North Toward Canada
From Coeur d’Alene you can make a one day trip to Canada. Highway 95 takes you from Kootenai County to Bonner County then Boundary County that borders our friends to the North. North of Bonners Ferry, State Route 1 branches off of Highway 95, providing two international ports at Eastport and Porthill. Remember a passport or international ID card are required to cross an international border.
Get an early start on the day, you never know when you’ll find somewhere you want to spend some extra time. If you do go into Canada, allow extra time for the border crossings.
8:00-10:30am From Coeur d’Alene take Highway 95 north through Hayden and Athol (entry to Farragut State Park) and past Silverwood Theme Park as you cross into Bonner County and Sandpoint. Exit the highway to find stores, galleries and eateries and the home of Coldwater Creek, one of America’s top women’s apparel retailers. It’s also the one place in North Idaho where AMTRAK stops. Railroad and history buffs will enjoy the displays at the Bonner County Historical Museum. Take a right from First to Bridge Street to get to Sandpoint’s beautiful City Park on the shores of lake Pend Orielle.
10:30-11:30 No matter the season, Schweitzer Mountain Resort is worth checking out. It’s just north of Sandpoint, take a left at the sign and discover why it’s one of the most popular ski destinations in the Pacific Northwest.
11:30-12:30 The section of Highway 95 north is known as the Wild Horse Train Scenic Byway and takes you through the timbered hills and past areas homesteaded back in the 1800s as you approach Bonners Ferry, billed as “Idaho’s Friendliest City”. In Bonners Ferry you’ll find a delightful town on the banks of the Kootenai River where in 1864 Edwin Bonner started a ferry to serve prospectors on their way to the gold fields of British Columbia. Visit the Boundary County Free Museum on Main Street (open May through August) to view its collection of more than 10,000 items dating back to those days. Bonners Ferry is also home of the Kootenai River Inn Casino and Spa operated by the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho. Just 5 miles from downtown is the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, a 4.5 mile driving tour where in the summer you might see bald eagles, rough-legged hawks, herons, geese and ducks, maybe even elk, deer, bear or moose.
Afternoon If you have the proper documentation and choose to drop into Canada for lunch or a foreign beer, take Highway 95 to the Eastport/Kingsgate crossing. Don’t blink or you’ll miss Good Grief, Idaho. A short Canadian loop takes you almost to Yahk (get your Yahk Attack t-shirt) then west to Creston and back into Idaho at the Rykerts/Porthill crossing. If you see some strange crops on the Idaho side, those are hops. Anheuser-Busch is a major grower in this region and Boundary County hops have found their way into many brews around the nation. Even if you don’t cross the border it is a beautiful drive.
If you decide not to drive into Canada from Bonners Ferry, take Highway 2 east to Moyie Springs for spectacular views of Moyie River and dam from one of the highest bridges in Idaho. A short drive will also take you to Moyie Falls. Montana is just 16 miles away.
Coming back through Sandpoint you can grab a bite or brew at Sweet Lou’s, Trinity or DiLuna’s Cafe. If the day is still young, travel west from Sandpoint and follow Highway 2 to Priest River, Albini Falls Dam and Oldtown. Take State Route 41 south which winds back through Blanchard and Spirit Lake. From there you can continue on to Rathdrum, Post Falls and I-90 or go east on 54 to Athol and Highway 95 which brings you back to Coeur d’Alene.