A beautiful body of water in the panhandle region, Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, has become one of the state's most popular vacation areas. Visitors can bask in the sun at a resort or fish or go boating in the crystal blue waters. You could easily fill three days in the area, located 250 mi/400 km north of Boise.
The town of Coeur d'Alene is the tourism hub of the lake area (sightseeing boats leave from there), and it gets very busy in the summer months. On the campus of North Idaho College you'll find several buildings from Old Fort Sherman and a museum that's dedicated to the outpost, which was an important military installation in the late 1800s. Nearby is the Museum of North Idaho, which showcases local history.
Even those who don't like to golf like to see the greens at the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course. It has a floating green on its golf course that can be moved around the lake to vary the distance to the hole.
Stop by the oldest building in the state, the Old Mission of the Sacred Heart in Cataldo, about 20 mi/32 km east of Coeur d'Alene. It was built by Italian Jesuit missionary Fr. Anthony Ravalli with the help of local Indians. It's an architectural marvel: No nails were used in its construction.
If you have time for an afternoon trip, drive to Silverwood, about 20 mi/32 km north of downtown Coeur d'Alene. A Victorian village, Silverwood has a 400-acre/160-hectare transportation theme park. Its interesting museum is devoted to antique aircraft, automobiles and locomotives; its carnival rides include a roller coaster.
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