Road Trip: Quinn's Hot Springs — Stuck in North Idaho

You guys, my mind keeps wandering back to last week. You see, over the past few months I’ve had a severe case of wanderlust and in hopes of curing it, we hit the open road for a little place called Quinn’s Hot Springs outside of – check this – Paradise, Montana. The place was literally a little piece of Paradise.

Kyle managed to borrow a friend’s motorcycle for Friday and Saturday last week. Having never gone further than around Hayden Lake at about 30 mph, you could say I was a bit nervous about riding over three hours at high speeds. But, at the same time, it sounded like an adventure and a good way to beat our 90 degree-plus heatwave.

Kyle being always up for an adventure, and I always game for nice scenery, decided to take the Kingston exit and travel along the Coeur d’Alene River and then up through Thompson Pass rather than taking the highway all the way. It was nice to go at a slightly slower pace and take in the sights. I had forgotten how much fun it is to ride a bike around. I feel like I take in so much more of what’s around me vs. being stuck inside a car. You can actually hear and smell the river, feel the changes in air temperature as you change in elevation and climate. There was even a point at the top of the pass that I got chilly. Crazy, right?

By the time we got to Murray, I (mostly my butt) was ready for a break. And some food. Definitely some food. Along our drive we kept seeing signs for the “Northwest’s best pizza!” So naturally, we had to eat at this place and get some pizza.

The Bedroom Goldmine Bar, allegedly established in 1884, was such a treat. This rustic (what I would consider a dive) bar is home to its very own gold mine; right in the middle of their back room. Luckily there’s plexiglass and some rope involved – no need to worry about falling in. The walls are graced with some great mining and cowboy memorabilia, along with some other… err… colorful commentary on everything from politics to using the restrooms. Welcome to backwoods North Idaho, folks. The food itself, while maybe not the best in the Northwest, was surprisingly better than I had expected. It definitely hit the spot and got us through to our destination.

From Murray, we ventured up through Thompson Pass, Thompson Falls and finally into Paradise. Quinn’s Hot Springs was different than I imagined. I was thinking of natural hot springs I guess, nestled in the woods with a little path leading out to them. Quinn’s made their hot springs into several concrete pools – each a different temperature. Even though it wasn’t what I expected, it was still really cool, and a little more resort-like with an on-site restaurant and bar (with really good food!).

Guests stay in cozy little cabins, which in all honesty could use some updating. But it was very clean and way nicer than if you were to camp. I don’t know how I would like soaking in sulfur water and then not be able to shower off. I’m outdoorsy, but there’s no way I’d like smelling like rotten eggs for more than the length of time it took to walk back to the cabin.

It was great to go just the two of us, but I think for younger people it would be more fun with friends – especially if you were going for multiple days. I think if I went back (which I’d love to!) I would:

Go with friends
Try a different season (fall/winter would be so pretty)

Trip Tips:

If you want to do the motorcycle thing:o Braid you hair if it’s long. The whole wind-blown, bad-ass biker chick is only cool for 2.5 seconds until you have a rat’s next you’ll have to brush out for over an hour.o Be sure the bike has a comfy seat, bring something to sit on or be prepared to make a lot of stops.
Bring your own pillows – I don’t know if they’re all the same, but the ones in our room were not comfortable.
Find a hike or a sight you want to see – we didn’t really plan ahead and would have loved to check out some of the sights.
Watch your bar tab if you plan to karaoke – I think that’s self-explanatory.

And of course, be sure to document the fun times! This was our first time taking a trip like this together and made it a point to get some good video. I have to tell you that this footage was almost completely lost because a couple of days later we floated the Cd’A River and Kyle lost the Go-Pro. Thankfully he and Kendrich (his little bro) were able to recover it.

As you might be able to tell by my daydreaming and incessant Instagram posts (my account is private but request to follow me and I will say yes, promise), it did not cure my wanderlust, rather, it fueled it. Where are you wanting to travel these days? Where have you been?

Safe and happy travels!