Where Lake Coeur d'Alene meets the Spokane River.

A few weeks ago we traveled to Kellogg to ride the world's longest gondola. Stretching 3.1 miles and rising 3,400 vertical feet, it takes about sixteen minutes to reach the top of Silver Mountain. The ride is quiet and comfortable, and the scenery is spectacular.



At the top the kids immediately found a children's play area near the lodge, complete with slide and bouncer. Nearby is a nature trail, which we never made it to because we were directed to a sunny slope that was covered with huckleberry bushes. We picked, and ate, for two hours.



Two of the chairlifts operate during the summer to take people even further up and into the mountain to a lookout tower that offers 360-degree views of the area. We were the only ones on the chairlift, so it was very quiet as we moved through the trees.





The tower is a short hike from the chairlift. The views from here are amazing in all directions. Next summer I'm going to remember to bring a picnic lunch to this spot.



Back at the lodge, we had burgers, wraps and grilled cheese on the patio. We thought about hitting that nature trail, but after four hours up there we were tired. Plus, we wanted to get our huckleberries back home (is there anything better than vanilla ice cream smothered in huckleberries?).



After a busy summer of exploration, I think the Silver Mountain Gondola is my favorite place to take out-of-towners. Especially those who don't want to do strenuous hiking. The family pass was $29.95. Well worth it. When the kids are older we'll check out the mountain biking trails that criss-cross the mountain.