Little Nomad Due To Arrive In Brooklyn This Spring

With my wife's permission, I give to you baby nomad at week 12.

If you follow the tweets on my Twitter page, then you know by now that I am expecting a little airline miles collecting bundle of joy this spring. The baby is actually due the week of my 30th birthday (talk about leaving your care free 20s behind with a bang).

Oh my poor wife, yet another travel nut to deal with on a daily basis around the house. I am already planning on getting the little rug rat a passport and his or her own travel website. How does TheLittleNomad.com sound?

Now you may be asking yourself what exactly does this have to do with travel? Well I actually received the news less than five minutes after flying around Cheney, Washington this past August. I remember landing and telling the pilot that this was such a great experience and the highlight of my trip so far. Yeah, well that experience immediately dropped to second place and was a distant memory upon hearing what my wife had to tell me.

I was in the middle of a week long press trip to Idaho, Washington, and Colorado when my wife called me sounding extremely excited and nervous. I told her to calm down and tell me what’s up. She said you are going to be a daddy.

Now this definitely made for an awkward moment because I was actually driving with a woman from Spokane tourism at the time and was trying to play it cool while getting the best news of my life. I told my wife in code that I was so happy and that I would call her as soon as I got back to my hotel.

I was able to talk to my wife in great detail about this lovely addition to our young family about 30 minutes later (although it felt like three days). It really is a life changing experience…and the little guy or gal has not even arrived yet!

We are both very excited to start this journey into parenthood and this will undoubtedly be my best trip yet.

Tags: colorado, idaho, washington

24 Hours In…Sandpoint, Idaho

Simply breathtaking view of Sandpoint, Idaho with the beautiful mountains and Lake Pend Oreille

I travel quite a bit and while I have seen the big cities of New York, San Francisco, and beyond, there is always something that intrigues me about going to a place that I know absolutely nothing about. That place this time was Sandpoint, Idaho. Nestled between the bordering states of Montana and Washington, Sandpoint is definitely something special. My 24-hour trip throughout this cozy little town, with a population of under roughly 7,000, was definitely memorable.

Schweitzer Mountain Resort, just 20 minutes from downtown Sandpoint, Idaho

8:59am: After arriving in nearby Spokane International Airport, I drove 2 hours to Sandpoint. While visiting this ski-friendly community in mid-August, I booked myself a room at the Schweitzer Mountain Resort. This without a doubt is “the place” to stay when you are planning a trip to Sandpoint. Just a beautiful place to call home while on the road. A couple of great restaurants on the grounds, friendly staff, and plenty of activities to keep you busy.

Mojo Coyote Cafe is a great place to kick start your day with a big cup of coffee and a plethora of breakfast goodies.

9:17am: So before I head out and take a look at what Sandpoint has to offer, I need me some breakfast. When you are staying at Schweitzer, be sure to head down near the lobby area to Mojo Coyote Cafe, which is open 7am-4pm 7-days a week. I inhaled one of their signature breakfast burritos and woke myself up with a ginormous cup of mocha coffee. Both were just what I needed to get some energy before heading out on one of the many trails nearby the resort.

Hiking on Schweitzer's was a great way to get some exercise and to get some insane views of Idaho.

10:04am: When in the mountains once must do one of two things – ski or hike. Although it felt like ski season upon walking outside (it was 48 degrees!), it is still summertime, so unfortunately there was no fresh powder for me to play in during my visit. So hiking was the game plan. Being a typical New Yorker, the only hiking I partake in includes carrying my groceries up the stairs of my apartment when the elevator is out of commission. But it definitely was a pleasure to check out the beauty that is Idaho in August.

10:49am: This part of Idaho is known for two things. The birthplace of Sarah Palin and an abundance of huckleberries. Well fortunately for me I dealt with the latter while checking out one of the many great walking/biking trails at Schweitzer. Just bushes and bushes of huckleberries there for you to pluck, consume and enjoy. These tasty little treats that are like blueberries but with a slightly different texture, are big business around this area of Idaho. So do not be surprised when you happen to come across one of the many huckleberry concoctions around town. Some I saw and tried out included huckleberry beer, bbq sauce, honey, ice cream, wine, and wine. These berries are even the state fruit of Idaho.

The views from atop Schweitzer Mountain are great via the ski lift.

11:30am: After hiking around Schweitzer, it was time to sit down…and take a ski lift up even higher onto the mountain. Although this is used primarily for ski bunnies, they offer rides up and down the slope with some lovely views of the surrounding area that not even a hiking trail could reach. While a tad foggy on the top of the mountain when I rode the lift, it still made for one hell of a ride.

Pend d'Oreille Winery in downtown Sandpoint is a very cool spot to grab a bottle or hang out and enjoy a lazy day in Idaho.

Such a cool place to enjoy some good wine and great company.

12:29pm: Although I was digging Schweitzer, it was time to head back down the mountain to check out downtown Sandpoint. One of the cooler places that I happen to wander into on this gorgeous day in Sandpoint was the Pend d’Oreille Winery. Just a great design and a very laid back atmosphere. One neat feature at this winery is the reusable wine bottles they advertise. Simply a buy a bottle of your favorite wine and when you are done, simply come back and pour some more into the empty bottle for more wine goodness. Definitely a great way to be green while enjoying a white or red.

The original Coldwater Creek store in downtown Sandpoint, Idaho

1:05pm: One of the biggest and most popular businesses to come out of this tiny town is Coldwater Creek. The company was founded 25 years ago and has since expanded to roughly 300 stores nationwide. If you stroll down North 1st Avenue, you can visit their flagship store.

North 1st Avenue in downtown Sandpoint, Idaho

1:22pm: Speaking of North 1st Avenue, the area is lined with local mom & pop shops, a great looking pub, a couple of places to partake in a wine or twelve, and plenty of places to grab breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Historic Panida Theater is truly a Sandpoint treasure.

1:30pm: One place that stood out to me while wandering around North 1st Avenue was the Panida Theater. Built in 1927 and later restored in 1985 to what it is today, this tiny 550-seat theater holds more than 100 performances a year and was even placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Lake Pend Oreille Cruise aboard the Shawnodese, which was built by its captain about 20 years ago specifically for doing lake tours.

2:28pm: After a quick bite to eat, it was time to check out Sandpoint from yet another angle and that was by way of charter cruise. I was lucky enough to grab the last remaining seat aboard the Shawnodese, which is run by husband and wife team Willie and Linda Mitchell. Linda narrates and gives a brief yet extremely interesting history lesson about Sandpoint along this 90 minute voyage along stunning Lake Pend Oreille.

Guests were asked to wave at the train racing beside our cruise to get it to pull its horn. It worked and was a real treat for the kids on-board.

Some people are truly living the good life. Look at these lake front homes!

3:39pm: The views from the cruise were remarkable, with million dollar homes, mountains, passing boats and jet skiers. Linda really added to the atmosphere of the cruise as well, with her witty humor, giveaways, and interesting facts about the surrounding area. The cool lake breeze while aboard the cruise really was a nice way to cool down on a pretty warm day. I highly recommend taking this cruise when in Sandpoint.

People gathering and preparing for the final night of music at the "Festival at Sandpoint."

4:35pm: I just so happen to be in town for the final night of the yearly “Festival at Sandpoint” that spans two long weekend. Performers this year included Clint Black, Blues Traveler and the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. Previous festivals hosted such acts as Ryan Adams, Johnny Cash, Etta James and The Pretenders.

One of the many boothes pouring you some of their best wines. You even receive a commemorative!

5:03pm: So I headed on over to partake in some good music, delicious food, and plenty of wine tasting. Now while I am far from a wine expert, I must say that I was privy to sample a wide selection of red and white wines from all over the Northwest and Canada region.

An amazing group of children from Africa came to perform the national anthem. Awesome group of children and a great way to kick off the musical portion of the evening.

7:30pm: Something that I found remarkable noble about some of the local Sandpoint residents was their true hospitality. Families opened their doors to a few dozen young African children that are currently on tour throughout the United States trying to raise money for their villages back home. The pride that some people took in these children that are less fortunate was truly moving. The group of children opened the musical portion of the evening with a stirring rendition of the nation followed by a traditional African song and dance.

The Spokane Symphony Orchestra kicked some serious ass!

9:15pm: The Spokane Symphony Orchestra with Maestro Gary Sheldon and special guest Richard Stoltzman performed an extremely entertaining tribute to legendary American jazz musician, clarinetist, and bandleader Benny Goodman. Now while I was unsure going into this evening of music, I came out absolutely loving the show. Everyone in that orchestra was on key and it made for one hell of a way to end the 2009 “Festival at Sandpoint.” Once the orchestra was done, fireworks lit the sky and sent the entire collection of locals home happy.

10:39pm: Back at Schweitzer Mountain Resort and pretty excited to just shower and hop into bed. It was an eventful day in Sandpoint and I loved every minute of it.

A good looking morning in Sandpoint.

7:20am: Early wake up call for me this morning as I head out of Sandpoint and on to my next city. Time to get packing.

Driving across the long bridge in Sandpoint.

8:47am: After another over-sized cup of coffee, I pulled out of Schweitzer, drove down the mountain, crossed the long bridge, and waved goodbye to Sandpoint.

(I would like to thank Lisa Gerber for showing me around Sandpoint and to her husband Patrick for making one hell of a dinner for us to enjoy during the concert. Much appreciated!)

Tags: blues traveler, clint black, coldwater creek, idaho, long bridge, mountains, sandpoint, schweitzer mountain resort, ski, spokane symphony orchestra, Travel

Hitting The Road Again

It has been a long six weeks since my last adventure. I can honestly say that I’ve been itching to get back on the road since I got back from Europe on June 30. That was of course my three week excursion throughout the beautiful Eastern European country of Poland, which you can check out by clicking here, here, here, here, here, here, here and gasp…here.

This time around it will be both completely different and the same. How? Well for starters I will not have language issues, there will be no favorable exchange rate, and sadly no Polish beer. But on the other hand just like with Poland this will be my first time visiting all of the destinations involved.

The Library Hotel in New York City. The starting point of my week long trip across the country.

I start it off with a stay at the insanely nice looking Library Hotel in New York City. Yes of course I have been to NYC…uh I live here. But I have yet to step foot inside of this much talked about hotel. It has been on my short list of Big Apple lodges to try out, so I am definitely happy to be starting my week long outing across the country here.

Upon checkout from the Library Hotel, I will hop a train to lovely (cough-sarcasm-cough) LaGuardia Airport and board a plane headed for Spokane, Washington. I will be visiting this lovely city as well as checking out Sandpoint, Idaho along the way. Both cities have so much to see and do, so I am pretty excited to check them both out while in the Inland Northwest region of the United States.

No rest for the weary, as I will then board another plane from Spokane to Denver, Colorado. This leg of the journey will include a 24-hour stop in the Mile High City and a visit to one of the more popular ski destinations in the country Vail. Sorry no swooshing down the slopes for me on this venture. I think it is safe to say that it would hurt A LOT if I decided to go downhill a mountain in mid-August with skis. After enjoying some fresh Colorado air I will pack up and fly out of Denver and back to New York, which unfortunately is not known for their fresh air.

Look for daily updates throughout my week long jaunt around this great country and thanks for checking out the site.

Take care,

Andrew

Tags: colorado, Denver, idaho, library hotel, mile high city, new york city, sandpoint, spokane, vail, washington

Sunday Travel Shot: Shoshone Falls In Southern Idaho

Nicknamed "Niagara of the West," Shoshone Falls is a waterfall on the Snake River near Twin Falls, Idaho. The falls are 212 feet high and 36 feet higher than Niagara Falls.

Tags: idaho, Shoshone Falls, united states of america, waterfall

Sunday Travel Shot: Idaho Falls, Idaho

Early morning Snake River at Idaho Falls

Tags: idaho, idaho falls, snake river, Travel