Vacations Blog

Glenwood Hot Springs Pool

Glenwood Springs, Colorado, is home to the world’s largest natural hot springs pool.  Perfect for those cold winter days.  Or, in our case, a blizzard-like spring day.  As the snow fell that afternoon, there was no better place for my wife and kids to be than in the balmy 98-degree water of the Glenwood Hot Springs.

A Wordless Wednesday contribution.

Photo by Phil Corless

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

The Silver Valley of North Idaho used to be known for its mining.  Over a billion ounces of silver have been taken out of mines in the area since the 1880’s.  But times change, and now the Silver Valley is becoming better known for its recreation.  Leading the way is Silver Mountain (notice how everything has the word silver in it?), a world-class ski resort in Kellogg, Idaho, that just recently opened up the beautiful new Morning Star Lodge and an adjoining 42,000 sq. ft. waterpark, called Silver Rapids.

Lazy river, at Silver Rapids Waterpark

Having just spent the weekend there, my family can tell you that there is no better way to beat the cabin fever of winter than with a trip to an indoor waterpark.  Silver Rapids is exclusive to guests of the lodge, which keeps down the crowds and makes for a more relaxed experience.  This is the first time I could float a lazy river and actually be lazy.  Usually I’m being jostled and splashed by swimmers on all sides.

The lack of crowds meant no waiting for any activity except the Flow Rider, a continuous wave of water that was perfect for bodyboarding and surfing.  But even that line only had 2 or 3 people in it at a time.  My son was able to keep at it until he had mastered the art of bodyboarding.  My daughter practiced shooting baskets on the “water court” for an hour, then ran the floating obstacle course like a young Lara Croft.  Both days we were in the waterpark, it sometimes felt like we had the place to ourselves.  Even when Santa Claus made an appearance, we didn’t have to contend with a line to sit on his lap.

Flow Rider, at Silver Rapids Waterpark

After awhile I started wondering if our “good thing” was unique to this waterpark.  Certainly, any park that is only open to guests of its hotel or lodge is going to be less crowded.  But, how many of them are part of a ski resort where a majority of the guests are hitting the slopes all day?  Silver Mountain has a built a unique addition to its resort.  There are only a handful of ski resorts with indoor waterparks in the U.S., but I’m sure more will follow as people see what an awesome combination it is.

For my family of non-skiers, all we cared about was that the water was 82 degrees while the outside temperature hovered around 35.  What better way to spend a winter vacation?

Morning Star Lodge, just outside the indoor waterpark

Silver Rapids Indoor Waterpark

Even Santa enjoys the warm indoor weather

All photos by Phil Corless