Huckleberries Thursday:

An old friend from Kalispell, Montana, agreed with the mini-rant here at Huckleberries (March 15) against criticism of Lake Coeur d’Alene by a Boise columnist. Remember?

Rocky Barker, of the Idaho Statesman, resented that New York website Thrillist dubbed Lake Coeur d’Alene as the “best damn thing” about Idaho. Barker sniffed that Lake Coeur d’Alene “is not even the most breath-taking lake in North Idaho.”

Now, Betsy Wood, whom this columnist knew during a stint at the Kalispell Daily Inter Lake (1977-82), applauds Huckleberries’ blowback to Barker’s snark. Wood, a Coeur d’Alene native, met hubby, Mike, while working for a downtown clothing store. He was selling ads for the Coeur d’Alene Press.

Betsy Wood remembers the “many, many hot and miserable drives on Highway 95” in cars without air conditioning in the 1950s-60s to visit Boise relatives. And she recalls that she couldn’t wait to return to Lake Coeur d’Alene. Her sister who lives in the Boise area complains regularly how far she has to drive to enjoy a decent lake and escape the stifling Sufferin’ Idaho summer heat.

Lake Coeur d’Alene by itself might not be the “best damn thing” in Idaho. However, when you add in the shore amenities (Tubbs Hill, miles of shoreline access, parks, public beaches, Centennial Trail, McEuen Park, public art, etc.), it is.

Wood and Huckleberries agree: The Thrillist got it right. Full Huckleberries column here.

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