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| Featuring Eastern Washington, Idaho and the Kootenay Rockies | ||
This unique and scenic tour wanders through two
countries, the United Stated and Canada, and connects the Pend Oreille
Valley with the Kootenay Rockies. The route enables visits to
explore the majestic Selkirk Mountains; home to a wide variety of wildlife
and outdoor adventure activities. The international airport
gateway is Spokane WA and the regional airport gateways are Castlegar and
Cranbrook in Canada. |
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Day 1: |
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The Tiger Historical Centre & Museum is the doorway to the past. This former general store and post office was built in 1912 and it is all that remains of this once thriving pioneer town. The historic centre features many displays depicting the community's early history and also has a gift shop that features the works of local artisans. Tiger also serves as the southern gateway to the North Pend Oreille Scenic Byway The North Pend Oreille Scenic Byway (Highway
#31, from Tiger to the Canadian Border) is a beautiful and interesting drive.
Thickly wooded hillsides and rugged cliffs rise from the slow, deep waters of Pend Oreille
river to the highest mountains in Eastern Washington. Water and ice have
shaped the valley, which were carved out by glaciers several thousand meters thick, as
recently as fifteen thousand years ago. |
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The town of The community offers a wide variety of year-round events, including the Spring Ding, a bluegrass/folk music festival held in March; Affair on Mainstreet, an Arts Festival on Labour Day weekend; and Deck the Falls Winter Festival, held the first weekend in December. Metaline Falls is home to the Cutter Theatre, a 1912 restored schoolhouse. Named for its renowned |
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Spokane architect, Kirtland Cutter, the building is now a Community and Performing Arts Center. Other popular area attractions include the Mill Pond Historic Trail and Gardner
Caves. The Mill Pond Historic Trail is an great walking
tour and Gardner
Caves, north of Metaline Falls, offers underground tour of its caverns
and caves. |
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Visitors find Salmo a friendly, peaceful community that lies in an undiscovered mecca of outdoor recreational opportunities including hiking, fishing, hunting, nordic-alpine skiing, snowmobiling and more. From Salmo follow Highway #6 north to Nelson, or Highway #3B to Trail, Rossland and Caslegar. While visiting the Rossland/Trail area, be sure to include a visit to the Columbia Garden Vineyard & Winery, just south of Trail (on Highway #22A). Tours of the vineyards & winery, plus wine tasting are available during the summer months. |
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Rossland is also known at the 'mountain
biking capital of Canada'. The wagon roads, rail grades and
pack trails left over from Rossland's mining heyday have resulted in a legacy of hundreds
of kilometers (60 miles) of trails which are used enthusiastically by hikers and
bikers. Mountain bike rentals are available at various outdoor recreation
stores in the downtown centre. |
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From Rossland or Trail follow Highway #6/22
to Castlegar.
Castlegar has a strong Russian heritage and it be seen at the community's fascinating
attractions, including the
Doukhobor
Museum (a reconstructed communal village and museum); Zuckerberg Island
(a unique Russian Orthodox Chapel House located on its own island) and the Castlegar Rail Station
(which has been recently converted to a museum). |
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From elegant mansions to elaborate commercial structures, Nelson is home to many fine heritage buildings. The best way to see Nelson’s historic past is on a Self-Guided Walking Tour (maps are available at the Visitor Information Centre). The Nelson Brewing Company is
located in the same historic building as Nelson's original brewery was and offers tours
each Friday. The Nelson
Museum has changing exhibits of the area's history and art. |
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Not to be missed while visiting Nelson is the abundant variety of water sports available on Kootenay Lake, including boating, fishing, kayaking, water-skiing, canoeing and swimming. Long before the arrival
of the prospectors, First Nations people discovered Ainsworth's hot mineral springs and
attributed healing powers to them. These hot springs spill in through a
horseshoe-shaped cave (an old mine tunnel), lined with stalactites and
stalagmites. The hot mineral pool & cave is open daily, year-round. |
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From Ainsworth, it is a short drive north to the community of Kaslo and the SS Moyie. Step
back in time aboard the SS Moyie, the oldest surviving sternwheeler in the world.
Steam-powered sternwheelers were once the backbone of the areas
transportation, providing passenger and freight services to communities along Kootenay
Lake. The SS Moyie was launched in 1898 and operated for almost 60
years. Daily tours are available during the summer months. |
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Just a short drive from
the ferry terminal is Crawford Bay, home to many unique Artisans such as the
North Woven Brooms (who design traditional handcrafted brooms); Kootenay Forge (art of
blacksmithing); Breathless Glass (glass blowers); Weavers' Corner (traditional woven
clothing on hand looms); FireWorks Copper and Glass and many more. |
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Lush wetland habitat stretches 17,000 acres from the southeast tip of Kootenay Lake to the USA border. An estimated 265 species of birds call this area home. Admission to the Interpretive Centre includes a tour of the display hall, continuous nature films, self-guided tour along the boardwalk to a viewing tower. Canoe tours are also available. Open year round; the Interpretive Centre is open May long weekend to Thanksgiving weekend (Oct). |
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When 'gold' was discovered near Fort Steele (Canada), thousands of prospectors from all over the west needed transportation across the Kootenai River. So in 1864, a local merchant (Edwin Bonner) established his own ferry crossing and the community of Bonners Ferry boomed. Bonners Ferry was known as a 'supplier'. The community flourish again as a steamboat port. From 1883 to 1908 the "Midge", a local steamer, carried passengers and freight between Bonners Ferry and Canada (including Kootenay Lake). |
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West of Bonners Ferry is the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge hosts more that 230 species of birds, 45 species of mammals and 22 species of fish. The refuge lies on 2,774 acres of prime wetlands and meadows. Open daily (year-round) the refuge's viewing route is accessible by vehicle, bike or on foot. From Bonners Ferry head
south on Highway #95/2 to the city of Sandpoint. Just off this highway
is the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway which runs parallel to Lake Pend
Oreille. This is the second largest freshwater lake west of the
Mississippi and it comes alive during the summer months. Water sports
enthusiasts of all types explore this vast aquatic playground. |
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Just off Highway #95/2 (en-route to Sandpoint) is the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway which runs parallel to Lake Pend Oreille. This is the second largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi and it comes alive during the summer months. Water sports enthusiasts of all types explore this vast aquatic playground. Nestled between the
Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains on the shores of stunning Lake Pend Oreille, is Sandpoint.
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In
addition, the Festival
at Sandpoint stages several concerts throughout the month of August.
Music lovers will enjoy Sandpoint's year-round cultural activities.
Tickets can be picked up at the historic Old Power House (located in
downtown Sandpoint). |
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Sandpoint also offers Lake Pend Oreille Cruises, experience the breathtaking scenery and view the area's wildlife on an afternoon cruise. Or enjoy the day exploring through Sandpoint's shopping area or stop by the Pend Oreille Winery for a Wine Tour & Tasting! Sandpoint
also offers an array of shopping, be sure to explore the city's downtown centre. |
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The
museum also houses the 'bateau' (boat) from the Diamond Match Company.
These bateaus were used to transport the 'river pigs' (the men who
worked on the log drives) down the Priest and Pend Oreille Rivers. |
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Just north of Priest River is the resort community of Priest Lake. Spend your days stretched out on a white-sand beach taking an occasional plunge into the crystalline water to cool off. Or stroll through the ancient cedar groves, paddle a canoe on the lake or hike to a spectacular viewpoint. Priest Lake is also known
for their premier season for huckleberries and mushrooms.
Many of the area restaurants feature a wide variety of delicious drinks, desserts and
entree items that feature these two woodland treats. |
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Visitors can relive the history of that era by visiting the original structures, such as the Northern Railway Depot (1908), which houses the Pend Oreille County Historical Museum. From Newport, WA begin heading south on Highway #2 to Spokane, WA. |
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Additional Information |
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| Accommodation | ||
| Additional Contact Information | ||
Kootenay
Rockies Tourism Ph: 250 427 4838 |
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| INTERNATIONAL SELKIRK LOOP | ||