Cruising on Lake Coeur d'Alene

We took the whole family on a cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene this afternoon. It was very sunny and warm. For all of the 8 1/2 years we've lived in Spokane, we've never done this 90 minute cruise before. So I thought it might be fun to take Jeff's grandma, Aunt Gale, and his parents with us to see some of the beautiful sites around the shore.

Lake Coeur d'Alene was once known as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. It's twenty five miles long and 10 miles wide, at it's widest part.

The boat is like a miniature ferry that has indoor and outdoor seating on two different levels. Ida Mae stayed inside the cabin with Don, while most of us sat on the bow of the bridge enjoying the sites.

Sunglasses were a must in the sunlight. There was just enough spray from the water to keep everyone cool. The charter had a automated narration of some of the historical facts and oddities of the lake. A hundred years ago, found the waters full of trees and debri, as it was the dumping ground for all the nearby sawmills, that once peppered the coastline. It's come a long way from those days and is now home to the finest golf course in North America.

Someone was very hot and thought that 90 minutes was just too long for our afternoon excursion. She often misspeaks and whines from hunger. Her grumbling was finally quieted with some goodies from the snack bar and then her sweet disposition returned. I guess my plan of a late breakfast to carry everyone till an early dinner was an epic fail!

Jeff captured some amazing shots of an osprey that was flying just above us. It swooped down and grabbed something out of the water and flew off.

Braden stayed close to our group. He didn't have the driving need to explore the mechanics of how the boat operated or talk to the skipper, unlike one of his brothers.

The shoreline and impressive homes were eye candy from the deck. Wondering about how they got to their mansions in the steep hills consumed much of our conversation.

Nathan stayed within our sight for the whole time, which was not the case for his twin brother...who was curious about more than just the scenery.

When Jessica wasn't glued to Gale's hip, she was with her daddy. She was the least impressed by the cruise...and despite her opinion, it really was an enjoyable afternoon with the clan.

We even caught some fun pictures over the seat on the way home. We headed home to celebrate the twins' birthday!