The fcomplete article appeared in Travel Awaits on Sept. 3, 2021.
In this post, I summarize the six spots I
remember best from our travels to Idaho to visit family. Each one gave me a one-of-a-kind experience. 
Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, with a population of 500, is blessed with several hot springs and lies in the mountainous valley of the mildly turbulent Portneuf River which is also great for tubing. There is also an Olympic size pool. "When we were there, a great number of large yellow tubes were all over town. They were so radiant that they created such a welcome sight for this lover of the color yellow. They were floating on the river carrying happy kids, stacked at rental outlets waiting for temporary owners, and even 'walking around town' with human legs hanging below them."
Shoshone Falls Park in Twin Falls, Idaho is dubbed "The Niagara of the West." "Standing 212 feet tall and 900 feet wide, it is one of the largest natural waterfalls in the US, higher than, but not as wide as, Niagara. I really don’t know why its application as a national park was rejected. I felt it should at least be a national monument and not just a state park.
The city of Boise is the state’s largest city with a population of over 200,000. "The Basque community, numbering about 16,000, is the second-largest such community in the US after Bakersfield, California...The Basques live in both Spain and France in areas bordering the Bay of Biscay and encompassing the western foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. There are about a million Basques in Europe and an additional 200,000 live outside Europe." There is a vibrant section called The Basque Block in the Old Boise Historic District, home to the Basque Museum and Cultural Center where my husband had the singular chance to “cook” a huge pot of paella for us!"
Another city landmark is the Boise Depot. A lovely historic Spanish-style structure that once was home to the Union Pacific Railroad, it now functions as a public space for business meetings, weddings, and other community events. Designed by New York architects, the depot opened in 1925 and was immediately heralded as “the most beautiful structure of its kind in the west.” On the hillslopes, they also built the famous Platt Gardens. "The garden has a winding walkway, benches, a koi pond, a monument of volcanic rock, and planter beds with seasonal flowers. Designed by Spanish landscape architect Ricardo Espino, a panoramic view of the city skyline and the foothills are available from its vantage points." This is where we had family pictures over the years.
We did not get to experience this landmark until we had been going to Idaho for several years. I was amazed at Northwest's largest open-air, multi-artist mural gallery located between 8th and 9th street. Started in 2002. "The Freak Alley Gallery blossomed over the years into a large space filled with murals and graffiti art. The artworks are painted over and replaced by new ones (or incorporated into them) every now and then. This constant update of the works of art creates an ever-growing and changing experience for all. Each summer a large painting event is held allowing community members to be a part of it.
On the way out of Idaho going into Montana on our northward trek to Calgary, we stumbled upon "a national monument consisting of 600 square miles of lava flows and scattered islands of cinder cones plus large tracts of sagebrush grasslands, all at an average elevation of 5,900 feet. Established in 1924, the national monument was greatly expanded in 2000 and renamed Craters of the Moon National Preserve in 2002.
1. Lava Hot Springs
Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, with a population of 500, is blessed with several hot springs and lies in the mountainous valley of the mildly turbulent Portneuf River which is also great for tubing. There is also an Olympic size pool. "When we were there, a great number of large yellow tubes were all over town. They were so radiant that they created such a welcome sight for this lover of the color yellow. They were floating on the river carrying happy kids, stacked at rental outlets waiting for temporary owners, and even 'walking around town' with human legs hanging below them."
2. Shoshone Falls
Shoshone Falls Park in Twin Falls, Idaho is dubbed "The Niagara of the West." "Standing 212 feet tall and 900 feet wide, it is one of the largest natural waterfalls in the US, higher than, but not as wide as, Niagara. I really don’t know why its application as a national park was rejected. I felt it should at least be a national monument and not just a state park.
3. The Basque Block
The city of Boise is the state’s largest city with a population of over 200,000. "The Basque community, numbering about 16,000, is the second-largest such community in the US after Bakersfield, California...The Basques live in both Spain and France in areas bordering the Bay of Biscay and encompassing the western foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. There are about a million Basques in Europe and an additional 200,000 live outside Europe." There is a vibrant section called The Basque Block in the Old Boise Historic District, home to the Basque Museum and Cultural Center where my husband had the singular chance to “cook” a huge pot of paella for us!"
4. Boise Depot and Platt Gardens
Another city landmark is the Boise Depot. A lovely historic Spanish-style structure that once was home to the Union Pacific Railroad, it now functions as a public space for business meetings, weddings, and other community events. Designed by New York architects, the depot opened in 1925 and was immediately heralded as “the most beautiful structure of its kind in the west.” On the hillslopes, they also built the famous Platt Gardens. "The garden has a winding walkway, benches, a koi pond, a monument of volcanic rock, and planter beds with seasonal flowers. Designed by Spanish landscape architect Ricardo Espino, a panoramic view of the city skyline and the foothills are available from its vantage points." This is where we had family pictures over the years.
5. Freak Alley Gallery
We did not get to experience this landmark until we had been going to Idaho for several years. I was amazed at Northwest's largest open-air, multi-artist mural gallery located between 8th and 9th street. Started in 2002. "The Freak Alley Gallery blossomed over the years into a large space filled with murals and graffiti art. The artworks are painted over and replaced by new ones (or incorporated into them) every now and then. This constant update of the works of art creates an ever-growing and changing experience for all. Each summer a large painting event is held allowing community members to be a part of it.
6. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
On the way out of Idaho going into Montana on our northward trek to Calgary, we stumbled upon "a national monument consisting of 600 square miles of lava flows and scattered islands of cinder cones plus large tracts of sagebrush grasslands, all at an average elevation of 5,900 feet. Established in 1924, the national monument was greatly expanded in 2000 and renamed Craters of the Moon National Preserve in 2002.
Note: The national monument is located in the town of Arco, Idaho. As you leave the park, you will find a hill dotted with white numbers. The townsfolk of Arco, Idaho practice the tradition of painting the year of a resident's graduation on the hill.
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Lava Springs, Soshone Falls, Basque Block, Boise Depot and Platt gardens, Freak Alley Gallery, Crater Moon National Preserve
ReplyDeleteI love tubing - so much fun. I did it in Colombia, however, we used tyres ;-) I didn't know there was a Basque community in Idaho - however, I'm pretty sure Paella is Andalusian; maybe they got confused from the distance :-D
ReplyDeleteYup, Valencia but it is popular in all of Spain.
DeleteHow interesting to know there is a Basque community in Idaho. I must admit, I know little about the state and have never visited. You really saw some incredible places.
ReplyDeleteYes...very interesting places!
DeleteI'll be honest, Idaho has never been high on my bucket list of travel destinations. But I had no idea it's home to a gorgeous waterfall, basque food, and a national park featuring lava flows before reading your article! These things and others you mentioned make it very interesting to me. How did I not know this?
ReplyDeleteThe Shoshone Falls Park astounds me – it's very breathtaking! I'd like to try cooking in that massive pot as well; it looks amazing. Out of the six, my favorite sites are Boise Depot and Platt Gardens. I'm hoping to take a trip to Idaho shortly as well!
ReplyDeleteWow your choice is not what many like!
DeleteI did not know there is a large Basque community in Boise. The image of your husband at the pot of paella makes me want to visit and do some stirring myself! I for sure would want to check out Freak Alley Gallery too, I love street art
ReplyDeleteGlad you found dome great things to see and do@
DeleteI did not know there is a large Basque community in Boise. The image of your husband at the pot of paella makes me want to visit and do some stirring myself! I for sure would want to check out Freak Alley Gallery too, I love street art
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like the perfect road trip with so many different things to see. The lava fields would certainly be cool. Also, I agree with you that Shoshone Falls resemble the Niagara Falls. It's a shame it was declared a National Monument as it's gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteIt became a state park...not even a national monument!
DeleteLava Hot Springs sounds like such a fun stop. My family would absolutely love doing somethin like that!
ReplyDeleteSame here...the little boys especially.
DeleteWe have only ever driven through Idaho. It is good to see from your blog post that there are some great reasons to plan a longer stop. Great outdoor spots like the Lava Hot Springs or the Shoshone Falls would definitely be great reasons to keep us for several days.
ReplyDeleteYup...Idaho has more than these!
DeleteIdaho is one place in my bucket list of destinations. Craters of the moon national park is such a surreal place with it's basaltic lava rock formations. I would love to explore the murals of Freaky alley gallery and relax in the Lava hotsprings.Amd definitely check out the architectural splendor of Boise depot and beauty of Platter gardens.
ReplyDeleteWow you liked all of them!!!
DeleteSome fun experiences you identified in Idaho. I'm a sucker for hot springs and yeah those yellow tubes look fun to ride the waters on. And would like to visit the Basque community in Boise. And Shoshone Falls Park looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYou practically liked everything!
DeleteGreat to know about Basques and also the relation of Filipinas to them. Loved the blog about how detailed you have written about Idaho. All these are going to my bucket list for sure.
ReplyDeleteThat's great!
DeleteI love to know about new destinations and city of Boise is one of them. I didn't know about the city until I read about it. The city looks so beautiful and green at the same time. The Shoshone Falls resembles of Niagara falls. I am sure that you had the most amazing time with your family there. Also, great to know about Basques community in Boise as well.
ReplyDeleteYes and we discover something new each time!
DeleteI remember visiting Snowshoe Falls and it was absolutely breathtaking. I’d love to do it again!
ReplyDeleteYes, I felt the same!
DeleteBefore the pandemic hit we had plans to explore Idaho but had not done the detailed planning. I love the variety of the sites you visited. And we would certainly not miss the Craters of the Moon for an other-worldly experience.
ReplyDeleteYou can start planning again!
DeleteI have not been to Idaho yet, but there are so many interesting spots here! I would love to visit the Lava Hot Springs and Shoshone falls. Platt garden with a Koi pond also sounds great. :-)
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to do that!
DeleteHope you are able to!
DeleteI just returned home from a road trip and we stopped at Shoshone Falls! They are beautiful falls and a perfect spot to stop during any road trip. Thanks for the suggestions if I find myself in Idaho again, I'll be sure to check out some of these other places.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you present Idaho attractions. Because Idaho is a bit underrated state, not very popular with tourists. I spent too little time there, but I'm going to come back and see a few places on your list. I've been to Shoshone Falls Park in Twin Falls, Idaho, but it was winter, and that's why I would like to come back because the place looks fabulous. I had no time to see the Basque Block in the Old Boise Historic District. And I would love to see Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.
ReplyDelete