It’s been beautiful in northern Idaho, nothing like last year’s weird 100 plus degrees and record low lake levels. Today was a chamber of commerce day, literally, because we went on the Coeur d’Alene Chamber’s annual Osprey cruise. It is exactly what it wounds like. You get on one of the big tour boats that leave from the marina at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, a few naturalists talk about the various water birds, ospreys, bald eagles, tundra swans, wood ducks etc. as the boat cruises around their nesting and fishing spots. Ospreys are easy to spot because they nest on exposed piers and pilings, bald eagles hide their nests, so they are more elusive. We also learned about the water quality and history of the lake. Coeur d’Alene, like the little lake we are on and the gigantic Lake Pend Oreille to the north, are all glacial lakes which were enlarged and stabilized by dams in the early part of the 20^th century. The Coeur d’Alene River flows down from the Silver Valley into the lake and the Spokane River flows out. By products from mining the Silver Valley, where more silver has been extracted than anywhere else on the planet, have left lead deposits in parts of the lakebed. Wealth flowing from those mines fueled development of western cities like Spokane; the river that gave the city its same was home to numerous sawmills that used parts of lake Coeur d’Alene as holding areas for logs before they were floated into the mills. The remains of one of these now host Osprey nests and preserved areas for wildlife.

Despite all the growth in the area, particularly on the northern part of Lake Coeur d’Alene, in the highway corridor north of the city and out onto the prairie to the west, there are a lot of preserved lands. Downtown CDA has McEuen Park and adjoining Tubbs Hill, 160 plus acres of lakeside hiking and park activity space. The Panhandle National Forest comprises over 3.2 million acres, including the area across Hayden Lake I see from the windows as I write and where yesterday we hiked trails on Canfield Mountain. Plus, state, and local parks, conservation areas and other lands preserved from development.  Which is a good thing because demand for housing in this area has led to both a building boom and crazy real estate prices. A consequence of this is a severe labor shortage as businesses report that folks who used to work for them have been priced out of the area. While this is happening across the country, here the influx of people moving from even more expensive housing markets has fueled what the county says is a 70% annual real estate appraisal price increase. And judging by the number of out of state plates on the roads, the “discovery” of the area is not over. Yes, I know this is vacation season, but 5 years ago we wouldn’t have counted 18 different state plates on a 20-mile round trip: many from nearby states, but more distant ones as well.

Back east, when we tell people we have a home in Idaho, we get puzzled looks and often some snarky comment about potatoes. Idaho became the first state to put logo on their license plate choosing “famous potatoes” in 1928, probably promoted by the Idaho Potato Board. Despite a lack of recognition in the east, Californians have been coming to Idaho for years; our 4 nearest neighbors all came from there over a period from 30 plus to 2 years ago. Bing Crosby lived across the bay (though he grew up in nearby Spokane) and if you are a fan, you can rent his house’ which has been preserved in the style of the era whatever that means. Sun Valley (which is 7 ½ hours from here) with world class Nordic and downhill skiing has long attracted the winter sports crowd. In the 30’s with the goal of creating the first American ski destination, they promoted the area by attracting celebrities. Magazines of the era showed Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable on the slopes or lounging glamorously at the lodge. Ernest Hemingway lived at the Sun Valley Lodge for free in 1939 where he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls, before eventually buying a home in nearby Ketchum. The strategy clearly worked as the likes of Carole King, Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis have or have had homes here. Spring gestures the Sun Valley film festival and this week the resort hosts the annual Allen and Co. Conference where some of the big names spotted include Bill Gates, Sheryl Sandberg and Warren Buffet along with numerous folks whose names you don’t know but whose companies you do. Twitter anyone?

I am not complaining about the influx- the beautiful summer weather (low humidity, few bugs) the natural beauty and varied amenities make this a magnet for vacationers who chose to live here part or full time. We did after all. There is also a wide variety of lifestyles to choose from. On our way to CDA we drove past farms, horse pastures, new housing developments and old weathered dwellings. On the lake cruise they pointed out lakefront homes with no road access, some over a century old; sprawling complexes, modest cabins, and a newer fancy golf course development where you can hang with Hollywood types and pro athletes. There is a lot to offer here and hopefully enough interest in preserving its environment and natural beauty that it doesn’t become a victim of its own popularity.

So, what’s the Brews thing you say? Saturday afternoon featured the Coeur d’Alene Brewfest. On a beautiful 80 degree afternoon we sampled beers from around the northwest, listened to music and just enjoyed being in this fantastic place. Next year maybe you can join us!