Sandpoint, Idaho is located on the northern end of Idaho's panhandle, and it is a great destination for people who want to explore the beauty of the outdoors. From hiking and biking trails to skiing and snowboarding options, Sandpoint has a multitude of activities that will make anyone’s vacation memorable. It is also known for its beautiful lakeshore scenery as well as its outdoor recreational opportunities, including fishing, camping, rafting, and more.
The reviews of Sandpoint are consistently positive. People come back year after year to take advantage of all the amazing outdoor activities available in this part of Idaho. Visitors love exploring places like Pend Oreille Lake or taking a boat tour down the Pend Oreille River. They enjoy discovering the history behind historic landmarks such as Round Lake State Park and the many museums scattered throughout town. Reviews also praise Sandpoint for their vibrant downtown area filled with art galleries and specialty shops. In addition to this, guests have mentioned how friendly and welcoming the locals are which always adds a nice touch to any trip!
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Are the days really grey? Are the schools really - 2/6/2009
My family and I are considering a move to Sandpoint and I am wondering 2 things:
1. Are the days really grey skies most of the time?
2. Are the schools really as bad as I have heard with budget cuts, etc.
We have 2 elementary school age children.
I would love any feedback.
Thanks!
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re: - 12/25/2008
A comment from the author: Originally in the article I wrote that Glen Harvey rented Swans Landing to his nephew, based on the chef relating this incorrect info in a conversation I had with him. The chef was the instructor for our local culinary program, of which I was a part. In a conversation I had with Glen Harvey on December 24th, 2008, he asked me why I had written an article "about me," and really believed I had done very wrong to mention him in the article. The original article stated my belief that during that time, the lessee of Swans had done much to ruin the reputation of the restaurant, and that the rents were high. I based this on conversations I had with two of the owners, as well as a conversation I had with Glen Harvey four years ago, when he was quoting me how much he was asking for in lease payments at that time. During my Christmas Eve conversation with Mr. Harvey, I asked if he had read the article. He admitted he hadn't at that time. I stand by what I have
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Ten Hospitals within 100 Miles, Idaho 8th Healthie - 12/22/2008
Sandpoint has its own hospital - Bonner General -with 48 beds, and the healthcare industry has seen several new clinics open, with many new doctors and health offerings in the last five years. This year, Idaho was named the nation's 8th healthiest state, and people walk and hike, bike ride and ski, swim and race, and are generally doing healthy things more than not. Within 100 miles are ten hospitals, and just 45 miles south of Sandpoint is the Kootenai Medical Center, a very good, much larger hospital with all the services a good facility enjoys. A bit farther, in Spokane, are some world-class hospitals, including Deaconess and Sacred
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Sandpoint Learnin'-Readin', Ritin', and Rithmatic - 12/22/2008
We are so proud of our high school, and I often ask people where in the nation do we still fund virtually every art and activity, all the way down to the Men's Glee Club. Our schools are rated in the middle of the pack, with a 6 out of 10 in Great Schools website and others. Many people locally do not think our schools are up to the task, and home-schooling here is as prevalent as any place. However, coming from Louisiana and Florida, I find the schools amazing. Certainly the children here are so much nicer, more polite, and seemingly better educated than in California, where my wife and I worked for three years. Education cannot be viewed only from the perspective of the quality of schools. When the kids coming out of the area are hard working, ethical, humble and polite, I have to think something is working right. Last year Dennis Pence, one of the founders of Coldwater Creek, pledged to donate matching funds with the state to build our first University of Idaho campus in Sandpoint.
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Sandpoint and the North Idaho Economy - 12/22/2008
I host the radio show North Idaho Business. In that capacity I am often asked the questions, “Is it a good time to start a business in the area?” As a Realtor for Windermere Real Estate/Resort Lifestyles, I am asked the similar question, “Is it a good time to buy a home here?” There is often the codicil, “…or should I wait ‘til the fall/winter/summer/spring?” In fact, last May 14, 2007, on a forum hosted by CityData.com, a couple asked that very question. Looking back, was it a good decision to wait until the fall to buy? Here is the easy answer: prices are now lower on many properties. Also, if you overpaid in May of 2007, then you would be upside down now. There are other considerations. Did you plan on selling in under one year? Two? Five? Truth is, the real answer is if you don’t find the ‘right’ property and you overpaid, then you would need several years to absolutely know the answer. However, last year in the month of May, there were some seriously good bargains available. I
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Art in North Idaho - 12/22/2008
Art in Sandpoint and North Idaho The 1970s brought hippies and environmentalism as well as arts and more theater to the Sandpoint area. This spelled the downfall of the lumber industry. Jim Brown, of the Pack River Lumber Company, wisely diversified his business and, as one of the original founders of Schweitzer Mountain, bought out the rest of the shareholders to make Schweitzer a privately owned venture. To this very day one can still see the occasional psychedelic bus or love bug traversing county roads. Now the hippies are augmented by the winter ski bum, and the warm weather off-road cyclists. Around this time the Hope Peninsula became an art colony. Edward and Nancy Reddin Kienholz moved there from Los Angeles in 1973. The Peninsula also had a cluster of buildings owned by the Max Factor family, and the Kienholz’s drew upon the beauty of the area as inspiration. A close friend and principal benefactor to Kienholz was Klaus Groenke, also a former resident of the Hope Peninsula.
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A place where many never lock their doors - 12/22/2008
While stats show Sandpoint has typical crime compared to other small towns, many people here do not lock their doors. Murder is next to unheard of, and we don't have as much of a drug problem as neighboring communities. In fact, right across the border in Washington is a much larger meth issue than we have. Personally, I have never seen a tweaker in Sandpoint. Maybe I just don't know how to recognize them. When I mentioned to some folks that when I owned Walker Donuts, the hookers would stop by around 3am, they did not believe that we even had prostitution in Sandpoint. In fact, when a couple of women and a man booked a room at a local hotel, and tried to solicit on Craig's List, before they even got their first John, the authorities set up a sting and arrested the trio. Certainly we have burglaries, and other violent crimes. It just doesn't feel like it. In fact, were it not for the statistics that disprove the feeling, I would swear we had virtually no crime at all. But we do. Maybe
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Not cheap, not expensive, but not quite just right - 12/22/2008
Sandpoint and Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort make our area a tourist town, so there are the right places to buy, and the ones to avoid. For instance, Safeway in downtown Sandpoint is generally higher in pricing than Yoke's, which is marginally more than the Walmart Super Store. Still, having lived in Florida, Louisiana, and California before moving to Sandpoint, we noted groceries to be roughly 10% higher. Certainly beef and fish costs more, and sales are not always as deeply discounted. This is more because of lack of competition, and the limited population. Gas prices follow Spokane and even Seattle rates, and they have the higher Washington taxes. South of Sandpoint, in Coeur d'Alene, gas prices can be 10% or more cheaper. Utilities are low compared to much of the nation, as are supplied in the Pacific Northwest by hydro generation, but with colder winters than many other areas, the cost during winter can be more than many are used to. Health care is reasonable, and this month
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Sandpoint, Idaho-Between Schweitzer Mountain Ski R - 11/29/2008
As the host of two radio shows - North Idaho Business and North Idaho Arts and Adventure for many years - the perspective of interviewing hundreds of native Idahoans and transplants has given me a unique perspective. While certainly one can lament that this fantastic place has changed over the years, it is still a quaint, high quality of life small North Idaho town with a population under 10,000. Year after year the national media has awarded great accolades to Sandpoint: Best Small Town in the West, Top 10 Resort Towns, America's Dream Town, Top 10 Adventure Town. The NY Times, USA Today, Sunset Magazine, AOL Travel, National Geographic and many, many more all have touted this place as a dream town, undiscovered and hidden from the rest of the world. Right above the city of Sandpoint is Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort, and similarly, over the last few years, Schweitzer has also garnered national attention, being named for the first time in 2008 to Skiing Magazine's Top 25 Ski Resorts,
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