Sandpoint, Idaho Guide to North Idaho Information and Media

LITEHOUSE

FROM SMALL-TOWN RESTAURANT TO DRESSING GIANT

In 1949, Edward Hawkins was serving as a chef in Spokane when his boss complained about the quality of the blue cheese dressing they were serving. Hawkins took the challenge to heart, and so was born the first creamy blue cheese dressing. Ten years later, he and his wife purchased Hurschell’s Lighthouse in Hope. Customers liked the dressing so much they’d arrive with jars to bring extra home.

Demand required supply, and brothers Edward and Doug decided to can their secret recipe in 1963, mixing the dressing by hand in soup kettles. Soon Litehouse Bleu Cheese and Litehouse Thousand Island began gracing the shelves of Rogers Thrift in Sandpoint. Fast forward 57 years later, and Litehouse is now the No. 1 refrigerated salad dressing in the world...

CAMARADERIE IN THE WOODS

SNOWMOBILING AN INCLUSIVE SPORT

It’s no secret that Northwest people are typically outdoor people. Our cities and towns are set in and around nature, and our woods, trails and the backcountry is often just a short drive from our front door. After fall sports season and hunting season come to a close, outdoor enthusiasts start doing the “pray for snow” dance. While some of the population could go without snow, a large section also sees a cold winter without snow as a worthless winter. Skis and snowboards get waxed, snowshoes and winter coats, gloves, jackets and pants all come out from their summer hibernation. It’s also the time when another passionate group of people gets ramped up for their favorite season of the year—snowmobile season.

“The adventure of the ride has to be my favorite thing about snowmobiling,” said Jacob Hinrichs, current president of the Boundary Backcountry Association. “Every ride is different, from the people you ride with, the terrain and the snow as well...”

FEBRUARY’S FIX FOR THE BLUES

SANDPOINT WINTER CARNIVAL

Mid-winter in North Idaho is beautiful, but the winter blues settle in in full force. Several months of cold, snow and (mostly) grey have left the majority of us cabin-bound, vitamin-D deficient and desperate for some much-needed activity and fun. Thankfully Sandpoint locals 47 years ago felt the same, and so was born the Sandpoint Winter Carnival—the much-anticipated yearly antidote to North Idaho cabin fever.

The carnival debuted in 1973, put together by local businesses and individuals who saw the need for an event to bring the town together and provide a fun release in the dark winter months. It’s continued every year since, and this February marks its 47th anniversary. “We are [all] getting a little weary of winter at this time, so it’s always fun to spend time together laughing and enjoying ourselves,” says Kate McAlister, Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce president and CEO...