Spokane: Day 4

(In case you were wondering, I am about done with the vacation updates. We are in the final stretch people!)

Day 4 in Spokane was definitely my favorite day--possibly of the whole vacation! There was a lot of back and forth discussion about what we should do and we finally decided to return to Idaho--this time to a place called Sandpoint. I feel so lucky to have family that knew about this little gem because it was so beautiful and I know I would have never found it without them!

Coeur D'Alene was nice, but this place was even better! The hills were more mountain-like, the beach less crowded, and the weather warm with a slight breeze. Again, Amelia immensely enjoyed her beach time. She spent several hours swimming, digging, and playing with some other children that were visiting the beach too. Luckily, Idaho beaches do not have coral sand (which Jason seems to be allergic to), so everyone was happy. We had a little picnic lunch and then it was beach time for everyone!

Again, it is hard to get the beauty of this place on film, but it was truly breathtaking!

The older folks chatting it up.

Everyone LOVES the beach!

As if the beach wasn't enough, my aunt and uncle took us to a ski lift to the top of nearby Schweitzer Mountain. On the way up to the ski lift, we spotted a moose crossing the road just ahead of us. Apparently this is extremely rare and was a pretty cool occurrence. Amelia had lots of questions about where he was going and where his family was.

I have never been to a ski resort before (other than Hidden Valley and I'm pretty sure that doesn't count), so I was pretty taken with the atmosphere. I think I am one of the few people that would enjoy a ski resort more in the summer than the winter since I don't really like to be cold. There were cute restaurants with amazing views and some nice shops. Not to mention, lots of hiking trails, tennis courts, and even a life-sized chess game!

The view from the parking lot of the resort.

Here is the ski lift that we took up to the top.

Heading up, Jason and I were extremely nervous (the lifts are pretty open and Amelia is one squirmy little kid). I originally thought she might not want to ride, but she LOVED it! I was brave enough at one point to turn around and snap a picture of my aunt, uncle, and mom.

We made it to the top! The view was worth the anxiety attack! The lake you can see in the picture is where we had just enjoyed our time at the beach.

The view from the top with the ski lift.

We walked a bit on top of the mountain and from one angle could see the Canadian Rockies. They were only about 40 miles away if I remember correctly.

Amelia could have cared less about the Canadian Rockies, but was completely taken by the flowers available for picking instead.

Heading back down, one heck of a view!

This time, Amelia requested to ride with me and GG. I, again, snuck a picture of those riders behind me. It seemed much less scary heading back down.

The view after I was safely back on the ground. Getting on and off was the hardest part since the lift never actually stops and you kind of have to jump on and off.

Once at the bottom, we checked out some of the shops while Amelia danced to the piped in music that filled the resort.

After that, it was rock climbing with Uncle Jerry.

It was a fantastic day and I fully support my aunt's desire to move to Sandpoint down the road. I guarantee we will visit often if they do!