Bench with a view, Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

National Geographic called Lake Coeur d’Alene one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.  I might be a little biased since I live right next to it, but I’d certainly have to agree.  Located in the panhandle of Idaho, far from the state’s population center of Boise, the alpine beauty of Lake Coeur d’Alene offers a wide variety of fun family activities, whether you’re on a budget or you have money to burn.

To me, it’s just about the ideal place to spend a few carefree summer days on the water.  With a length of over 25 miles and a shoreline measuring over 109 miles, the lake is big enough that it never feels crowded, even on the busiest Saturday in August.

The obvious place to begin your family vacation is in the city of Coeur d’Alene, which sits on the north shore of the lake and is your best bet for lodging.  Your hotel options range from the luxurious Coeur d’Alene Resort, which juts out over the water near downtown, to a Holiday Inn Express less than a mile from the city beach.

Summer fun in the water

During the summer months, mainly July and August, the water temperature of the lake is perfect for any activity you can imagine.  My kids and I swim at least two or three times a week during these warm days.  Coeur d’Alene’s city facilities stretch out across the north shore, so you don’t have to go looking for a spot to set up your beach chairs.  City Beach offers the safety of lifeguards, but if you want to get away from the crowds there, simply stroll down to the adjacent beach in front of North Idaho College.  You’ll feel like you have the lake to yourself.

If you want to do more than just sit on the beach and take in the beautiful view, you don’t have to go very far for a refreshing hike.  Right smack dab in the middle of downtown Coeur d’Alene is what can only be described as the jewel of the town.  Tubbs Hill is a 135-acred forested peninsula with a 2-mile loop trail that takes you all along the shoreline, where you can find secluded beaches, scenic overlooks, rocky coves, and woodland habitats.  My family hikes Tubbs Hill regularly, and I’m always amazed at the beauty of the place, not to mention the fact that the city was able to save this urban wilderness from development.  We pack a picnic lunch, hike out to the tip of the peninsula, and find a quiet spot for the afternoon.

Tubbs Hill

If you want to get out onto the water, there are several options.  At Independence Point, next to City Beach, you can rent jet skis, kayaks, and paddle boats.  Many different businesses in town offer reasonable rentals on everything from jet boats to luxury yachts.  Well, I’m not so sure if the words “reasonable” and “luxury yacht” go together.  The Resort also offers daily lake cruises, ranging from 90 minutes to 6 hours.  There’s even a parasail boat and a float plane if you want to see things from a different perspective.

If your kids are waterlogged and tired of hiking, you can rent some bikes and head down any number of paved bike trails that hug the lake shore.  The Centennial Trail runs right through downtown, heading east all the way to Higgens Point and west along the Spokane River, across the border into Washington, all the way into the city of Spokane.  Or, you can explore the prairie north of the lake on the new Prairie Trail, which connects with all the other bike trails.  Come to think of it, there are so many miles of trails around here, you might actually get lost.  But a good kind of lost.  If a park is what the kids are hoping for, there’s the City Park which, naturally, sits right next to City Beach, and contains a huge castle-like play structure for the kids to run wild on.

Hiking, biking, boating, and swimming.  What more could you ask for in a relatively inexpensive family vacation?  You’ll find it all here, in one extremely centralized location at the north end of Lake Coeur d’Alene.  Like I said, though, it’s a big lake and there’s certainly more to explore.  But I’ll save that for another post.  I could talk about “my lake” endlessly.  I’m sure that if you bring your family to this part of Idaho, you’ll also be talking about one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.

Kayaking on Lake Coeur d'Alene

Scenic overlook on Tubbs Hill

Cliff diving in Idaho

All photos by Phil Corless

Sandy beaches of Olympic National Park

Washington’s Olympic National Park is an amazingly diverse place, with snowcapped mountain peaks, sandy ocean beaches, and a temperate rain forest all within easy driving distance of each other.  One particular part of the park has twice been our base of operations for the ideal family vacation.

The Olympic beaches stretch along the Pacific coast for 73 miles.  They range from the wide and sandy Kalaloch Beach to the rugged and rocky Rialto Beach.  They all have their own unique characteristics, some with awesome tidepools and others with weird rock formations, and they are all close enough to each other to be explored in just a day or two.

Kalaloch Creek and Beach

Our discovery of the area happened quite by accident.  After I couldn’t find my birth certificate, I had to cancel a vacation through Alberta and British Columbia in Canada just a week before we were to leave.  Scrambling for a new place to take the family, I stumbled upon a website for Kalaloch Lodge in the Olympic National Park.

It looked like fun, and it was definitely a place we’d never visited, so I called and lucked out that there had been a cancellation for the three days we wanted.  Normally, as with most National Park cabins and resorts, the Lodge is booked up months in advance.

Driftwood fire at Kalaloch Beach

We stayed in a cozy cabin nestled on the bluffs above Kalaloch Beach.  It was perfect for a family of four, with two queen-sized beds, a full kitchen, wood stove for the chilly nights, and a bathroom with shower.  Hey, this isn’t exactly “roughing it,” although you can do that just down the road at the Kalaloch campgrounds, which are fully equipped for RVs and trailers, but will also accomodate a tent if that’s your style.

Kalaloch Beach is littered with driftwood of all shapes and sizes, making it an ideal place for an evening campfire.  We brought hamburgers and hot dogs, as well as the required marshmallows, but if you don’t have supplies there’s a small store at the main lodge where you can find everything you need for a BBQ on the beach and a front row seat to the spectacular sunsets.

The endless piles of driftwood also provide material for your kids to make the fort of their dreams.  The cabins and campgrounds at Kalaloch are easily accessible to the beach, so you don’t have to worry about rushing your kids a long way back to a bathroom in the middle of making ‘smores.  And if you don’t want to make your dinner, either on the beach or in your cabin, there’s always the Kalaloch Lodge Restaurant, which offers a fine dining experience.

The gorgeous, expansive beach around the Lodge might be enough for most families, but we’re explorers.  We want to see what’s around the next corner.  One great thing about the Olympic Beaches is that you don’t have to drive very far to see them.  It’s only eight miles from Kalaloch Lodge to Ruby Beach, and in between you’ll find plenty of places to stop and hike down to various beaches.

Seeing sea stars at Beach #4

One of our favorites was Beach #4, a rocky section of coast that had the best tidepools for the kids to explore.  At low tide, they could find every type of sea creature you’d expect, from sea stars to anemones. We actually came back to this beach twice just for the tidepools.  These places are ideal for young kids who are just learning about nature and the ocean, and concepts such as erosion, tides, and the life cycle.

Further up the road you’ll find the popular Ruby Beach, with its dramatic sea stacks and meandering creek.  A longer drive north takes you to Rialto Beach, with its must-see “hole-in-the-wall” rock formation.  Like I said, every beach is different, and all are worth visiting.  The Olympic beaches have become a tradition in my family, with plans for us to return every other year to the lodge that I found by accident.  Sometimes the best things in life are completely unexpected.

Sunset at Kalaloch Beach

Ruby Beach sea stacks

Exploring Tidepools

Kalaloch Lodge Cabin

The hole-in-the-wall at Rialto Beach

All photos by Phil Corless