Dave Walker: That's glorious Cd'A dirt under his fingernails

COEUR d’ALENE — Forget snips and snails and puppy dog tails. Dave Walker’s boyhood consisted of “bicycles, comic books, dirt clods, sticks and Tonka trucks.”

And more dirt. And even a little more dirt.

“When I went home for lunch, Mom wouldn’t let me eat in the house. I had to eat out on the porch. Then we’d go back and play all day. It was like brown water when I finally took a bath,” he said. “Days like that were so hilarious because it was so simple.”

And carefree. And adventuresome.

Walker’s father, Kyle, served as the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce manager from 1948 until 1971 and worked much of that time from an office in the Desert Hotel at First Street and Sherman Avenue. His mother, Edith, also owned and operated Ace Travel in the lobby of the landmark hotel.

So the Desert Hotel was Dave’s palace and downtown Coeur d’Alene was his playground.

“I knew everyone who worked at the hotel and they knew me. It was awesome. I hung out there so much,” he said. “People were coming from Spokane on the electric line, so this was a happening place.”

WALKER LEARNED to swim in the hotel’s pool, and remembers sneaking past the reception desk to explore the Desert’s many intriguing nooks and crannies. His favorite haunt was the Diamond Cup Room, which was virtually Coeur d’Alene’s first convention center. That’s where the race trophy was kept and a huge mural painting of the hydroplanes graced an entire wall. The mural, the trophy and years of chamber records compiled were lost when the hotel burned in 1972.

While the Desert was still the city’s historic hub, Walker and his buddies were rampaging through the downtown district.

“We’d just jump on our bikes and ride to every store in town to look for the best comic books. Then we’d go home and sit in the shade and pass comic books around.” he said.

“It was just super fun times. With Mom and Dad down here, I came after school all the time. Going to Playland Pier and going to City Beach,” said the glib, ageless father of two. “And hanging out with Dad. He knew everybody.

“There were fun things that Dad got involved with that I vicariously got involved with as well. Work was the Forest Festival Days — the sawing and log-rolling.”

And travel was quickly getting into his blood.

As soon as he was big enough to reach the passenger seat window of a Brooks seaplane, Dave would hold the window open so his dad could shoot aerial photos for publications across the country in his relentless promotion of Coeur d’Alene and North Idaho. And they wandered the region, his father writing stories and shooting photos.

NOW 62, Dave would eventually serve as a city councilman and be instrumental in the Downtown Association. He coined the name “Car d’Lane” and chaired the popular event’s committee for years. He was also an owner of Ace Travel on Fourth Street for 25 years.

But first he had to sow some wild oats. Though he describes himself in high school as a dweeb, he spent a lot of time cruising Sherman with fun-loving friends.

“It was ‘American Graffiti.’ It was tooling the gut. Cruising around, windows down, and tunes cranked up,” he said. “When we’d get the signal from friends, we’d meet around the block, pile into one car and head for the hills. All kinds of things happened in the hills.”

During one night of cruising, Walker and his friends were parked at a grocery store when a car full of Post Falls girls pulled up.

“The doors opened and this good-looking, tall blonde gets out,” he said. “She went home to ask if she could date me,” because he was four years older.

He graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School in 1973, and Dave and Sue Walker were married in 1977 following her graduation.

Meanwhile, Dave enrolled at North Idaho College and the University of Idaho, and Sue went to work at Ace Travel. Dave’s mother suggested he do the same, so a career was launched.

DAVE AND SUE have traveled extensively, her to Europe and Africa and him in the other direction to Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

But those days are over, at least for Dave.

“I hate flying. I hate going through the lines. I hate everything about it,” he said. “If I had the time and wherewithal I would spend more time driving. Where we sit here, if you give me a 200-mile radius and point a direction on the compass I will lay out a road trip. And if you keep coming back, I will give you a different trip every time because we are right in the heart of such amazing country.”

After more than two decades at Ace Travel, Dave and Sue decided to close the doors due mostly to changes in the market after Sept. 11 and the advent of the Internet. The company merged with Carlson Wagonlit Travel, where Sue still works.

Dave has worked a variety of jobs since then and has no immediate plan to retire. When that day does come, he has two priorities.

One is to travel according to his terms.

“There’s so much to see and do. My fantasy is to win the lottery and at least twice a month find some kind of festival in a small town, drive around and meet people, go to wacky, goofy bars and eat homemade food from all kinds of places,” he said. “I got that from my dad.”

The other priority is to spend more time with his grandson, whom Dave is introducing to the world of bicycles, comic books, dirt clods, sticks and Tonka trucks.

“He gives me meaning for life,” Walker said.

- • •

Know a longtime local we should feature? Send your suggestions to Ric Clarke at clarke_ric@yahoo.com.