Coeur d'Alene Here We Are!

This year Michael's family all decided that it would be fun if we headed up to Northern Idaho for a little bit of family time and R&R. At first we weren't quite sure if we were going to make it but in the end everything worked out! (Yay for work schedules/employers that pull through at just the perfect time). So here are some pictures from our trip. I'm afraid that this post will probably be heavy on pictures and light on text so I hope you enjoy!

 

 

For several months now, Mike and I have been saying how we've been wanting to go to Montana. Not for any specific reason but because we've been living so close to it for a few years now and we've never been. Well, this trip provided us with the perfect opportunity to do so! Here is our picture proof. Yes, we have been to Montana making it the 8th state we've visited since we've been married. Whew!

We stopped at the Dell Merc to get gas and make a potty stop. We decided to stop because we weren't sure how far it would be to the next town and we didn't want to take any chances. Don't know why we didn't use our handy dandy GPS to locate the next gas station but we stopped here and ended up paying WAY too much for gas and using algae infested water/soap/nasty to wash the windshield. Oh and Michael probably had to wait a good 20 minutes for the guy in the bathroom so finish bathing himself in the sink. Note the sign: Population: 35 (that's less than the extended Campbell family! Maybe we should come for family reunion and triple the town's population?) This building serves as the gas station, convenience store, and post office. Talk about multi-tasking.

I looked out my window and what did I see? Mickey Mouse! Poor guy - I think he was headed to the local dump ..... Poor Mickey :(

 Silverwood! Yay! This was just a few miles from Kellogg, ID and we knew we were getting close to our condo. We ended up making the trip in just about 7 hours. We survived! (Although the passenger side door of the car as well as my dear husband almost got ran over by some crazy truck driver at one of our gas stops.) I wish we would've gotten a picture of our Condo - it was beautiful and just a short walk to the lake. My favorite part was that we could sit out on the patio and take in the whole view - wish we could've stayed another few days so we could catch a sunset or two. (But no worries - I think we've already started making plans to go back "someday" oh and I'm going to be rich "someday" too ;)

Our first day in Coer d'Alene we braved the somewhat ornery weather and crowds and made our way to Silverwood Theme Park. This was a first for me - I think that I've decided that I like theme parks - ALOT. (So maybe Lagoon next summer? :) This is Michael's brother in law Larry (Rachelle's husband) and his son Joe on our first ride, the carousel. Joe was a trooper and held on tight the whole time, and when I say "tight" its not an overstatement. Once we started going we he latched on with white knuckles and his head practically glued to the pole. I thought that he was terrified but I must have been mistaken because he kept telling me he was having fun.

Mike's dad taking a picture of Mike's sister Rachelle and her daughter Emma.

Me and my child (oh I mean husband) Michael. :) Some of the other adults were riding the horses but we weren't fast enough to get one so we just stood. Which (I think anyways) is just about as fun. I don't really remember liking carousels much when I was younger. But I do remember begging my parents to let me ride on them.

Joe and Will (the two boys on the far right) on one of their first rides. Although this picture doesn't quite capture it, their faces transitioned from excitement to borderline terror every time the ride dropped. We all got a good laugh watching them but I'm not so sure if they were as amused as we were.

Michael and I waiting in line for Battle Zone. When Mike came with his family when he was younger he was too short for this ride so he wanted to go this time. When we got all loaded up in the tank I asked him if this fulfilled all his hopes and dreams and he said it did. (Well, he's easy to please) We were in one tank (I was up top in the turret shooting balls from an air cannon at our opponents on the other side of the fence and Michael was down below shooting water, balls, and steering) People (Mike's mom and dad) were on the other side of the tank shooting balls from air cannons at us and disabling our guns, but we were shooting at them and getting them wet. It was great fun. I think Michael could've stayed there all day!

This was one of our favorite rides - which we quickly dubbed the "log ride." We went around a track and then climbed up an incline and came rushing down and got splashed with water. You can see to the left and right of the track that there are little pipe looking things. These shot water out at the passengers when the people on the observation deck (at the left of the frame) fed the machine with quarters.  So you never knew if you were going to get doused with water or be able to make it out dry.

Well, I guess they didn't get wet this time! But we (Michael and I) went on the raft before and we sure did! (Michael has a funny story that he likes to tell about it but I'll let you ask him about it)

 

Rachelle and I were MIA for a little bit because we went to go ride the roller coasters. So we missed out on the Antique Car Ride and a few other rides the kids went on. Emma and Uncle Michael seemed to have a good time without us though. Rachelle and I had a good time on the roller coasters though. I'd never really gone on a "real" roller coaster before so we thought that we'd stay away from the upside down one for a little bit so we went on the wooden roller coaster first - well after waiting in line for 45 minutes anyways. Boy was that a mistake! I just about wet my pants! We were going soooo fast and sooo high and then all of the sudden we'd be going straight down or we'd be going way too fast around a corner. I felt like I was holding on for dear life and Rachelle's just sitting next to me and laughing the whole time. (Yeah - I felt really brave when she started doing that) I didn't know how to react. I was having fun but I couldn't even open my mouth to scream (and if you know me - that's kind of a miracle because I'm a pretty accomplished screamer if I do say so myself). In comparison to the wooden roller coaster, the upside down corkscrew one was a breeze! I wish we could've gone a few more times but with just one day in the park there were other things that we wanted to do and see.
 

One of our other favorite rides - the raft ride! Eight people buckle into the raft and then you're sent off down the river with rapids and drop offs and a good all around soaking. By the time we were done I think that I was a good seven hundred pounds heavier from all of the water.  This was before we got wet of course, I may have been a little tense right when this picture was taken. The people getting off looked pretty damp...

Mike's parents on the raft ride. Mom was smart and wore a water proof jacket. That's such a nice jacket. I bet her favorite daughter in law let her borrow it. ;) I can say that because I'm the only daughter in law she'll ever have haha.



On day two of our Coeur d' Alene trip we took a trip to a gold mine. We were able to go into the mine on a guided tour and see first hand all of the fun things (and not so fun things) that miners got to do in the gold rush days.

We had a good time but I kinda want to go back and get the other tour guide - she sure talked a lot more. Ours was more the "strong, silent, man of few words" type. Our tour guide was nice enough to take this picture with our awesome hats though :) Thanks Mr. Tour Guide Man!

At the end of the tour, they taught us how to mine for gold. A few of us found some little gold flakes but there were also plenty of garnets, quartz, and polished rocks from the gift shop that were mixed in too. This is Mike's dad and Will. Mike's dad was pretty diligent in looking for gold. By this point I think that the kids were less interested in the gold and were more excited to play in the big tubs of water.  What kid wouldn't?

Joe and Emma playing in the water. Honestly, if it were actually a warm day I would've been tempted to join them in their attempts to get soaking wet.

 Michael looking for gold. The technique of panning for gold is a lot more tricky than we originally thought but the people there were awfully patient in telling us how to do the final steps over, and over, and over ...

 

In the gift shop we found a few friends ... I think that they had been waiting a long time to meet us! haha c'mon show me some pity and laugh at my corny joke ...

 
So we were right on the lake, we walked around the lake and a few of the kids and I put our feet in the water but we didn't go fishing, we didn't go swimming, and we didn't go boating. All things to add to the to do list for "someday." But it was gorgeous to look at! We're so glad that those that could come were able to make it and hopefully next year we'll be able to get together with everyone.