Can any one tell me (Idaho Falls, Coeur d'Alene: home, hospitals, school)

[babblekatblue]

What is small town Idaho life like?

For instance: Is there a Target nearby? What constitutes nearby? Are small towns very close? Etc.

[Mapper]

What is your definition of small? Small is a relative term. Rexburg has about 20,000 citizens. Target is only 30 mins away located in Idaho Falls. Idaho Falls has about 55,000 citizens.

Overall though small town Idaho life is great. (My idea of small town is anything under 25,000).

[babblekatblue]

Well I was looking at Cottonwood, Idaho, which seems to be quite a bit under 25,000.

[Sage of Sagle]

The Sandpoint area (including Ponderay, Kootenai, Dover, Sagle, etc) has maybe 20K'ish people. Ponderay has a Wal-Mart Super Center and Home Depot and Staples. Otherwise, it's 45 miles south to Hayden (just north of Coeur d'Alene, or "CDA") which has Target, Best Buy, and a mall with JCP and Sears.

However, Sandpoint (city) has most everything we need without needing a "chain" store, from kitchen stuff to a Hallmark store, from sporting goods to hardware, from clothing stores to furniture and home decor. I don't think anyone here really feels the NEED for Wal-Mart to be here, except the fact that they have long hours so when town is closed that's where we have to go shop at night.

[brokencrayola]

I guess I can give you an idea of my life. I live about 10-15 min. from a small town of about 500 people. I don't do much in that town other than use the post office because it is really too small and the tiny grocery store there is too expensive. I drive mostly 45 min. one-way to Sandpoint to do most of my stuff such as the bank, my doctor, grocery shop etc. The only big dept. store is a super Wal-Mart. The next largest town is Coeur d' Alene, which is 2 hrs. from here. That is where there is a Target, Shop-Ko, Costco etc., much more shopping. My kids dentist is in Spokane WA, which is 3 hrs. away. That is where the cloest major airport is as well. I know many city people have a cow if they have to drive 1/2 hr. anywhere. Here I am very use to and think nothing of driving 2 hrs. to Coeur d' Alene. The cost of gas hurts though and of course a trip like that takes the whole day up. Winters can be tough. I have to be very careful driving and it takes longer to get anywhere. The closest hospital is 45 min. away in Sandpoint, but a better hospital is in Coeur d' Alene and even better hospitals in Spokane. You have to plan more when you make a trip to town to make the best use of your time and day. The kids take a bus to school. It is a quiet life here, beautiful, quiet, lots of nature. Just last week over 3 days of driving my daughter to pre-school 1/2 hr. away I had a moose in the road in front of me, saw deer, a pileated woodpecker, grouse, canadian geese, a coyote, and lots of birds. We have clean air, wonderful drinking water, and beauty all around us, a great place to raise children. There are downsides such as being remote and feeling remote at times, can't order take out, pay lots in gas bills, add lots of mileage to our cars, have to drive a ways to get anywhere, and you have to know some basic survival techniques.

[babblekatblue]

Wow. It sounds amazing with the beauty and all, but that whole Wal-Mart being the only store is scary.

[brokencrayola]

Originally Posted by babblekatblue

Wow. It sounds amazing with the beauty and all, but that whole Wal-Mart being the only store is scary.

We use to have a K-Mart but it went out of business. There are lots of little specialty type shops, especially downtown. There is a Sears that sell tools and appliances only and a JC Penney that sells clothes and linens only and a Safeway and Yokes grocery store, but not a lot of shopping. If you live in Sandpoint you are then about an hr. from Coeur d' Alene where there is more shopping.