Road Trip ~ Western Washington to Coeur d’Alene and Boise

Coeur d’Alene

Last year I did this trip in reverse and it’s very comfortable to return to familiar places. From western Washington take Interstate 90 to Coeur d’Alene, about 30 miles east of Spokane.

I again stayed in the River Front area where there is easy access to the Centennial Trail, the River Front Park, a cute shopping area (with a favorite book store, The Well-Read Moose) and easy access to drive to the town or the I-90 to further explore this gorgeous area. On this journey, I discovered the beautiful Hayden Lake area.

I tried several new places to eat, but returned several times to a favorite, Anthony’s. It’s situated near the pond at Riverfront Park and has a great Happy Hour and dinner menu.

 

Drive to Boise

To me, the more scenic route (highways 95 and 55) is the better option than back-tracking and taking the interstates. I stopped in Grangeville for lunch and discovered Crema Café, which I highly recommend. It’s a cute spot with friendly and helpful staff offering a nice breakfast and lunch menu. I had a marvelous latte and quiche and would definitely return when in the area.

There are other places to stop, including Moscow, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and McCall. I stopped several times to take photos and was very lucky that it was a clear, beautiful day as it is a very windy road.

Boise

Boise is a neat city to explore, whether for the first time or as a repeat visitor. I went to my favorite spots, including the gorgeous Rose Garden, the Boise River Greenbelt, downtown 8^th Street (restaurant row) and Rediscovered Books.

I love discovering terrific new places to eat and that happened in Boise. The Cottonwood Grille, located on the Greenbelt, is terrific. Excellent menu and customer service and how lovely to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine on a beautiful day. I will definitely return.

 

Another day, we went to nearby Meridian, enjoying lunch at The Yard House, located at The Village at Meridian.

I will have several separate photo posts of places mentioned above, once I sort out my many photos of this beautiful area.

On my return, I stayed on Interstate 84 passing the magnificent Columbia River and the Hood River area. It connects to Interstate 5 north, homeward bound. While a bit longer, the scenery is quite beautiful.

Savor your journeys, discovering new places and re-discovering familiar ones.

Post from last year about Boise and Coeur d’Alene:

Road Trip ~ Western Washington to Boise and Coeur d’Alene