“Water, water everywhere….” (“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
CDA, Idaho
When a town has the name Coeur D’Alene, you might think it would be in France or Switzerland. You might think you need to cross an ocean to see it. The Coeur D’Alene I recently visited was in Idaho where the above quote came to mind. Coeur D’Alene is an area of large lakes with lots of beautiful water sourced from snow melt from surrounding mountains. The locals refer to Coeur D’Alene as “CDA” which I will do going forward in this writing.
Where Is It?
When I mention CDA to people, I get two very difference responses. One of those responses is an enthusiastic comment on what a beautiful place it is. The other response is a question of “…and where is it?” If you have been there, you are aware of the beauty of the place, if you have not been there, you may have not heard of it. While there, the large winding lakes of blue water, surrounded by snow capped mountains, reminded me of visits to those other countries I mentioned above.
The Geography
I am fan of geography, so bear with me while I walk through the geography of CDA. CDA is in the narrow panhandle of northern Idaho. CDA has a population of approximately 54 thousand that swells during the summer tourist season. It is a short distance east of Spokane, Washington, the city to which you would fly into for a visit. The narrowest point of Idaho’s panhandle is about 50 miles wide going west to east. It sits between Washington State and Montana. Near Kootenai National Forest.
In addition to the border states of Washington and Montana, Idaho is also bordered on the west by Oregon and on the east by Wyoming. On the south, Nevada, and Utah border it. The north border is British Columbia, Canada. The closest large Canadian city is Calgary in the province of Alberta, about 400 miles to the northeast.
The Lakes
CDA
The most famous lake in the area is Coeur D’Alene Lake. It was created by large floods at the end of the last Ice Age. Downtown CDA is right on the lake. The lake has about 109 miles of shoreline. A golf course on the lake has a floating green (pictured below) accessed by a boat. It has an underwater cable system which periodically changes its location. CDA Lake is the focal point of a visit, but there are other large lakes in the area.
Hayden Lake
Hayden Lake (pictured below) is near CDA. It has a surface area of 3,800 acres with a shoreline of 40 miles. It is a popular summer vacation destination for boating, fishing, and swimming.
Lake Pend Oreille
Lake Pend Oreille is the largest lake in Idaho. It has a surface area of 148 square miles, a shoreline of 111 miles and is 43 miles long. At 1,100 feet deep, it is the fifth deepest lake in the country and has been a naval training ground going back to WW II. As a point of reference, the four deepest lakes in the US ahead of this one, in order, are Crater Lake (Oregon), Lake Tahoe (California and Nevada), Lake Chelan (Washington) and Lake Superior (touches 3 states and Canada).
Cypress Trees
Cypress trees are prevalent around CDA. The tall narrow ones that often line a street or driveway. The last time I saw Cypress trees like this, I was in Tuscany. Out of curiosity, I compared the latitude and elevation of CDA and Tuscany. The latitudes and elevations are remarkably similar.
“World Famous Potatoes”
The standard slogan on an Idaho license plate is typically “World Famous Potatoes.” With all respect to french fries and potato chips, which I love, there is much more to the great state of Idaho. When I saw the beautiful lakes surrounded by snow capped mountains, the lines of Cypress trees, I recalled trips to the mountains in Italy, France, and the Canadian Rockies of Alberta. Coeur D’Alene may be one of the most beautiful places you have never heard of. And there is no ocean to cross to get there. There is lot more to Idaho than potatoes.
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