Traveling north on US Route 95 from Coeur de Alene, Idaho we crossed the Long Bridge over the Pend Oreille River into Sandpoint, Idaho. Further north we checked into our hotel for the weekend. We got back in the car and drove into the downtown historic district of Sandpoint.

The historic homeland of the Kalispel Indian tribe, Sandpoint began to experience white settlement when fur trappers under the direction of North West Company agent and surveyor David Thompson built a trading post on the Hope peninsula in 1809. Thompson described the peninsula where Sand Creek empties into Lake Pend Oreille as a “pointe of sand,” an apt name for the village and town that would eventually grow up there.

We crossed this Bridge and went down the steps to the Sandpoint Byway Trail and walked north on the trail for a distance.

We didn’t walk on to City Beach and would explore that side of the highway on Saturday.

More history of Sandpoint can be found here.

When we got back to our car I saw some graffiti that looked interesting in an alleyway and went across the street to take some photos while Dear waited in the car.

Before we drove back to register for our conference we stopped at The Hydra Steakhouse for an appetizer and refreshment.

The conference started out very well with great information and met some lovely people.