The North Pole-tato; or, Other North Poles, Part 2

As I'd mentioned yesterday, there are a few places that are called "North Pole" that are not the North Pole, the place I want you to send my wife (you can assist me by voting for her essay).

Yesterday's North Pole was located in Alaska, which is inaccurate in terms of geography, but at least Alaska is close to the North Pole. The others are not. Today's North Pole is arguably the strangest of all of them.

I think if an episode of Family Feud asked, "Name something that's famous about Idaho," the Survey Says answers would be:

1. Potatoes (90)
2. Skiing (5)
3. The funny shape of the state (4)
4. Hemingway killed himself there (1)

If you said, "The North Pole is there," you'd be greeted with an annoying buzzer, a red X-in-a-box will flash over your face, and if your brood survives to battle in another episode you'll be banished to the slot at the very end of your family line, where the doddering geriatrics or spaced-out aunts usually stand.

North Pole, Idaho, does have a Wikipedia page. I'm not even going to link to it, because I can quickly tell you what it says. Enjoy:

North Pole is an unincorporated community in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. North Pole is 3.5 miles (6 km) southwest of Athol.

The end.

Granted, the "town" does tend to provide Christmas-themed activities during the holidays, though those take place 18 miles away on the lovely Lake Coeur D'Alene at the Coeur D'Alene Resort in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho.

Holding "North Pole" events at a fancy-schmancy resort and not North Pole proper can be a bit misleading. Here is a photo of the resort, which I swiped from its website:

Note: The words in the photo ("Come Stay...," etc.)

do not actually float in the air and on the water.

And here is a photo, from Google Maps, of what is estimated to be downtown North Pole, Idaho:

View Larger Map

Here's another view, in case you thought you'd turn around to see Santa's workshop bustling with elves.

View Larger Map

Anyway. The Idaho version of the North Pole is more than 2,600 miles from home, but it's still not far enough for my wife to be sent. Maybe while she's at the real North Pole, I'll sneak off and hit the Coeur D'Alene Resort...their spa packages are quite inviting.

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If this convinces you that you should send my wife to the North Pole, please click this text which is in fact a link that will take you to her essay so you can vote for her so she'll have a chance to go to the North Pole. Thank you.