We finally made up our mind, CdA it is!! (Coeur d'Alene: modular home, to buy)

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Originally Posted by AlwaysLooking

Just curious, how much more daylight is there in ID than in CA during the summer?

It doesnt get really dark till almost 10PM...

[AlwaysLooking]

outstanding!!

[Sage of Sagle]

Originally Posted by AlwaysLooking

Just curious, how much more daylight is there in ID than in CA during the summer?

Yeah, we leave the house to go boating 2-3x a week AFTER dinner. We put the boat in the water at about 7PM and we tube and ski until about 8:30 or 9'ish when the sun it a bit too far behind the big hill near our place.

The only bummer for me (as someone who LOVES sleeping in) is that it starts getting light at about 4:40AM...so good shades are a must if you're not a morning person!

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Originally Posted by Sage of Sagle

Yeah, we leave the house to go boating 2-3x a week AFTER dinner. We put the boat in the water at about 7PM and we tube and ski until about 8:30 or 9'ish when the sun it a bit too far behind the big hill near our place.

The only bummer for me (as someone who LOVES sleeping in) is that it starts getting light at about 4:40AM...so good shades are a must if you're not a morning person!

MANY a night we would be out on the property before we moved here. Having a few drinks, playing some music, a bon fire etc... Seemed like about the time sun was FINALLY going down we'd be feeling pretty good... And BANG there it would be again!... Man time flies when your having fun, and drinking tater juice..lol..

Thats the way Sage! We can have the Jet Ski's or boat ON the water in about 20 minutes from here... We've been on the water till 9:30 and back at my place before 10... My brother has a pretty big boat, and we may put that thing in the marina at Rocky Point just so we can run down and not trailer anything..

Im really looking forward to this summer!!

[kstorts]

Originally Posted by Trace_Rinaldi

MANY a night we would be out on the property before we moved here. Having a few drinks, playing some music, a bon fire etc... Seemed like about the time sun was FINALLY going down we'd be feeling pretty good... And BANG there it would be again!... Man time flies when your having fun, and drinking tater juice..lol..

Thats the way Sage! We can have the Jet Ski's or boat ON the water in about 20 minutes from here... We've been on the water till 9:30 and back at my place before 10... My brother has a pretty big boat, and we may put that thing in the marina at Rocky Point just so we can run down and not trailer anything..

Im really looking forward to this summer!!

Wow, this is all good to know!! i will be investing in some good shades for sure!!! hahaha Idaho may be good for my sleep schedule...I don't like to stay up until the sun comes up, haha. So, I may actually make it to bed earlier!! LOL

so.....are there any routes I should avoid when traveling up there? I have heard that it is a really rough drive from California... (I am coming from the valley, I-5).

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by kstorts

so.....are there any routes I should avoid when traveling up there? I have heard that it is a really rough drive from California... (I am coming from the valley, I-5).

Kstorts, it depends on if you want the straight route (with a heavy load) or a scenic route. If you're driving a moving van/something big and heavy, I'd suggest you go up I-5 to Portland, then 84 along the Columbia Gorge to 395/90, through Spokane to CdA. (Get gas in Kennewick!) You can also go up 97 through OR to 84--it's more direct, but not a divided highway. And don't drive it at night--too much wildlife. Here's what you might want to do, going up I-5: start out in the evening after rush hour, and get beyond the Tejon Pass, and spend the night just north of the Pass in Grapevine. Several motels and fast-food restaurants there. Then you can head north early next morning, and all the heavy traffic will be behind you, and you'll be full of energy! That's a really good way to put LA in the rear view mirror...

I don't think it's a terribly rough drive from CA to NID, except if you're trying to make it in one stretch! Count on 2 days. If you'd rather take the scenic route, take 90 east through Reno, and then 95 all the way to CdA. (395 along the east side of the Sierras is beautiful, but I wouldn't want to do it in a moving van. Same thing with 95.) You can also go 15 through Vegas to 93-84-95; I haven't done that myself, but the suggestion has come up several times here. There's not supposed to be much traffic on 93, but it is a pretty lonely stretch through NV.

We've actually had several threads about the best routes from SoCal, if you have time to do a forum search before you head out.

[kstorts]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

Kstorts, it depends on if you want the straight route (with a heavy load) or a scenic route. If you're driving a moving van/something big and heavy, I'd suggest you go up I-5 to Portland, then 84 along the Columbia Gorge to 395/90, through Spokane to CdA. (Get gas in Kennewick!) You can also go up 97 through OR to 84--it's more direct, but not a divided highway. And don't drive it at night--too much wildlife. Here's what you might want to do, going up I-5: start out in the evening after rush hour, and get beyond the Tejon Pass, and spend the night just north of the Pass in Grapevine. Several motels and fast-food restaurants there. Then you can head north early next morning, and all the heavy traffic will be behind you, and you'll be full of energy! That's a really good way to put LA in the rear view mirror...

I don't think it's a terribly rough drive from CA to NID, except if you're trying to make it in one stretch! Count on 2 days. If you'd rather take the scenic route, take 90 east through Reno, and then 95 all the way to CdA. (395 along the east side of the Sierras is beautiful, but I wouldn't want to do it in a moving van. Same thing with 95.) You can also go 15 through Vegas to 93-84-95; I haven't done that myself, but the suggestion has come up several times here. There's not supposed to be much traffic on 93, but it is a pretty lonely stretch through NV.

We've actually had several threads about the best routes from SoCal, if you have time to do a forum search before you head out.

Thank you Clark!!
I actually brought up the mapquest directions and they were pretty similar to what you recommended! I appreciate that!! We will have a moving truck. I am anticipating it will take us at least 20 hours to get there, I am trying to be generous with the time since we will have 3 kids under 7 years old with us- lots of potty breaks! We want to make it as stress free as possible and definitely plan to break up the drive. That is an excellent point about not driving at night!! I didn't even think of that!
I can't believe this trip is just a few days away...this will officially be the longest trip i have ever made! lol.

[Trace_Rinaldi]

I go the 15-93-84-95 route.. Thats just the way I like to go.. I have friends in Vegas I like to see when I come through, and there's a great sushi place I always hit.. The 93 can get remote, but there are plenty of places to fuel up, and the roads are very good.. Hardly any traffic, and you can travel fast if you want.. Just be carefull in the little towns along the way, you REALLY want to do the limit, but out in the boonies people kinda make up thier own limits.. Its a scenic drive through too, but it REALLY gets pretty once you get on the 95 and start heading north.. Thats one of the prettiest drives I've ever done and I have literally been all over the country in a car..

Hope that helps KS!

[kstorts]

Thank Trace- that does help!
I imagine we will probably be snailing alonig the road, haha, the hubby isn't super excited about driving a huge moving truck this far, haha. I will have to make sure I have my camera charged so I can take a lot of pictures of the scenery on the way!
I have been warned about a road that is supposedly extremely steep and hard to get a moving truck up.....anyone know any roads like this on the way? (My dad told me about it, he has never done the drive there, but heard about it from a trucker buddy who has.....my dad exaggerates, so it is hard to know if there is such a road out there...lol)

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by kstorts

Thank Trace- that does help!
I have been warned about a road that is supposedly extremely steep and hard to get a moving truck up.....anyone know any roads like this on the way? (My dad told me about it, he has never done the drive there, but heard about it from a trucker buddy who has.....my dad exaggerates, so it is hard to know if there is such a road out there...lol)

My guess is it's driving north up 95 from Lewiston. Steep grade. We've gone down it, and that was fun! There is apparently an old road that's even steeper. We had an old thread about that some months back. If you do Google Earth, you can check the elevation of the road, and you can see where it rises dramatically.

If you're going to do the all-freeway-all-the-way route, Redding or Red Bluff are good places to spend the night. Easy in and out from I-5. Try to get beyond Sacramento--it makes a difference next morning! I-5 up along Shasta may look steep, but it's regular freeway, and shouldn't be too hard on the truck. And the scenery is stupendous...