Sandpoint is a folksy arts-oriented community on the north shore of
Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced
pon-duh-RAY). It is a center for watersports (fishing, swimming, sailing, boating) and mountain activities (hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding). The Hidden Lakes Country Club has an 18-hole golf course along the lake. The town's many crafts, specialty shops and restaurants offer a reprieve from the more strenuous activities. Don't miss the Cedar Street Bridge Public Market—a downtown bridge that's been converted into a funky, solar-heated mall.
Schweitzer Mountain Resort, a ski resort with 55 runs, is nearby.
The Festival at Sandpoint is a summer-long outdoor concert series featuring classical, ragtime, pop and jazz music, with top-name acts such as B.B. King (July-September). The Sandpoint Winter Carnival (late January) features a parade, snow sculptures, snowshoe softball and cross-country- and telemark-skiing races. 305 mi/490 km north of Boise.
