Idaho

When I told others we were taking a trip to Idaho most people asked why. I explained. “of the fifty states, Idaho is the only state I haven’t been in” (although my brother told me we were on a road trip with our parents and drove through Idaho to get to Washington when we were young. He is four years older so he remembers.)

Delicious potato chips, made in Idaho.

Now, if people were to ask me, “Why Idaho?” I would say because it is a beautiful state with a lot to offer…including a large portion of the Rocky Mountains and 3,500 miles of rivers. We spent a lot of time by the Snake River.

This ice cream is shaped to look like an Idaho baked potato with sour cream. It was fun to try.

Idaho is known for its potatoes. While doing some research I learned about Westside Drive-In in Boise, that offered potato-shaped ice cream. That was curious. We made the drive-in our first stop out of the airport. It was tasty treat and a great way to start our vacation. Then, we drove two hours to Twin Falls and settled into an AirBnB in southeastern Idaho.  We took day trips from there. 

The amazing Perrine Bridge.

We spent a lot of time along the Snake River viewing canyons, gorges, water falls, and watching Base jumpers jump off the Perrine Bridge…counting on their parachutes to open and land safely on the ground 486’ below. It was fascinating to watch. 

An experienced jumper attaches another person to his harness for a tandem jump. Unfortunately I couldn’t figure out how to post the video of this endeavor.
This screen shot is of the BASE jumper from one of the videos.

The Perrine Bridge is a stunning arch bridge and stands 486 feet above the Snake River, and has the distinction of being the eighth highest bridge in the United States. The Perrine Bridge attracts BASE jumpers from all over the world because it is one of the few structures they [jumpers] can use without getting special permits.

Trying to capture how deep this gorge is…this is looking down at the river…ripples from a motor boat and a kayak in the picture too.

(BASE jumping is an extreme sport where an individual leaps from a fixed object and uses a single parachute to land. The term “BASE” is an acronym for the four types of locations: Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and the Earth (cliffs).) We were fortunate to witness four jumpers, (one tandem) while walking next to the bridge.

At the visitor’s center, on the other side of the bridge, was a temporary 911 memorial display (we were visiting close to that date). The group hung a gigantic American flag on a cable over the gorge. It was impressive.

Shoshone Falls…there is not much water flowing over the falls this time of year. (Twin Falls is considered high dessert.) However, in the spring Shoshone Falls is called the Niagara of the west and the falls are gushing and look very full (in photos).

We picnicked at Shoshone Falls, and saw Perrine Coulee Falls and many other miscellaneous waterfalls.

Perrine Coulee Falls.

We also walked to the Devil’s Washbowl, a waterfall within the Malad Gorge in Thousand Springs State Park. 

The waterfalls in Malad Gorge.
Looking down on Malad Gorge, formed by the Malad River that flows into the Snake River.

We hiked in Adams Gulch and caught the beautiful sight of quaking aspen trees, their leaves turning from green…to lime green… to a brilliant yellow, that contrast beautifully with the green evergreen trees.

The striking contrast of the yellow aspens and evergreen trees.
We hiked on a well-defined hiking, and mountain biking, trail.

We drove to Ketchum, the ski village near Sun Valley Resort, nestled within the Rocky Mountains, specifically in the Wood River Valley at the base of Bald Mountain.

Beautiful Bald Mountain and the Sun Valley Ski Resort.

Sun Valley was America’s first destination ski resort.

One big bicycle near Ketchum.

The mountains are inviting so we continued to drive north of Ketchum for several miles to see their majesty.

On our way up a mountain…and then down into a valley.
Looking at a valley from Smiley Lodge. We turned around here and drove back up the mountain pass.

We also spent time in Craters of the Moon National Monument. I will write about that another time. 

Our final evening, a farewell dinner on the deck at Redhawk Gastropub, overlooking the Snake River.

Our time went fast, as it usually does while on vacation, but I’m glad we were able to see a few of the wonderful sights in beautiful Idaho, and to make some fun memories there. 

And I did it! I can say I’ve been in all 50 states. 

14 thoughts on “Idaho”

  1. What a great trip! You sure get around!
    Thanks for sharing all the beautiful places you saw in Idaho! Glad you accomplished your goal of visiting every state.

  2. What a delightful review of your adventures in Idaho. Photos of this state’s natural beauty are stellar as usual. Dave will enjoy seeing this too.

    1. Thank you Audrey.
      There are multiple places we were “up in the air” so it would be hard for you to enjoy the terrain we visited.
      But there are certainly a lot of places in Idaho you could enjoy. The state has a lot to offer. 😉

  4. Well it looks like you had another great time. Idaho is beautiful and a great place to go back to and see the rest.

  5. What an adventure! Many of us with no connection to Idaho wouldn’t visit the state. After reading your article, I can see the attraction! Thanks for sharing!

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