mama travels:: our new home

Dale and I packed up our car and loaded Kannon and Emma (our dog) for our 2 hour trip over the hills to Coeur d'Alene--our soon-to-be home.  Our day was packed full with house showings, visiting Dale's new accounts, and seeing a little bit of local color.  We started our day early and it got even earlier as we crossed into Pacific Standard Time.

We couldn't have been blessed with better weather, as we had clear blue skies and 65 degree weather.  It was perfect for Emma, who having smelled the lakes before we even got near Coeur d'Alene, was desperate for a good swim.  So before we started our day, we took a minute to enjoy the downtown (which is unbelievably charming) let Emma swim and caught lunch at a little cafe.

We checked out many houses.  Most of which were cute and charming and a few had us running away without even ringing the doorbell.  We were in love with one house but apparently many others were as well, so we quickly turned in our application and waited for them to make their decision.  The wait was worth it, because we got our house!  It is a little small but it is the perfect size for us.  We cant wait to move in!

The rest of day we spent visiting Dale's accounts.  He has some work to do as the person who was previous in charge left things unresolved.  Nonetheless, Dale put on his best tie and let his charm do the talking. 

We also stopped at Moontime where I had the best chicken sandwich I have ever tasted.  We are so excited about the epicurean delights present in Coeur d'Alene.  Every restaurant we walked by tempted our stomachs and tastebuds. 

At the end of a long day, we threw one last stick for Emma and headed back to Missoula greeted by an empty house, full of boxes, and ready for change.

While on our little trip, we learned many new things about the area that will surely be sending visitors our way!

1.) There are over 33 golf courses all within a 15 minute drive of CDA.
2.) Listed as one of the places to visit in Patricia Schultz's book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die
3.) CDA was listed as the 5th best place to live in the United States.
4.) Silverwood, the Pacific Northwest largest theme park is minutes from CDA.
5.) Lake Pend Oreille is over 1200 ft deep.
6.) Litehouse Dressing is based in nearby Sandpoint, ID
7.) On November 28, 2007, Good Morning America broadcast the city's Christmas Lighting Ceremony because its display is among the largest in the country.
8.) The CityLink bus system in CDA is FREE!
9.) The world's longest floating boardwalk is located in CDA as part of the Coeur d'Alene Resort.

10.) The CDA/Spokane area is considered one of safest areas places to live free of natural disasters.