Moving to Coeur D'Alene Need Info On The Area (Sandpoint: condo, hotels)

[momof2busybees]

We are moving to Coeur D' Alene at the end of the summer and I was just wondering what I could find out about it.

First (and most important) how do you pronunce it?? LOL we are New Mexican's and want to have it down by the time we get there.

Next, How are the people?
We are a different family to say the least and have heard that it's pretty open with earthy people in that area all up there but I want to be sure before we settle on that area.

Here's a bit about us.
We are a pagan family, my son has high functioning autism so we want a good medical community but since it is so close to Spokane I dont think that is a problem.
We are a happily married family of three adults and two kids.....yes we are Me, hubby and girlfriend. We are all tattoo'd and girlfriend is pierced.
We are a natural family, unschooling our son, Daughter goes to middle school and likes to sport different colored hair but she is an amazing honor roll student.

Anywhoo, just wanted to know about the area, and people from the actual inhabitants of this amazinly beautiful area.

Thanks for the info and many blessings!

[Sandpointian]

Momof2,
There is a wealth of info on CDA on City-Data.com. Also, look at the blogs on cdapress.com and on the Spokane rags. Also read these websites for the local news.

However, I think you also might want to consider a few honest words of counsel. I think that rather than define ourselves in terms of left versus right, Idahoans consider independence and freedom to be our common bonds. I feel free to think here in a way that is incredibly liberating. But note, we consider these things very much in a manner consistent with our environment: quietly and humbly. We are not really too big on in-your-face independence nor utilizing freedoms to shock how we can shock one another...at least not the folks I know.

If you are seek good responses on this board, you probably want to reread your post and tone things down a bit! LOL! And before you think I am anti-piercing, anti-tatoo, or anti-blue hair (all of which I think could be cool), you should reread those first four sentences of yours. LOL! Honestly, I think those sentences alone scream Venice Beach, Berkeley or North Hollywood.

While in CDA you will certainly find considerable freedoms from intrusive government, I don't think you will find that much accomodation amongst the citzenry for any antics that are cries for attention or impose cultural norms from places which rob us of that personal space we treasure. If presented differently, your comments would find great latitude for alternative lifestyles. But as written, geez, I think it is even odds that you will find the xenophobic that resides in all of us...

I apologize ahead of time if you feel offended, but I simply tried to give you one guy's honest set of answers to your questions.

A Christian Buddhist Political Economist Writer & Edupreneur Dad of three in a monogamous happy marriage free of piercings, blue hair and tatoos but which enjoys them nonetheless.

[Sage of Sagle]

I think Sandpointian hit it right on the head. This is very much a live-and-let-live area, but at the same time there is very much a disdain for showy people, of any bent, be it ostentatious "Newport Beach wretched excess" or "Venice Beach freak show".

And as written, your post makes it sound like you're very likely to find yourself stared at (not in a good way) in this area, and treated with polite distance and/or indifference.

I had blue hair...in high school when I was a punker...but up here people would tend to this that sort of person was just trying WAY too hard to draw attention to themselves. It would be the source of mild amusement to many...with some people liking it and finding it "cool" and "different" (mainly the college crowd hanging out on Sherman in CDA) but most of your adult peers thinking you're trying way to hard to be different for the sake of being different and being midly annoyed by you...yet politely treating you well regardless....

And like Sandpointian, I have no problem with someone of your social approach...I'm just being very candid with my thoughts...

[esselcue]

I haven't posted here for a while but this one really caught my attention. I remember back in 1964 when any boy who wore a Beatle Haircut was stared at and thought to be Hell-bent for sure. Times have changed a bit....

I just wanted to say that I find it odd when people choose to state how "different" and alternative their lifestyles are and then worry about not being accepted for it. Why on earth would anyone dye their hair blue, pierce themselves all over and sport tattoos if they don't want to be stared at? I don't care, actually...I am a child of the Sixties and fairly tolerant of most of it, but it's a lot to ask to have people ignore and accept you as common-place when you stand out like a sore thumb. Isn't it?

As far as being Pagans (does that include Druids? I find Druidism fascinating) and having a menage a trois in bed all the time, why even mention it at all? If that's your lifestyle and you are happy and fine with it, then keep it to yourself and live as you are comfortable, and my guess is that you will do okay wherever you live. The only thing I do not condone is having an UNschooled child. Or did you mean home-schooled? I certainly hope you provide some sort of education.

However, when all is said and done, the OP's post seems like a set-up to me. I think we are being taken for a pagan-ride

[IdahoEagle]

The answer to you first question is Core - Duh - Lane.
The people here are nice, but if you wear a bumper sticker on your forehead that says "I am different" you will probably will be treated differently.

There are good programs for kids and adults with challenges, if you choose to take advantage of them.

[6thgen]

It's core-duh-lane
Just from what I have experienced here, and I'm a native, it's a pretty close-knit community. People don't look too keenly on 'outsiders' or people moving in from different states. You might experience a little bit of an attitude from people around here, BUT we all get used to it, and it's certainly not going to be something where you will be chased out of here.
Also, people are fairly religious around here, so the type of family you have...you might get some strange looks, but I'd doubt anyone would say anything to you. Tattoos, piercings, colored hair...that is in just about any community, so I don't think that'll be a problem for y'all. My wife is tattooed, she gets looks and "oh gosh, why would she do that to her body when she has young kids" and I have tattoos and also have comments thrown at me about them.

Are you sure you want to move here? It's *just* starting to warm up here, so expect LOOOOONG very cold winters. I hope you're not gun-shy either, we are a very Pro-gun area as there is a lot of hunting in this area.

You said your son was autistic, right? This is a bit of side-note, but the Namaste brand of gluten-free foods (well, we use them as gluten free) are said to be good for kids with Autism. Well, Namaste is based here in Coeur d'alene and the woman who developed it also has a son with autism. Just a little tidbit of information that you may find useful.

[mejaka]

What I find startling is the use of the word "anyhoo..." <G>

I dissent from the pronunciation guides above. Nobody really says "duh" in the middle. Accent the first syllable (CORE), secondary accent on "Lane", and a d-plus-schwa sound in the middle. I don't have a schwa on my keyboard, but the "d" sound kind of rolls into the L sound.

[drwexploring]

How is the CDA hospitality job climate - hotels, guided services, destination management, meetings and events planning and services, tourism in general and the 2nd home travelers to visit?