Relocation Scouting Road Trip.... (areas, firm, interstate)

[SnowSand]

Hi there Noihoforus! Few more days and you'll be off on your exploratory trip! We are back home from our trip to Northern Idaho. If you want to DM me about our research in MT, ID, and WY, please feel free. You mentioned checking out Wyoming on your trip too. We really liked the Star Valley area, which is about an hour east of Idaho Falls, just over the border from the Swan Valley area. I'd recommend checking out that area while you're touring.
While in NID, we were able to see parts of Sandpoint, and going north, up to Bonners Ferry and Moyie Springs. We went south down to Sagle, Cocolalla, Careywood, & Bayview - then west to Spirit Lake and north to Priest River, and back to Sandpoint via Hwy 2. Great trip! We stayed in the Hope/Clark Fork area so came up that way via Hwy 200 - very scenic! We had also wanted to check out Plains and Thompson Falls in MT. On the way home we chose a different route and drove south on Hwy 95 to Coeur D'Alene, then east through Kellogg. Wanted to check out the St. Regis and Superior areas of MT as well. To tell you the truth, we still haven't made up our minds....will need to spend more time! Next trip will explore the St.Maries area of Idaho. We were surprised at the amount of traffic in Sandpoint and Coeur D'Alene! Especially considering it was the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, during the off season. But then when you live out where we do in MT, more than 10 cars on the same road is congested traffic...Such beauty in NID!!! We must spend more time exploring the areas. Was surprised at the amount of trains...We love to hear the distant sound of trains, as we do here at home, but it seems like trains are a part of most backyards up that way - so that made our search for potential real estate abit more challenging. Good luck on your trip! You'll be seeing some awesome territory!

[noihoforus]

Originally Posted by SnowSand

Hi there Noihoforus! Few more days and you'll be off on your exploratory trip! We are back home from our trip to Northern Idaho. If you want to DM me about our research in MT, ID, and WY, please feel free. You mentioned checking out Wyoming on your trip too. We really liked the Star Valley area, which is about an hour east of Idaho Falls, just over the border from the Swan Valley area. I'd recommend checking out that area while you're touring.
While in NID, we were able to see parts of Sandpoint, and going north, up to Bonners Ferry and Moyie Springs. We went south down to Sagle, Cocolalla, Careywood, & Bayview - then west to Spirit Lake and north to Priest River, and back to Sandpoint via Hwy 2. Great trip! We stayed in the Hope/Clark Fork area so came up that way via Hwy 200 - very scenic! We had also wanted to check out Plains and Thompson Falls in MT. On the way home we chose a different route and drove south on Hwy 95 to Coeur D'Alene, then east through Kellogg. Wanted to check out the St. Regis and Superior areas of MT as well. To tell you the truth, we still haven't made up our minds....will need to spend more time! Next trip will explore the St.Maries area of Idaho. We were surprised at the amount of traffic in Sandpoint and Coeur D'Alene! Especially considering it was the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, during the off season. But then when you live out where we do in MT, more than 10 cars on the same road is congested traffic...Such beauty in NID!!! We must spend more time exploring the areas. Was surprised at the amount of trains...We love to hear the distant sound of trains, as we do here at home, but it seems like trains are a part of most backyards up that way - so that made our search for potential real estate abit more challenging. Good luck on your trip! You'll be seeing some awesome territory!

Snowsand.....glad you made it home safe and sound. Yes the clock is ticking toward take off time. Thank you for the good ideas on search routes. I will DM soon regarding your research on WY, MT and ID.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by SnowSand

Hi there Noihoforus! Few more days and you'll be off on your exploratory trip! We are back home from our trip to Northern Idaho. If you want to DM me about our research in MT, ID, and WY, please feel free. You mentioned checking out Wyoming on your trip too. We really liked the Star Valley area, which is about an hour east of Idaho Falls, just over the border from the Swan Valley area. I'd recommend checking out that area while you're touring.
While in NID, we were able to see parts of Sandpoint, and going north, up to Bonners Ferry and Moyie Springs. We went south down to Sagle, Cocolalla, Careywood, & Bayview - then west to Spirit Lake and north to Priest River, and back to Sandpoint via Hwy 2. Great trip! We stayed in the Hope/Clark Fork area so came up that way via Hwy 200 - very scenic! We had also wanted to check out Plains and Thompson Falls in MT. On the way home we chose a different route and drove south on Hwy 95 to Coeur D'Alene, then east through Kellogg. Wanted to check out the St. Regis and Superior areas of MT as well. To tell you the truth, we still haven't made up our minds....will need to spend more time! Next trip will explore the St.Maries area of Idaho. We were surprised at the amount of traffic in Sandpoint and Coeur D'Alene! Especially considering it was the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, during the off season. But then when you live out where we do in MT, more than 10 cars on the same road is congested traffic...Such beauty in NID!!! We must spend more time exploring the areas. Was surprised at the amount of trains...We love to hear the distant sound of trains, as we do here at home, but it seems like trains are a part of most backyards up that way - so that made our search for potential real estate abit more challenging. Good luck on your trip! You'll be seeing some awesome territory!

So glad you had a great time! Yes, the trains take some getting used to--but you can find good properties where the train is just a distant humming. I found that when I was looking for properties in NID myself, it was imperative to stay put at every single good-looking piece of land until the nearest train had rolled by. Otherwise you just don't know how much noise it is going to make! I was looking at a gorgeous piece of property up by Bonners, and all of a sudden a train burst through out of nowhere. I didn't even know there were tracks nearby...maybe there weren't!

Noihoforus, best of luck, and have a wonderful time! Looking forward to a full report!

[Sage of Sagle]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

So glad you had a great time! Yes, the trains take some getting used to--but you can find good properties where the train is just a distant humming. I found that when I was looking for properties in NID myself, it was imperative to stay put at every single good-looking piece of land until the nearest train had rolled by. Otherwise you just don't know how much noise it is going to make! I was looking at a gorgeous piece of property up by Bonners, and all of a sudden a train burst through out of nowhere. I didn't even know there were tracks nearby...maybe there weren't!

Noihoforus, best of luck, and have a wonderful time! Looking forward to a full report!

We sort of went the same route. We learned the tracks here and then each parcel we looked at, we made sure it was at least a mile or more from the tracks.

[hatin11r]

Originally Posted by Sage of Sagle

We sort of went the same route. We learned the tracks here and then each parcel we looked at, we made sure it was at least a mile or more from the tracks.

We did lots of neighborhood lookin' also while we were in Sandpoint in Aug. Got a great feel for the poss. right areas and the trains. Even marked a city map for when we get serious. Won't tell where though ! lol....

Anyway, my wife and I really felt good about the SP area and will look closer and visit during the other seasons. Honestely,no bad experiences over nine days. A few faves:

Biking/walking Long bridge

Hiking/ski lift/bears/turkeys on Schweitzer

City Beach/Lake Pend Oreille

Bird Aviation Museum/Sagle

Many friendly folks we met and the wonderful mountains !

[noihoforus]

Update....we have been in the Sandpoint area for about 6 days now. We absolutely love the area. The problem is that there are sooooo many beautiful areas that it is a little hard to narrow things down. So far we are partial to the Sagle, Clark Fork and Priest River and Sandpoint areas. We have covered a lot of territory since we have been here. Up to Porthill...and around Bonners Ferry a little....Moyie Springs....Hope....Bayview, Spirit Lake and over to Thompson Falls MT. Any other areas that might offer the opportunity to find a little property but not too far from some form of water or even on the water that you all could suggest?

[Bigbear2]

Did you go to Troy and Libby in NW Montana while you were near Bonner's and Moyie Springs....those two towns are cool...and a drive up the Yakk River road (Yakk Falls) is a must

[noihoforus]

Originally Posted by Bigbear2

Did you go to Troy and Libby in NW Montana while you were near Bonner's and Moyie Springs....those two towns are cool...and a drive up the Yakk River road (Yakk Falls) is a must

We were actually there yesterday for a little while. The Kootenai River area is amazing. We are heading off to Montana for a few days today. We will be investigating those areas a little more intensely. Thanks for your input.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

4 years ago we were considering looking at properties in the Bull River area (Highway 56), just because it is so scenic. But (1) much of it floods in the spring, and (2) there were very few available properties, and they were very expensive. Now that last part may have changed, but not the flooding! From Clark Fork you can get there in 20 minutes or less. We regard that whole area between Clark Fork and Libby as our personal extended backyard , and we can always make it home to our own place after a day of playing. That's one of the great things about NID--so many opportunities for playing, within a short distance!

We also looked at properties in Bonners, Moyie Springs, Troy, Libby and Noxon, but Clark Fork felt like "home" to us from the start. You'll find your own perfect place, I'm sure! (BTW, with the narrow river valleys in that part of Montana the train noise really becomes an issue, so watch out for that. If you want riverfront property, you generally also get to watch trains go by, and go by, and go by, and go by, etc...)

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by noihoforus

Update....we have been in the Sandpoint area for about 6 days now. We absolutely love the area. The problem is that there are sooooo many beautiful areas that it is a little hard to narrow things down. So far we are partial to the Sagle, Clark Fork and Priest River and Sandpoint areas. We have covered a lot of territory since we have been here. Up to Porthill...and around Bonners Ferry a little....Moyie Springs....Hope....Bayview, Spirit Lake and over to Thompson Falls MT. Any other areas that might offer the opportunity to find a little property but not too far from some form of water or even on the water that you all could suggest?

A really pretty ride is up the St. Joe river. Get on the St. Joe river road just outside of St. Maries and head east. it gets really nice upstream of Avery. You can come out to the highway in Montana at St Regis. If you aren't too burned out, head up HWY 200 around the N. side of Lake Pend Orielle (though you've seen the section from Thompson Falls). Actually, from Thompson Falls, you can go over Thompson Pass, come out at Pritchard, go down the CDA river and back to I-90.