eventually you wrap your way around in a circle getting to enjoy the great outdoors. It's a chance to breathe in fresh air from the lake without having to work hard. There's barely any incline/decline along the 2 mile path. It took me one hour to complete the hike. Lastly, parking can be difficult in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Independence Point is a popular area to park, but they do charge by the hour and every spot was occupied when I arrived in the middle of the day. I resorted to parking on a sidestreet next to the Coeur d'Alene shopping district. Though, cars on side streets are only permitted for 2 hour intervals at a time. Overall, Tubbs Hill Trail was a pleasant hiking activity. Pair it with maybe taking a cruise out on the lake or walking around the Boardwalk Marina (the "world's longest floating boardwalk" if you can believe) and you'll discover the best of what Coeur d'Alene has to offer.

Beautiful place to hike near the lake with plenty of scenic views and places to rest.read more

A Very Picturesque Logging Town Along the St. Joe River…read more SITREP This is the town my mother and uncle Gary grew up. It's history is one that tracks with the local logging community for decades on end. But nearby are also significant historical communities of the mining industry. SETUP I've been back here with my mom since 1972, visiting every few years. Now that my grandmother has passed away, my Uncle Gary is developing the Fountain Bay ranch property that the family has here along the St. Joe river. CHANGES Some communities experience a fluctuation of the good times and the bad times. The last few years have hit St. Maries pretty hard as it is going through the lean times. A lot of my young friends that I've know these last few decades have pulled up stakes and moved on to "greener pastures" in Spokane, Seattle, Boise, and even L.A. Hopefully things will pick back up some more in the future. THE LOWDOWN A quiet little logging town set in a beautiful picturesque countryside that is a great place to visit....and many locals would say is a great place to live too.

This city is stuck in the mid-1900s. They refuse any kind of growth so that young people have a…read moreplace to live without paying ridiculous rent. The roads are horrid never mind the sidewalks. The town itself is just ugly nobody bothers to fix up their shop fronts and it's kind of sad. I moved here because of the reviews I was reading and they must have all been written by the city council. They get barely any snow here which might be good for some people but it was a lie for us and we're used to snow, real snow. Most of the locals here are about as welcoming as a prickly cactus and are not shy about it. The land itself is beautiful. And if you're looking to buy here I would definitely do it on the outskirts of the city because you'll be seriously let down by what this town has to offer. I know I am I bought here 3 years ago and I'm already thinking about selling it and finding somewhere else nicer. P.S. I'm afraid I don't know anything about the schools as I don't have small children so I can't answer you there but I can tell you that if you want to go grocery shopping you need to go up to Coeur d'Alene you cannot shop here both of these stores that they do have here are not here for the community they're here for greed.

The pizza and salad were outstanding, but what will keep us coming back is the service. Our server…read more"T" was outstanding, kind, and personable. Check it out and you won't regret the short trip. Who know that Moscow is actually in Italy!

service and food was fantastic our waiter Laila H. was amazing definitely will be back!read more

I imagine this store, though small, may have some interesting things. However; the stench of…read morecigarettes is overwhelming! So much so, that I had to get out of there very quickly! Can't imagine anything purchased from there not smelling the same!

From the owner: If you don't know what you're looking for, you'll find it at The Pack Rat. Antiques &…read morecollectibles, handmade greeting cards, consignment items, woodworking, primitive metal art, office services, hot beverages (coffee, espresso, tea, hot chocolate, hot spiced apple cider), UPS shipping, & real estate. We feature local artisans.

Spokane Falls are a must-see in Spokane. To think that we almost didn't go. It was cold and windy…read moreand we could have just headed out from our hotel, but we were so close - many hotels are close - that we went over - and we are so glad we did! These Falls are so impressive, not only the powerful waterfall itself but the structures, the bridges, the nearby buildings, the muskrat yelling at you on the path. All good.

They're gorgeous! I had a nice little walk around to the different bridges. I'm sad some of the…read morewalkways were closed, but totally understandable in January!

I grew up 100 miles north of Spokane in Pend Oreille county so I spent a lot of time in Spokane as…read morea youth. Spokane was the nearest "big city" so it was where to go for drive-in movies, record stores (remember those?), fast food restaurants, concerts and of course, cruising Riverside Drive (remember cruising?) and grabbing a burger at Dick's Hamburgers. Now as an adult when I visit I still love Spokane, but for mostly different reasons. Some nostalgic and some because Spokane is still a cool city. I visit once every couple of years. My octogenarian parents still live in Spokane as does one brother and one sister. Spokane boasts a lot of history. There is a lot of old architecture and brick. Lots and lots of brick! Riverside Park downtown is a beautiful Spokane destination as is Manito Park and Botanical Gardens. Beautiful and fun Coeur 'd Alene, Idaho is just a short drive away. If four full seasons is your thing, Spokane has them. Hot dry summers, cold, leaf-turning colors autumns, cold and snowy winters, rainy springs. I've said a lot of nice things about Spokane, so why not five stars? Hey, if I thought that Spokane was a 5-star city I'd still live there, right? By the way, Dick's Hamburgers is still slinging burgers after all these years. For some reason they tasted a lot better as a 17 year-old than do as a 52 year old!

Ron "I don't get paid for this" Martinez is beyond rude. You are a building inspector and it is…read moreyour job to ensure permits are posted on active construction sites. Telling me to call someone else because you're too lazy to drive by and ensure the builder posted permits is shameful. Talking down to me and saying, "got it?" doesn't earn any respect in your community. Yes, Ron, I "got it" - you can do as little as possible, may be as rude as you like and Brown's administration will allow it. Disgusting.

Ok had to take away one star because it looks like the bike program is only open to international…read morestudents. If I find out that it is open to all students and faculty the program will earn its fifth star.