Monday, December 12, 2011

Where to stay our last night west of the park?

Our flight departs out of Spokane on a mid-afternoon. Trying to pinpoint where would be the best place to spend our last evening outside the west end of the park. Kalispell, Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Spokane, somewhere else in-between?





Just looking for a town with decent lodging options, some unique restaurant selections, maybe a little nightlife or nice areas to walk in the evening? Any suggestions?



Where to stay our last night west of the park?


Suggest you consider Sandpoint, Idaho or Coeur d%26#39; Alene, Idaho. From Sandpoint it would be a 2 hour drive to the Spokane Airport, from Coeur d%26#39; Alene its about a 45 minute drive to the Spokane Airport. Coeur d%26#39; Alene is larger and may offer more lodging / restaurant options. Sandpoint is in a very scenic location. Both are on a route back to Spokane, via Sandpoint would be on the most scenic route, via Interstate 90 Coeur d%26#39; Alene is on the fastest route back to Spokane. The Festival at Sandpoint runs from August 6 - 16 which will increase crowds in Sandpoint on the weekends.



Where to stay our last night west of the park?


Kellogg - Wallace area has the hiawatha trail for a bike ride as well as a new indorr waterpark associated with a condo/hotel complex. Might be another option.




All these suggestions sound worth looking into. Whitefish is on my radar, but it would require us to head out at about 5:00am...and keep our fingers crossed that there wouldn%26#39;t be any delays along the way.



What kind of towns are these? ie...golf resort, mountain towns, ski resort areas, rugged, etc...? We usually end our Northwestern trip in Jackson, WY. Any towns/locations in-between Spokane and Glacier with that same type of feel? Small, but with lots of shopping/restaurants/lodging... I guess that would make it semi-touristy.




Both Sandpoint and Coeur d%26#39; Alene have a ';resort'; feel to them, Sandpoint more so because its smaller and a little more isolated but its not gone the full resort mode as Sun Valley or Aspen. Sandpoint still has a mixture of locals and visitors, and a mixed economy of logging, farming, ranching, service, and tourism. Sandpoint has changed over time to having more second home owners and visitors due to its great location on a very large lake, a good ski area, and great summer weather (low humidity, cool evenings). Coeur d%26#39; Alene has become more tied into the greater Spokane area over time and sees a lot of weekend activity from local area residents (Spokane and Coeur d%26#39; Alene). Coeur d%26#39; Alene will have a larger selection of lodging and resaurants, has a great downtown, city beach and a nice natural park all in downtown. Web sites: www.coeurdalene.org www.visitsandpoint.info






Wallace/kellog are old mining towns trying to reinvent themselves into more recreation tourism based areas. Not resorty by most charactoristics, but some rich history and legacy that is different from the resort areas which are lake/beach/shop areas. Easy drives and cheaper, but all depends on your interest levels. About 1 hour freeway from Spokane city limits.




You%26#39;ve had some great advice already; I%26#39;m throwing another option into the mix. Have you considered staying in Spokane the night before you leave? It really is a nice little city - the park downtown is beautiful, you can take a tram ride out over the falls, and there are some great restaurants downtown too, such as Rock City Grill and Azteca%26#39;s.




Thanks for all the great advice on the possible locations for our last night. I definitely haven%26#39;t ruled out just staying in Spokane. I imagine I could get a good rate via Priceline on some decent lodging. And I think after a week of camping/hiking in the wilderness, we%26#39;ll be up for some good dining and a comfy bed more than we would be for some tromping through the woods.



I also forgot that we will gain an hour going back to Spokane, so if Whitefish seems worthwhile, then we may just stay there and make sure to depart by 7:00am.




I second the suggestions for a trip to Sandpoint or a stop in Coeur d Alene. I looked into starting our trip in Sandpoint, but opted to spend more time on the east side of glacier instead. The area looks very much like a ';Jackson-type'; town.



We ended our Yellowstone vacation last year with a night in Kellogg, ID. Unless you have kids, I wouldn%26#39;t stop here. The waterpark at the condo was a nice change of pace for the family, but other than that there wasn%26#39;t much going on.




Lake Coeur D%26#39;alene (pronounced locally Cor Dah layne) is really beautiful. Sandpoint is also on a beautiful lake, Lake Pen D%26#39;Oreille (pronounced Pon Door Ay).



They%26#39;re both nice. If you stay there, pick a nice place on the lake, not one of the ones out on the interstate in the fast-food zone (Coeur D%26#39;Alene).





I think staying in downtown Spokane would be fun, too. Check out the parks where the Worlds Fair was once held. I wouldn%26#39;t stay in suburban Spokane (pronounced Spoke Ann). It is nice enough but not anything really special.





It is a good idea to get the room now, because I have been shut out of Spokane in the summer on occasion -- not a single room available.




Let me know if you choose Spokane. Rooms are only a problem during Ironman, hooppfest, the PNQ and bloomsday. Otherwise plenty of options.

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