My dad turned 98 in May. Now that is something to celebrate. Ever since my mom passed, my sister and I take him on a short trip for part of his birthday gift. Our husbands are always willing to join in too. While he is doing well for 98 years, we see the inevitable signs of aging and we want to help him to enjoy life as much as possible with the time he has left. No matter what age we are, it is important to have things to look forward to. He has always loved being out in the woods, so we try to go to places surrounded with natural beauty. This year we packed up our suitcases and coolers and headed north to Elkin’s Resort on Priest Lake.

Tucked away up north in the panhandle of North Idaho, not far from the Canadian border, is a charming resort. Elkin’s Resort has rustic cabins that overlook the cool, pristine lake. It is a beautiful, quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life. And it is a great spot to celebrate 98 years of living.

The evenings get pretty chilly up north. It calls for building a fire in the fireplace and pouring a glass of wine. My dad surprised us by bringing along a narrative my mom wrote several years ago. It was a short memoir of how they met and their first 50 years of married life. It was full of humor and stories about raising their family of six children. It brought tears to our eyes as we listened to my dad read the story of their lives. It brought up so many good memories.

The next morning, we woke up to the sun rising over the lake. The resort has numerous red Adirondack chairs scattered over the property and along the beach. Settling into one of them is a perfect spot to have that first cup of morning coffee.

A little side trip for the day

Later that day my dad suggested we go see Granite Falls. It is about 30 miles north of the resort in the Panhandle National Forest. He thought the water would be flowing hard this time of year. Turns out he was right. It was spectacular… and loud.

If you hike up past the falls, you find yourself in an historic cedar grove called Roosevelt Grove of Ancient Cedars. When the grove was first discovered in 1919, the average tree was 800 years old, and some were 2000 years old. It is hard to believe that these ancient, large cedar trees come from tiny little pinecones.

Because it is cool and moist by the falls, there are lots of ferns growing near it. My dad pointed out the fiddleheads that were forming at the top of the ferns. The fiddlehead is the young part of the fern that is coiled at the very top, just before it fans out. Apparently, several types of ferns have these and some are edible. We did not take our chances on that.

Speaking of food

Each of the cabins has a small kitchen equipped with dishes, pans, etc. There are also BBQs available on the premises for visitors to use. You need to pack most of your food up there because the grocery store is a bit of a drive. There is a small store at the resort with a few essentials, such as toothpaste and the fixings for s’mores (an essential up here). Or you can opt to eat in their lovely dining room. During the summer you can also choose to eat at the tables in the yard overlooking the lake. Hill’s Resort is just about ten miles south of Elkin’s and it has lovely fine dining and more casual patio dining as well. With such great dining options nearby we decided to eat dinner out both nights.

If you are ever up in North Idaho…

If you ever find yourself up in North Idaho, and in need of a retreat, I recommend that you make the trip to either Hill’s Resort of Elkin’s Resort. I wrote about previous trips to Hill’s resort in the posts, Heading to the Hills and Take the Risk. Both resorts offer an enchanting, peaceful get-a-way with cozy, rustic cabins and serene lake views. Walk the paths near the lake, hike up in the woods, go see Granite Falls, rent a kayak and have a morning paddle, or just sit by the lake and read. Be sure to book your reservation early if you want to go during their peak season. Then plan to kick off your shoes and relax for a few days. It is good for the soul.