Monday, July 3rd
– Friday, July 7th
Blackwell Island RV
Park, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
We were excited to move on to Idaho, so many RV’ers had
commented on what a beautiful place that Coeur d’Alene is. As we approached the
area, we began to see the landscape turn into mountains and forest. That made
us happy since we would be out of the desert. We arrived at Blackwell Island to find
a very nice RV park. The island is in the middle of the lake, which is fed by
the Spokane River. The park has a nice beach for swimming and lounging in the
sun, along with some walking trails around the natural areas. The upcoming 4th
of July celebration was the next day and we were happy to be in such an amazing
place to help celebrate.
On Independence Day we got up early and headed to the city
for the American Heroes parade. Downtown main street was decorated with
patriotic colors and amazing flowers. The parade was huge and very
entertaining. All branches of the military and law enforcement were
represented. We truly enjoyed this patriotic display and celebration. After the
parade we walked around the city and the waterfront. There were live music
bands and food vendors. We ate lunch in the downtown waterfront park, then
headed back to the RV park. Later in the evening, we were able to watch the downtown
fireworks from the beach at the RV park. It was a great show and very convenient
that we didn’t have to go downtown and get into the crowds. Overall, the day’s
celebrations were very patriotic and fun.
The next day, we drove back into
town and parked at McEuen Park on the waterfront. We took the dogs and hiked a
nice trail around Tubbs Hill. We all enjoyed the day in the beautiful town. Our
last day we put the kayaks in the lake at the RV park beach. We paddled towards
downtown and Tubbs Hill. It was such a beautiful day and a great view of the
town from the water. This huge lake is a glacier carved lake and fed by the
Spokane River. Later in the evening, we went back into town to attend a live
concert in the park. The “Live After 5” event was very nice, we sat in the tree's
shade and enjoyed the music.
The area is definitely a tourist mecca. Such a great city, the
lake is so beautiful and full of water sports and boating. We truly enjoyed
this special western town and all the amenities and activities that it
provides. If we had any idea how wonderful it was, we would have scheduled more
time there. Oh well, maybe someday we can come back and visit again.
For our next location we will head south to Hells Canyon in
Idaho. Looking forward to what we find there.
