Next Stop
Issue: September/October 2010
Destination: Wallace, ID
The Old West is alive and well in northern Idaho
If you traveled east on I-90 through Idaho from 1967 to 1991, you'll remember Wallace, Idaho, the mountain town that defied and then finessed the federal government out of running the interstate straight through town.
Led by the late Harry Magnuson, the town's elders managed to get every single building of the entire downtown core declared national landmarks, excluding demolition without exhaustive review. Magnuson et al. fought the government for 17 years, until a compromise was reached to reroute the highway. There remain plenty of reasons to draw to a stop here, however. "You can do everything or nothing here and have a great time," declares Wallace's Rick Shaffer, who'd just launched a hotel in Times Square when a friend asked for help opening one here in the Silver Valley. That was 18 years ago.
"Look, New York's a fine town," declares Shaffer, who operates the 63-room Wallace Inn, "but the reason I stayed is that real Americana exists here." Shaffer says Wallace was treated differently for years because of the silver mines. The government looked right past the bordellos and gambling dens.
More family-friendly recreation, including many cycling trails, draws visitors to the 960-person town today. The 15-mile Hiawatha Trail (open through late Sept. 26 this year) traverses the Bitterroot Mountains through 10 tunnels and over seven trestles. The Coeur d'Alene Trail stretches for 72 miles to Coeur d'Alene with a maximum grade of 4 percent. Others come to fish and raft the wild rivers or ski and snowmobile on nearby mountains.
With underground mine tours and outside recreation a cast away, we don't need a traffic light to tell us to pause for more than a spell in one of the Northwest's most emblematic towns. And who knows? Visitors may even find some veins of the Old West.
"This town was rockin' for a century," Shaffer laughs, "and it still does some nights."
EAT:
Jameson Restaurant – Family-friendly and a consistent option for traditional American food. 304 Sixth St., (208) 752-1100.
Smoke House BBQ and Saloon – The tales of wild Wallace in days of yore run as wild as steelhead inside the saloon on most nights, where locals are known to spin more than rods with friends and visitors alike. 424 Sixth St., (208) 659-7539.
Red Light Garage – Locally produced American cuisine in a great room. 302 Fifth St., (208) 556-0575.
ZZZZZS:
Wallace Inn – Includes an indoor pool and hot tub for cooling down after a ride or warming up after a ski run. There are four suites and plenty of seasonal packages. 100 Front St.
The Brooks Hotel – Located downtown in a historic building with several suites that can accommodate up to eight adults, the hotel also has full kitchens in many of the rooms. 500 Cedar St.
Stardust Motel – Provides simple, pet-friendly rooms in a central location. 410 Pine St.
