Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – Mineral Ridge National Trail - Beauty Creek Campground in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest - Cataldo Mission National Historic Site

A few weeks before this trip, my job was eliminated, and I was unemployed for the first time since I was 13. I had already had a Rocky Mountain NP trip planned with my kids, so at the end of that amazing adventure, I started a new one. I took a plane to Spokane Washington, rented a car, and went to Walmart for camping supplies. My plan was to drive back to Milwaukee, stopping to camp along the way. It was my first solo camping excursion!

My first night was in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I had never heard of this place, but it was on the way to Glacier NP. Ever since I went there, all sorts of people have said that they had been there, but at the time, it was just a convenient stop. I was so lucky to have picked this place! It was beautiful!

My plan was to camp at the Beauty Creek Campground, just southeast of the city. Since I had NEVER camped solo before, I was going to do all my hiking and exploring first, then get to the campground early to set up and not leave for other activities. I stopped in town first and walked along the cute downtown streets. There were lots of shops and touristy things to see along the streets. My walk took me lakeside, to the Coeur d’Alene Resort. There is a boardwalk here that is listed as the longest boardwalk on water, its about a mile long, I guess. It wraps around the marina at a resort. It was so cool!

After the city review, I went out towards the campsite. I did a drive-by, and saw that it was a small campground, with only a handful of spots. That was a little intimidating, as I was hoping for a bunch of people to help me with my nervousness, but so be it. I left the site without setting up and went on a hike up the Mineral Ridge National Trail. The trail is 3.3 miles long and goes to the top of a ridge with a great overlook of the lake. It seemed to go up forever! Maybe it was just that I was tired from all the Rocky Mountain hiking, but it was tough! Great views from the top though! The hike was pretty much straight up, then flat for a bit, then straight down. It was brutal, but beautiful.

When I am on the road, I always eat minimally during the day – granola bars and such, then at night, one of my favorite things to do is to find a local brewpub. I find that the food is the best! This is what I did that night, and I had a rather early dinner in town.

I couldn’t put it off any longer – time to set up the tent. It went very smoothly, and I was all set by about 6pm! HA! Its June and VERY far north - it really didn’t get dark until about 11pm, so I had PLENTY of time! I ended up starting a crochet project that would last the rest of the trip – and several months longer. I set up my hammock and crocheted the evening away.

During the evening, a few others started setting up. I must have looked like a pro because I was asked for an air pump (which I had) and matches (which I also had). I felt fairly good about it all!

On the way out of Idaho towards Glacier National Park, I stopped by the Catalano Mission National Historic Site. It was a cool place, but I was there before it officially opened for the day - as you walk around the grounds though, there are kiosks with information on them, along with a recording that you can listen to. Basically, this was a location along the river. Back in the day, goods would be transported tot he people living in the backcountry by this river. The Mission was built here to serve the people that were living remotely. Very interesting history!

#Idaho