Up at the tippy-top of the American West, just shy of the Canadian border, lies a charming little town called Bonners Ferry, Idaho. I would’ve never taken this trip if it wasn’t for work and like with all work trips, it was way too short. I would absolutely love to return to the area and explore the region. FYI, we were on location for three days in the spring of 2016, filming at hop farm.
The story of how this trip came to be is only relevant because I was booking travel and stays while I was on another trip. You see, I was in LA visiting family when I got a call that my film dates had been approved — for the following week in Idaho. What?! So last-minute! What airport did I even take? Where would I stay? I had to figure all that out on a Thursday for a flight the following Wednesday out of JFK. Anyway, when I got back to NYC, I had, like, one day to repack and pick up my gear from the office, and then I was on a plane back west to Spokane.
GETTING THERE
The best way to get to Northern Idaho is by flying into Spokane International Airport and driving about two-hours north to Bonners Ferry. It is a beautiful drive on country roads, so make sure to load up your playlists and podcasts. The roads can be tricky when it gets dark, so unless you’re amazing at night driving and navigating, try to get out there early.
STAY: Dodge Peak Lodge
I had to book everything last-minute and there weren’t many options, so I booked a room for myself and my cameraman at Dodge Peak Lodge because, honestly, it looked cute. Anyway, it was perfect! Super cute log cabin feel and I was able to park my car right in front of our rooms, which is awesome when you’re lugging camera gear.
EAT & DRINK:
Mugsy’s Tavern & Grill
The Rusty Moose Tavern and Grill
Kootenai River Brewing Company
I was utterly exhausted from travel and long days of filming, so I don’t actually remember what we ate everyday, but I they were good meals and drinks. I don’t recall any bad experiences. I will say that the Kootenai River Brewing Company has great views of the Kootenay River, so it’s definitely worth popping into.
MUST-DO:
Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge driving tour
We were lucky that the road home from work everyday included a drive by the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. On the last day of our shoot, we had enough daylight to stop in and take a driving tour of the refuge. It was so beautiful and peaceful. Living in NYC at the time, I rarely ever experienced silence. The driving tour is even more appealing in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic because you can definitely stay socially distanced.
Keep in mind that our trip was in early spring, so it wasn’t as green as it could have been. Still beautiful though.
Around Town in Bonners Ferry
Main Street in Bonners Ferry is a quaint downtown area that right on the Kootenay River. It’s exactly what you’d imagine a small town in the West would look like. Friendly people and no traffic!
What about the hop farm?
OK. OK. I’ll include a couple of photos from the farm. But if you want to see the results of our shoot, check out the story on weather.com.
One of my favorite anecdotes from this trip — on the first day of the shoot, I sat in on the team’s morning meet, which was like three guys. And the hot topic of the morning was an elk herd up in the hills, threatening to cause a traffic jam. I thought that was so hilarious and charming.
In conclusion, Idaho is beautiful. The United States of America is beautiful. Anytime you can meet people unlike you, from places that are so different than where you’re from…well, that is a gift. It reminds you that there’s more to people than the politics that divide us. There’s humanity too.