http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-prettiest-winter-towns/12

Sandpoint, ID

With the Selkirk Mountains (alt. 8,000 feet) as their backdrop and Lake Pend Oreille for a centerpiece, Sandpoint’s roughly 7,500 residents are largely of the skiing, sailing, hiking, fishing, and paddleboarding variety. But the town also supports the arts; see what’s playing at the historic Spanish mission–style Panida Theater. Breweries, a vineyard, and a fiercely independent retail and dining scene are icing on the cake for locals—and travelers savvy enough to swing by. Sandpoint is only 75 miles from Spokane, across the Washington State border.

Winter Fun: Join Selkirk Powder for Sno-cat treks to Schweitzer Mountain’s wild west side, where you and a maximum of nine others can enjoy 4,000 acres of fresh tracks in terrain tracked by mountain lions and home to woodland caribou and grizzly bears.