Not long after completing the 20 day 4000 mile trek across the western states I found myself itching to hit the road again. With summer in full swing and weather in the 90s, I felt a day ride to one of my favorite little Idaho small towns was in order. And this time, Id be taking along a passenger, which was a lovely change from the previous 20 days of solo riding.

Our destination, Harrison Idaho, population 203, was built around a wood mill and railroad depot in the 1890s.

A fire in 1917 at the lumber company burned down half the business district and much of the area was never rebuilt. Still, the town retains a few small businesses – a general store, antiques, a restaurant and bar, all on the main street which encompasses approx 3 blocks.

Along that main street lies a city park which hosts the local events – everything from weekend concerts to a yearly Octoberfest celebration.

Just south of the city park is the local public beach area.  It was great to shed the riding clothes and enjoy the sun and water of lake Coeur D’Alene for a few hours.

As I mentioned, there are a few small businesses so we hit up local watering hole One Shot Charile’s – located in an old brick building on the main street that also houses a salon, coffee shop, and art gallery – for lunch and stuffed ourselves on some pulled pork sandwiches.

Theres plenty to see and do for a day trip as you can wander around the antique stores, grab a beer at the bar, or even just wander the few blocks of the town and see the older homes and architecture. Theres even a small historical society museum that houses many old photographs and info from the towns history.

Its a short 37 mile ride from my house to Harrison, but the ride itself is beautiful, as Highway 97 runs entirely along the edge of lake Coeur D Alene. We were lucky enough to be heading back to town around sunset and really enjoyed the colors of the sun coming down against both the sky and the water as we wound our way north.

The ride itself is quite enjoyable if a bit short. Very curvy and the highway runs right along the lake. Here are a few clips:

Overall it was quite a pleasant day of riding and sight-seeing. The addition of a lovely companion for the ride and the beach made it all the more enjoyable of a day as well.

Ill be doing more trips to the surrounding areas as well, so stay tuned!

Cheers!

Travis