Round Lake....aka "Our Lake"

A sweet little lake for kayaking, Summer 2015

I am in love with a little lake. I love that we can load up the truck with kayaks/dogs/chairs, etc and be there in 5 mins flat. That's something that never happens in So Cal (every adventurous thing is atleast an hour away)  
In the cooler months at Round Lake, it feels like you have the whole place to yourself (hence the nickname "Our Lake"). It's calm and serene wtih a meditative quality perfect for kayaking, hiking, fishing, or just reading a good book on the beach.   

Here are things I love most about Round Lake:

The Kayaking: Just about my absolute favorite thing to do at Round Lake! There's a sweet little spot back at the SW corner of the lake that is so peaceful and gorgeous to putt around in. We've spotted deer and other wildlife right on the banks. (click pix to enlarge)

The Beach: There's a nice little beach sandwhiched between two fishing docks which are perfect for jumping off of. Last summer there was an inflatable island tied up to one of the docks all summer long. Looked like anyone could take it out and use it. I was so happy to discover that the summertime water temps were WARM...Yay!!

Me and my sis, Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay, Wastin' Time......July 2015

Looks hazy becasue wildfires were raging nearby.

The beach is to the left of the dock, and the small boat launch to the right.

The Hiking: The easy "Trapper's Trail" goes 2 miles all the way around the lake. For the most part it's easy and flat and sticks to the shore for the most part. Small kids and older folks in normal, good shape should have no problem. There is one short part that is mildly steep.

There are 2 foot bridges to cross, and interesting signs here and there telling about the wildlife and environment.



 There's a longer "Stewardship Trail" that I haven’t taken, but I hear it's good for mountain bikes, shoeshoeing, etc. That one goes off into the woods more than the Trappers Trail, and I was too afraid to take it alone. Im still a desert gal getting used to all these scary woods. :-) 

Here's my better half taking a break and enjoying this bench halfway around the lake on the Trappers Trail. Its looks out across the lake, back to the beach/parking area where the trail begins. Great spot to watch Osprey dive-bombing their dinner.



Either trail brings takes you back to the campground where (in Summer) there is a Visitor's Center to grab popsicles, water, fridge magnets, coffee mugs, etc or just talk to a friendly ranger.

One thing I should warn you about is the end of the trail. 

In SPRINGTIME, it can be a wee bit flooded. After hiking almost 2 miles, we came upon this flooded area and tried going around it (it was a large flooded area, not just the trail part) but were afraid to cut thru a farmer's field (looking back we should've just done that), and we did not want to walk 2 miles back to the start. Soooo.... we forged ahead. The weather was warm so we didnt really care, we had a good laugh about it. Just a heads up. Here's a video, sorry for the one curse word.

The Fees: Only $5! (in 2015) Round Lake is within a State Park and ther is this small day-use fee.  We get in free because we paid $10 for a sticker that gets us into ALL Idaho State Parks for a whole year. To a So-Cal gal this was an incredible bargain, because in California that same type of pass costs $195! .... Did I mention I Love Idaho?!?

From Sandpoint, take the 95 for 10 miles south and turn right ontof Dufort Rd.  Then go about 2 miles, it will be on the Left. There will be signs for Round Lake State Park.

https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/round-lake

Schweitzer Mountain in Summer

Schweitzer Mountain ski resort is a must-do in the summer. Yes, I said Summer. My sister, sons, and nephew were visiting in July and I took them up to Schweitzer. Almost didn't go, but so glad we did, because at the end of their week-long visit they all ranked Schweitzer very high on their list of favorites. 13 mi from downtown Sandpoint, Schweitzer is a world-class ski resort featured in several magazines 

For $10 ea ($38 /family…or FREE if you go on opening day of the summer) you can ride the chairlift to the top of the mountain. It's a relaxing ride and the views of Lake Pend Orielle and Sandpoint are stunning from up there. I wanted to fling my arms and sing "The Hills are Aliiiiive !!!!" (i.e. Sound of Music)...... One bummer on the day we visited: the view was a bit hazy because wildfires were raging nearby. Still amazing, though.

When we got off the chairlift at the top, I immediately said “Oh man, this is so COOL, why didn’t we bring some wine or beers or...” and as if the universe heard us, boom! there was The Wang Shack, a tiny place selling beer and ice cream. Thank you Universe!

 Sadly, the Wang Shack is scheduled for demolition...which is probably why they let us write on the walls. Schweitzer is making way for a brand new restuarant & lodge up at the top.

There's a frisbee disc golf course at the top, and you can rent a set of discs for $5 in the Village. Just be careful and don't throw your discs over the side of the mountain like I did.

 Here are my wonderful boys scampering down the mountain to find it and say me the $5 deposit :-)

You can relax in a cool "Bungo" chair or on a picnic table at the top, and there are horseshoes and other games just sitting around waiting for someone to play them. 

Bungo Chair, super comfy

We had a blast playing a game called Slammo. It's very peaceful up top and we easily spent an hour taking in the view and watching folks go up and down the chair lift. A few people were bringing mountain bikes up and riding the trails down. The bike course is pretty rocky and I personally wouldn't take beginners or kids down it, and even the staff agreed with me on that one. 

View on the way down. We just saw a baby moose !

Schweitzer Village is quiet in summer, but still has two restaurants, a deli, and a coffee shop open to grab a bite. If you have younger kids, there are a few amusing things in the village: a rock wall, a gyro trampoline thing, a short zip line, and they can also pan for gold. Our boys were all too old for that, but I saw a twinkle in their eyes as they passed each attraction.

JJ popped into the Coffee Shop for some Evans Bros coffee (a local favorite) and I picked up a loaf of fresh baked garlic gooey cheesy bread over in the deli shop which got devoured on the ride back to Sandpoint.     Ahhh Schweitzer, we'll be back!