Perched on the shores of the magnificent Lake Pend Oreille (that’s “pond-uh-ray” for the uninitiated), this small town delivers an authenticity that feels increasingly rare in our homogenized world.

Sandpoint sits like a hidden jewel between the crystal waters of Lake Pend Oreille and the towering silhouettes of the Selkirk and Cabinet mountains—a small town that delivers outsize magic for family ...