For a vacation one year we rented a cabin in the mountains of Idaho. It came complete with its own river and dock right out of our front door. The rental also included a motor boat which we found handy, not only for water skiing but also for trips up the river where there just happened to be a Pizza place with its own boat dock for Pizza lovers. If you kept going up the river you would actually get to the dam which created Lake Pend Oreille.One of the really cool things that we did while we were there, was to take a tour of an old lumber mill. It was not what you would really consider a "Disneyland" kind of tour, but more like some family owned business that was "happy to have someone come to visit their place" kind of tour. We found it just facinating.
There is actually a city that is called Priest River, Idaho too, in addition to just the river itself. It is centrally located in a recreation paradise, nestled in the Selkirk Mountain Range. It is bordered by the Priest River on the east and the Pend Oreille River on the south. It is just 7 miles east of Washington, and 75 miles south of Canada. Spokane - Washington, and Coeur d' Alene - Idaho are an hour drive away.
As you become acquainted with the City hope you will be able to visualize the beauty and abundant natural resource areas available at their doorstep. The City of Priest River is centrally located in a recreational paradise, nestled in the mountains, and is bordered by rivers on the East and to the South. The community itself has a population of about 1800, with an additional 3500 in surrounding areas. The County Seat, located in Sandpoint, Idaho, is just 22 miles East on Highway 2.
The elevation of Priest River is about 2100 feet. Their climate is moderate with an average maximum temperature of 57 degrees and average minimum of 34 degrees. Summer temperatures are not often above 90, with delightfully cool evenings. I don't think it got over 85 in the week that we were there. They say that the fall air is usually crisp and clear. Average snowfall is approximately 72 inches, with rarely more than two feet on the ground.
Priest River (the city) is a member of The International Selkirk Loop, a traveling circuit exploring more than two dozen towns located throughout Idaho, Washington, and the Canadian Province. As a member of the Loop they have been featured in Sunset Magazine for the past two years!
If you ever happen to be in the area, it is worth stopping and taking a look. The natural beauty and clear bright blue skies are just breath taking. This picture can not do it justice. But really what picture can?
"Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating." -Michael Crichton
