Secrets of Sandpoint.

Sandpoint is a smallish town on the way to the larger Coeur D'Alene and the even larger Spokane. It's a pretty little town, very artsy and everyone knows the Pioneer Pies there (although it's now Panhandler Pies) Anyhow, you drive to Sandpoint, stop at one or two of the box stores on the highway, then at The Black Sheep (sporting goods store) then you stop at "the pie place" and have pie before you continue on to the larger cities. That's what you do, everyone who lives in Cranbrook (and area) knows that. So this time we decided to do something different. I had heard of a restaurant called The Hydra, where I heard of it I don't know. On the Lonely PLanet website I think. We found it, and were sort of hesitant as it looked like a scruffy old roadhouse that would serve things like meatloaf and nachos. We stepped inside and to our amazement found a wonderfully sort of "antique-y" place, great ambiance and phenomenal food...I had Dijon chicken breasts and Steven had a seafood pasta. What a great little smalltown secret! And it was HUGE on the inside, I got lost looking for the bathroom.

Then we went for a stroll down main street, we have driven it a thousand times before and always saw the 6 or 7 restaurants with bland looking fronts. Nothing special. We walked behind them this time, not knowing that there is a very large marina behind them, and each and every one of these restaurants has a gorgeous patio over-looking the marina with a lovely walking area as well. I mean really, who knew?

And then, to my really great astonishment, we found a cheese factory. Yes, you read that right, Sandpoint has a factory that makes blue cheese (or "bleu" cheese) and you can watch the whole process. Good Heavens, I almost thought I was in Holland. Have you heard of "Litehouse" salad dressings? You find them in the salad area (kept cold) of the grocers. This is where they make them. Sandpoint. What a treasure chest of surprises.