i will be traveling home to coeu d'lene around the first of september,, have not been there for 40 years,, do any of you idahoans have any advise on what i should see first?

Well the Eastern Idaho State Fair is from Sept 1st to the 8th in Blackfoot.
There will be a Horse show in DeerLodge, Montana the fallowing week end and one in SandPoint, Idaho the weekend after that.........

Probably a good museum in CDl .. One in Deer Lodge and Idaho Falls has Great Exhibits. and the Lewis and Clark stuff out near Salmon.
And of course there are lots of other places here in the NORTH WEST in Example see below........
HOW GREAT THIS LAND OF IDAHO
Dell M. Mangum July 17, 2006

How great this land of Idaho,
It's as nice as any place you go.
There are rivers, lakes and mountains.
Towns with natural springs and fountains.
Wild life of all sizes, shapes and kinds.
Beauty written of by literary minds.
Wild places that are seldom traveled,
Reached by trails that might be graveled.
Majestic Mountain ranges tall and steep,
Where rivers run and salmon leap.
There are fields of lava just like the moon,
And sagebrush flats where coyotes croon.
Meadows lush with grass and flowers
Distance here is measured by travel hours.
Timber logging in forests of pine,
Valleys and hillsides grow grapes for wine.
The desert here blooms with irrigation,
Growing food to feed the nation.
Barley grown for making beer,
Potatoes famous both far and near.
Summer sun and winter snow
How great this land of Idaho.

Dell M. Mangum 07-17-06
Friends ......... I was checking out my friend Kirby Jonas's message board http://www.network54.com/Forum/186898/
and after reading his latest message about his vacation and that he is glad to be home. I felt the urge to put the above words on paper or in this case the computer.

My "Skooul tracher" (she used to not know how to spell it and now she are one) daughter said, "You left out a bunch of stuff."
She is right. I should have mentioned Hells Canyon, Shoshone Falls,
Lava Hot springs and several others. The livestock and dairies.
The Frank Church wilderness, The River of no return, the city of rocks, the Oregon trail and probably plenty of other things and places.

But I hope you get the idea that I like this state. DELL

Hey Dell,
Can't remember if I ever told you, but I loved your Idaho poem.
Kirby
Thanks friend .. that means a lot ... But your story about your travels set if up... I have been meaning to do something similar to this poem for a couple of years .
DELL

thank you for the beautiful poem about Idaho,,i will share it , believe me,,i remember plenty of huckleberries and fall festivals to prepare for the long winters which might not be as long these days,,we lived in the city so horseback riding and the county lake scenery out around hayden lake was for the weekends...can't wait to return for a few days, might be relocating back when i retire.

prayers for all of our friends in Blacksburg, Va...about 60 miles from here...