Northwestern Idaho

Hydra Restaurant

Restaurant | "The Hydra Restaurant"

Quote:

Located across the street from The Litehouse Blue Cheese Factory, a good burger and fries was only $5.50. A great value and worth returning to a second time.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on September 28, 2007

Hydra Restaurant
115 Lake St.
Sandpoint, Idaho

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Sierra Silver Mine Tour, Inc.

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Attraction | "Sierra Silver Mine"

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After getting tickets, we got onto an old trolley driven by an old retired miner. At the mine adit, our small party of about six people exited the trolley and the tour guide, Dan, met us. He was a retired miner, a stoutly built man who was welcoming and very engaging. At his instruction, we donned hard hats. Sierra Silver Mine is an inactive silver mine and for many years has been conducting tours to the public. The mine inside is lit with electric lights and at places, the mine tunnel was perhaps about 10 feet tall. The first thing Dan talked about was how safety was secured in the mine and how mine emergencies were communicated to the other miners so that the mine could be quick...Read More

After getting tickets, we got onto an old trolley driven by an old retired miner. At the mine adit, our small party of about six people exited the trolley and the tour guide, Dan, met us. He was a retired miner, a stoutly built man who was welcoming and very engaging. At his instruction, we donned hard hats.

Sierra Silver Mine is an inactive silver mine and for many years has been conducting tours to the public.

The mine inside is lit with electric lights and at places, the mine tunnel was perhaps about 10 feet tall. The first thing Dan talked about was how safety was secured in the mine and how mine emergencies were communicated to the other miners so that the mine could be quickly evacuated. The method of warning used in the distant past and to present date was to release “stink”, a noxious rotting egg smelling gas that could communicate to miners despite the loud mine machinery. The stink was a signal to get out asap. Instead of using a canary, Dan showed us the small handheld CO detectors, the re-breathing mask and other such respiratory survival gear. He talked about the efficiency of the air circulation system in the mine.

We saw how core samples of the mine were obtained, how the ceiling of the mine was stabilized by chain link fencing, sections of what looked like thick metal dividers one would see along the freeway with long bolts, some of which were as long as 4 feet long and even more, depending on the need.

We saw a mine shaft with the wire elevator cage that once was used to transport miners to the lower levels of the mine. Later in the tour, we saw a second mine shaft sans elevator and could see that it was flooded from the surface water that percolated through the land above and down into the mine shaft.

Dan demonstrated the use of some of the 1950s era mine equipment in the mine. We saw and heard the air powered jack hammers, the equipment that dragged large pieces of ore out of newly accessed areas, the equipment that used water to slush the ore down a chute to the level below where the ore carts were located, and saw the equipment used to load the slushed ore to the locomotive railroad style ore carts that transported the ore out of the mine.

I thought this was an excellent tour. Since all of the tour guides were retired miners, the tour guides knew what they were talking about. The satisfaction and pride of the work as a miner was palpable. Of the two retired miners I talked to, both said, “No question, if I was 30 years younger, I’d go back to work as a miner”.

If I travel back to this area, no question I wouldn’t mind going back for this tour a second time. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on September 28, 2007

Sierra Silver Mine Tour, Inc.
420 5th St.
Wallace, Idaho 83873
(208) 752-5151

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The Bird Aerospace Museum and Invention Center

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Attraction

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This museum is remotely located along a scenic winding road. The Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center was recently opened by inventor Forrest Bird, MD, PhD, ScD to focus on aviation history, medicine and to encourage in all of those who visit to cherish and put to flight the inventive spirit.The interior of the museum is attractively tidy, well lit, and airy. The museum building is a large hanger filled with many beautifully restored vintage aircraft and automobiles. All are clearly marked with informative placards. Some of the items displayed include a 1938 Piper J3C 65 Cub, a 1972 Schweizer Glider, a 1947 Republic RC-7 Sea Bee, a 1928 Model A Ford, and a 1950 GMC Suburban that was perso...Read More

This museum is remotely located along a scenic winding road. The Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center was recently opened by inventor Forrest Bird, MD, PhD, ScD to focus on aviation history, medicine and to encourage in all of those who visit to cherish and put to flight the inventive spirit.

The interior of the museum is attractively tidy, well lit, and airy. The museum building is a large hanger filled with many beautifully restored vintage aircraft and automobiles. All are clearly marked with informative placards. Some of the items displayed include a 1938 Piper J3C 65 Cub, a 1972 Schweizer Glider, a 1947 Republic RC-7 Sea Bee, a 1928 Model A Ford, and a 1950 GMC Suburban that was personally used by Dr. Bird.

Adjacent to the aircraft and car laden hanger area, is a wing of the museum called the Invention Center. Counter height glass display cabinets line the wall. Hanging on the wall just above his or her invention are portrait photographs of the inventors along with inspirational quotes. Displays in the middle of the Invention Center are set up in a similar fashion.

Quotes that were personal favorites included: “Women are inherently better inventors than men because they never follow a recipe.” and “Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t do something because you’re a girl. Chemistry is everywhere.” There are a plethora of inventions honored, ranging from the electric microphone, scotchguard, test strips that measure blood sugar, fiber optics, the artificial heart, and the electric guitar.

From the Invention Center is a wide flight of stairs outfitted with a chair lift for those with limited mobility that leads to the second floor. Upstairs is a small classroom area. The other end of the upstairs area house Dr. Bird’s many inventions related to the artificial ventilation of patients in intensive critical care settings. The productivity of this man is impressive and for this, Dr. Bird was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

There are a limited number of hands-on exhibits, yet the museum still manages to engage the visitor with optional scaventer hunts that are geared to a variety of age groups. The scavenger hunt lists and pencils are available at the door entering the museum hanger. The hunt entails answering questions based on the information on the museum signs, on the museum walls and in observing the items on display. On completion of the hunt, the participant exchanges the completed scavenger hunt form for a prize.

I decided to pick up a scavenger hunt form. I found myself carefully paying attention to find the necessary answers. I exchanged my completed scavenger hunt form for an attractive red, white, and blue patriotic magnetic slap bracelet. As I looked at the bracelet, I marvelled at the simple concept that this bracelet uses to work. Who invented it? Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on September 28, 2007

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Antique Gun Shoppe and Military Items

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Attraction

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Run by Glen Maddox, this shop is located in a residential area. The shop is located behind that house that I assume to be the owner's personal residence. There is a vertical sign for the shop at the street, but when my husband and I went to visit in September, the sign was obscured by tree foliage.The shop is perhaps the size of a three car garage. The general layout of the store seems to be in two parts. The items in the front part of the store are chronologically ordered from immediate post-American Revolution to World War I. The back of the shop is devoted to World War II to present memorabilia. The store was well organized, clean and well lit. As I walked in to the shop, I noticed ...Read More

Run by Glen Maddox, this shop is located in a residential area. The shop is located behind that house that I assume to be the owner's personal residence. There is a vertical sign for the shop at the street, but when my husband and I went to visit in September, the sign was obscured by tree foliage.

The shop is perhaps the size of a three car garage. The general layout of the store seems to be in two parts. The items in the front part of the store are chronologically ordered from immediate post-American Revolution to World War I. The back of the shop is devoted to World War II to present memorabilia.

The store was well organized, clean and well lit. As I walked in to the shop, I noticed the walls to the left and directly across the door lined with long guns. Below the rifles were long counters full of artifacts and historical handguns. The center floor of the front of the shop was home to some canons and a Gatling gun dating back to the late 1800s.

Exceedingly impressive are the many large shadow box cabinets that displayed military artifacts. I took note of the display of the US Army enlisted soldier uniform and presentation box (minus medal) of a Congressional Medal of Honor.

To walk further into the store, I negotiated one step down into the area devoted to the post World War II period. Again, there are well composed shadow box cabinets displaying artifacts and uniforms worn by such notable soldiers as former Governor of North Dakota Joe Foss, Admiral Chester Nimitz, and Admiral Elmo Zumwalt. The area of walls not covered by display cabinets were covered by white pegboard to display more weapons and memorabilia. In the central area of the back of the store were two very long row of glass cabinets that were filled with more items. I was allowed to handle a large classroom sized model of the M2 carbine that was used to train and teach many a soldier how to become expert with it.

The range of items available for purchase, the organized layout of the Antique Gun Shoppe and Military was impressive. Chad, an associate of the store owner, accompanied my husband and I during our visit and like a tour guide, was pleasant and answered our questions.

In my opinion, this shop should also include the word "museum" in its name. For military history buffs, The Antique Gun Shoppe and Military is definitely worth a visit. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on September 28, 2007

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Silver Capital Arts

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Attraction

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This corner store, located at Bank Street and 5th Street, is owned by a local geologist and has a mineral museum that is quite respectable. As a mineral collector, I focused on the mineral specimens and not the jewelry and gift items in the store. Of course, there was a good representation of local minerals. I took note of three large cabinet sized specimens of electric green radioactive autumnite from neighboring Washington State and the distinctive earthy green and light golden brown specimens of pyromorphite from Idaho. There are a variety of mineral specimens for sale, ranging from modestly priced $20 thumbnail sized azurite from Arizona to more expensive specimens costing $400 and up....Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on September 28, 2007

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