From marina restaurants, to fine dining on panoramic decks, to picnics you pack with all your favorite foods, lakeside feasting is the cardinal form of eating within or next to nature. A few years ago, I joined a bachelorette party on a friend’s boat on Lake Pend Oreille. We had snacks and drinks on the […]
Aperitif: The Lakeside Dining Life Read More »
If you already have a “lake place” – your own or your parents,’ your friend’s grandparents or cousins, or your Uncle Bob’s – then you likely already have your favorite lake. But for the rest of us, any of the dozens of Inland Northwest lakes can be ours for the loving. To feel the cold
Inland NW Lake Guide 2017 Read More »
WASHINGTON Horseshoe Lake: Members of the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club consider this small lake (128 acres) one of the best for paddling. It’s a designated no-wake lake with a 5 mph speed limit located in Pend Oreille County 4 miles north of the Spokane County line to the west of Highway 2. Horseshoe Lake
7 Great Paddling Lakes Read More »
Upon arrival, you first inhale deeply, as your eyes absorb the panoramic view – blue water reflecting sun rays, green trees, brown and gray rocks under your feet, or maybe sand, and perhaps distant mountain peaks. You exhale and then you feel it: burdens lifting, stress dissipating. And whatever encumbering metaphorical baggage you had been
Inland Northwest Lake Guide Read More »
A mere two and a half hours from Spokane, southern British Columbia’s Christina Lake lies off the radar of many shore-goers heading to its Priest and Pend Oreille kin. Sitting in a small valley where the forested Monashee Mountains begin their ascent out of the arid Canadian Okanagan, Christina Lake lays claim to being one
Off The Map: Find Hidden Trails and Beaches Close to the Border at Christina Lake, B.C. Read More »
Susan Hales describes the details of some of her more memorable swims vividly. She has been attacked by a merganser. She has been inspected by river otters. She has pulled herself out of the water on the brink of storms. A typical day in the water for Hales is adventurous by most others’ standards. Take,
Life in Water: What Drives this Local Swimmer to Hit the Lake Whenever She Can Read More »
Rumor has it, some of the tundra swan scouts have been spotted around Calispel Lake, aka Swan Lake, in the northeastern corner of Washington State. That can only mean the tundra swans will soon make their annual migration pit-stop in the Pend Oreille River Valley. Witness it for yourself at the Pend Oreille County Swan
Come summer, the mountains of the Inland Northwest offer a surfeit of high-elevation locations to escape the heat. But the forested foothills and meandering Pend Oreille River in northeast Washington’s Pend Oreille County offer a quick, quiet getaway for seekers of shade, historical landmarks, empty trails and roadside adventure. Pend Oreille River Manresa Grotto North
Pend Oreille Road Trip: Native American Culture, Hiking and History Read More »
Paddling a canoe on a quiet lake, especially when sunset colors splay across the western sky, is a great way to spend a summer day. “A canoe moves more smoothly and quietly than any other watercraft,” says Brook Swanson, board member of the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club. “I think it’s the most comfortable way
The Beautiful Simplicity of Lake Canoeing Read More »
Backcountry alpine lakes are the summer equivalent of a hidden powder stash: highly coveted, accessible for only a short part of the year, and all the more special for the human-powered effort required to find them. To outsiders, the Inland Northwest is not known for its alpine lakes; the Central and North Cascades to the
15 Backcountry Lake Hikes Worth the Walk Read More »
