Prior to this trip, Idaho was one of just 5 states that I had visited only once under the strict standard. The other 4 are Alaska, North Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska. I hope to check those off my list by the summer of 2024. My first Idaho trip came in 2011 for the Coeur D’Alene half marathon. Aside from CDA, I saw little of the state aside from the I-90 corridor and did not venture beyond the panhandle. This was before I set the 50 half marathon states goal. At the time, I merely wanted to visit all 50 states. A CDA race enabled me to check off Washington and Montana as well, which I accomplished on a drive from Spokane to Missoula. I did return in 2017 for a photo op at a scenic spot just outside of Yellowstone but only stayed for a few brief moments so that does not count under the strict standard. I felt that I had not done justice to the state as a large portion of it remained unexplored. I considered a February visit but opted for Palm Springs, which proved to be a good call because the road that I would travel was closed at that time plus it would have been very cold.
4/22-
There was some drama on the fights. The flight to Denver was delayed by 30 minutes so I ran/walked as fast as I could to the connecting gate at another concourse. I arrived about 2-3 minutes after the boarding door was scheduled to close but found to my relief that the flight to Boise was also delayed. You could say that I made the connection only because of the 2nd delay. At any rate, I was on the ground by 2:30 local time and on the road by 3:00. I did have some slack time planned in case of a SNAFU so the trip would not have been wrecked if I was stranded overnight.
I initially planned to go up Hwy 55 to McCall but cut it short by stopping at Banks, about 45 minutes north of Boise. I found a pretty nice sand beach with views of mountain tops that still were capped by a bit of snow. Of course, both the air and water were way too cold for a swim. My hotel was on the outskirts of town about a mile and a half from the city center but still found a pizza restaurant and a bar within walking distance. There, I was invited to join a group of people because one of them is from Dothan, Alabama. Everyone at the table was very nice and my beer was put of their tab.
4/23-
Boise to Twin Falls via Hwy 21 and 75. Hwy 21 is known as the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway through the Sawtooth Mountains. It was the biggest driving day of the trip. I did get a sunrise start and the first stop was a state park called Lucky Peak, which was an overlook with a nice sand beach down below along with mountain views above. As you travel further north on Hwy 21, you gain elevation. Snow began to appear just below 5000 feet but once you hit 6000, it was piled 10 feet high on the side of the road. Stanley, at around 6250 feet looked like a winter wonderland.
After lunch in Stanley, I picked up Hwy 75 South to Twin Falls. I arrived around 3 PM and walked from my hotel to Centennial Park, which had awesome views of the Snake River Bridge and a couple of waterfalls. At less than 4000 feet elevation, the snow was gone, and it looked like a different world even though I was only 100 miles south as the crow flies. After an early dinner, I drove about 10 minutes to Shoshone Falls Park, which is often called the Niagara of the West. The best time to visit is in the Spring just after the snow melt. It did not disappoint. With time to kill before sunset, I took a 40-minute drive south on Hwy 93 to the Nevada border and was rewarded with more snow-capped mountain views.
4/24-
Mostly interstate on I-84 back to Boise with a stop at Niagara Springs State Park. With time to kill, I took another short detour this time to the Oregon border. The plan was to hike up to Table Rock but that proved to be a bust. There was no parking or vehicle access and strict No Trespassing signs. Camel’s Back offers better views of the city skyline. Go there instead. After checking in, it was a walking tour of downtown. I found it to be compact and one day is really all you need. Just a few blocks from the city center, it’s all residential with tree lined streets. In late April, trees were just beginning to bloom, and I got one shot of snow-capped peaks with cherry blossoms. Cool.
4/25-
Junk run around a couple of city parks, which had more lakes and ponds with mountain views. I hoped to check out the history museum, but it did not open until 10 AM, which did not allow sufficient time to catch my flight home. The only thing that I would have done differently was to skip Table Rock in favor of the museum. No issues on the flight home. I had a close connection in Chicago but did not have to change terminals and got home at a decent hour. A very good trip overall that can be done in a long weekend. Next up is either Oregon/Nor-Cal or Alaska.
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