On eastbound I-90, at Idaho exit 22, the junction with ID SR 97, we turned south to cross the bridge and drive along the Lake Coeur d’Alene Scenic Parkway to Harrison, and on to the the junction with ID SR 3. This was a pretty drive, but it was longer than we anticipated. We began near Wolf Lodge Bay, the east end of Lake Coeur d’Alene. This is beautiful country and the road was quite good.

the CdA lake is fairly big, and has its busy and quiet spots. it is still chilly in early May, but flowers are already blooming it claims to host the longest floating boardwalk in the world, near the the CdA Resort. a short distance away from here is Tubbs Hill, where you can hike up to the summit ridge in 15 min. but my favorite section of the lake is at CdA Parkway State Park, which has the Centennial trail running alongside the road. the terminus of this trail is Higgins Point. if you have time, you can continue driving to Mineral Ridge Scenic Area, where there is a 3.3 mile trail up to the top that gives you a bird eye view of the lake. the sun can be unforgiving in mid day even in May so i recommend doing this hike first thing in the morning. after that, the road (Route 97) continue to wind around the lake, getting more and more rural, until it reaches Harrison.

Whenever I come TDY to Spokane, I make a side trip to Lake Couer d'Alene. This time was no different as I came here with a work colleague and his wife. It was a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon, perfect for taking a walk along the world's largest floating dock. I even got to see a seaplane takeoff this time. What a fun place!

I really like this lake. It is great for photos and it is a good place to go to on a vacation in the summer. There is a spot near the Coeur d'Alene Resort where a person can go into the lake, and heads up, the lake will be cold at first, but if you keep moving you will warm up.