Much like the rest of the town, a quirky stop for a leg stretch & photo op…read more There are signs in shop windows telling you how many steps away you are. The manhole pic requires a strategic run out into the road when there's a break in traffic. Thankfully, there's not a lot of traffic! Do yourself a favor if you're driving by on the highway and take the exit to check out Wallace, the center of the universe, sort of...

Every town has their thing, and this is the thing for Wallace. They have proclaimed themselves the…read morecenter of the universe, and right there in the middle of town, in the middle of an intersection, is a little medal/manhole that says it. Wallace. The center of the universe. It's also played up by the local restaurants and shops, who proudly display signs in their windows telling you how many steps away you are from said middle. And then at the intersection, there are signs pointing across the road, so you cross, and then another points you to cross again, and so on, and so on, in a big square. Be careful when you go out there. Despite it being a city thing, the safety piece was maybe not exactly well thought out, so just keep an eye on traffic when you dart out there into the middle of the road to get your photo. And then, go enjoy Wallace; it's a cute town. Don't forget to climb some of those stairs in the hills above town!

Do not visit Coeur d'Alene without taking a walk up Tubbs Hill, beautiful view. It's a very…read moreintermediate hike that's very doable for most visitors. Lace up your sneakers and enjoy your walk up Tubbs Hill; I highly recommend!

If you are new to the Coeur D'Alene area and are looking for a fun little hike that explores a…read moresmall portion of the lake's picturesque shoreline, I recommend visiting the Tubbs Hill Trailhead. There is parking either at McEuen Park or over by the Trailhead marker by Sanders Beach. Hiked during the week and it wasn't too crowded though some of the beach areas scattered along the way are not huge so you may want to get there earlier on weekends. The hike itself is fairly easy to moderate. The main trail is easy, however, if you go off path and down to the shoreline you just have to watch your step. Definitely not for walking around in flip flops.

A Very Picturesque Logging Town Along the St. Joe River…read more SITREP This is the town my mother and uncle Gary grew up. It's history is one that tracks with the local logging community for decades on end. But nearby are also significant historical communities of the mining industry. SETUP I've been back here with my mom since 1972, visiting every few years. Now that my grandmother has passed away, my Uncle Gary is developing the Fountain Bay ranch property that the family has here along the St. Joe river. CHANGES Some communities experience a fluctuation of the good times and the bad times. The last few years have hit St. Maries pretty hard as it is going through the lean times. A lot of my young friends that I've know these last few decades have pulled up stakes and moved on to "greener pastures" in Spokane, Seattle, Boise, and even L.A. Hopefully things will pick back up some more in the future. THE LOWDOWN A quiet little logging town set in a beautiful picturesque countryside that is a great place to visit....and many locals would say is a great place to live too.

This city is stuck in the mid-1900s. They refuse any kind of growth so that young people have a…read moreplace to live without paying ridiculous rent. The roads are horrid never mind the sidewalks. The town itself is just ugly nobody bothers to fix up their shop fronts and it's kind of sad. I moved here because of the reviews I was reading and they must have all been written by the city council. They get barely any snow here which might be good for some people but it was a lie for us and we're used to snow, real snow. Most of the locals here are about as welcoming as a prickly cactus and are not shy about it. The land itself is beautiful. And if you're looking to buy here I would definitely do it on the outskirts of the city because you'll be seriously let down by what this town has to offer. I know I am I bought here 3 years ago and I'm already thinking about selling it and finding somewhere else nicer. P.S. I'm afraid I don't know anything about the schools as I don't have small children so I can't answer you there but I can tell you that if you want to go grocery shopping you need to go up to Coeur d'Alene you cannot shop here both of these stores that they do have here are not here for the community they're here for greed.

Best pizza in town! Great date place. Great ambiance. I always suggest It for lunch to people who…read morehave never been to the Palouse!

Excellent food and service. In addition to the pizza they…read morehave some delicious salads. I had the beet salad which was delicious.

I imagine this store, though small, may have some interesting things. However; the stench of…read morecigarettes is overwhelming! So much so, that I had to get out of there very quickly! Can't imagine anything purchased from there not smelling the same!

From the owner: If you don't know what you're looking for, you'll find it at The Pack Rat. Antiques &…read morecollectibles, handmade greeting cards, consignment items, woodworking, primitive metal art, office services, hot beverages (coffee, espresso, tea, hot chocolate, hot spiced apple cider), UPS shipping, & real estate. We feature local artisans.

Spokane Falls are a must-see in Spokane. To think that we almost didn't go. It was cold and windy…read moreand we could have just headed out from our hotel, but we were so close - many hotels are close - that we went over - and we are so glad we did! These Falls are so impressive, not only the powerful waterfall itself but the structures, the bridges, the nearby buildings, the muskrat yelling at you on the path. All good.

They're gorgeous! I had a nice little walk around to the different bridges. I'm sad some of the…read morewalkways were closed, but totally understandable in January!

I grew up 100 miles north of Spokane in Pend Oreille county so I spent a lot of time in Spokane as…read morea youth. Spokane was the nearest "big city" so it was where to go for drive-in movies, record stores (remember those?), fast food restaurants, concerts and of course, cruising Riverside Drive (remember cruising?) and grabbing a burger at Dick's Hamburgers. Now as an adult when I visit I still love Spokane, but for mostly different reasons. Some nostalgic and some because Spokane is still a cool city. I visit once every couple of years. My octogenarian parents still live in Spokane as does one brother and one sister. Spokane boasts a lot of history. There is a lot of old architecture and brick. Lots and lots of brick! Riverside Park downtown is a beautiful Spokane destination as is Manito Park and Botanical Gardens. Beautiful and fun Coeur 'd Alene, Idaho is just a short drive away. If four full seasons is your thing, Spokane has them. Hot dry summers, cold, leaf-turning colors autumns, cold and snowy winters, rainy springs. I've said a lot of nice things about Spokane, so why not five stars? Hey, if I thought that Spokane was a 5-star city I'd still live there, right? By the way, Dick's Hamburgers is still slinging burgers after all these years. For some reason they tasted a lot better as a 17 year-old than do as a 52 year old!

Ron "I don't get paid for this" Martinez is beyond rude. You are a building inspector and it is…read moreyour job to ensure permits are posted on active construction sites. Telling me to call someone else because you're too lazy to drive by and ensure the builder posted permits is shameful. Talking down to me and saying, "got it?" doesn't earn any respect in your community. Yes, Ron, I "got it" - you can do as little as possible, may be as rude as you like and Brown's administration will allow it. Disgusting.

Ok had to take away one star because it looks like the bike program is only open to international…read morestudents. If I find out that it is open to all students and faculty the program will earn its fifth star.