Land of Waterfalls and Deep Canyons, south central Idaho is full of natural gems waiting to be explored. With nothing but time on our hands, we had a “relaxing” 2 weeks; hanging out, taking day trips, fixing the slide, and changing travel plans as we found out the dually needs a new transmission. No worries, flexibility is our lifestyle. Will just hang out longer in places as we continue our Spring migration to the Dicken Clan in the Seattle area.
Getting to Idaho was an adventure in itself! From parking in the back lot of a Ram dealership in Price, UT while they worked on the dually to hanging with alpacas at a Harvest Host in Willard, UT. We truly do end up in some of the most interesting places! HAHA!
Twin Falls, Here We Come
The drive through Northern Utah is so beautiful with its snow capped peaks, such a stark contrast to Southern Utah’s red rocks and desert. Twin Falls area is a perfect location for our base camp because of its proximity to all the waterfalls, springs, canyons, and national monuments in the area. Our 1st home was the county fairgrounds. I’ve found that fairgrounds are a great place to stay. Most have lots of space, full hook-ups, and great rates. As long as there are no events you can usually stay as long as you like. The cost for this fairground with full hook ups was $26.50 a night! Unfortunately, there was an upcoming event and we only had 5 nites before we had to move. Fortunately, they helped us find another spot in nearby Buhl, Idaho!
Week One, Work is Done
Memorial Weekend turned out to be windy, rainy, and cool. So we spent most of the time inside. I ventured out to the Visitor’s Center for local information and a trip to the mall just to get some steps in! John caught up on business stuff and researching transmission stuff. Plan is to rebuild it when we get to our summer home in South Prairie, Washington. (Our future son-in-law is a diesel mechanic! )
New Home Owners
Oh, and this, finally happened! We closed on the RV property in Alabama. We are official residents of Lake Osprey RV Country Club in Elberta, AL and we couldn’t be more excited! No plans to retire from the road yet, we will rent it out most of the year. Makes for a great investment. So fellow travelers, if you’re interested in spending time in the Gulf Shores area, let us know! 🙂
Moving Day
Moving day turned out to be sunny and gorgeous. Luckily, we only had about 30 miles to drive to the nearby town of Buhl. Our destination, Oasis RV Park. Sounds idyllic! It was a parking lot in back of the Oasis Gas Station and Car Wash! We were cracking up! But the price was right. Full hook-ups $125 for a week!
The Oasis turned out to be a ‘hidden gem’ for us. The level parking lot gave John a stable place to finally rebuild the slide. After a week of squeezing between the closed slide and furniture, getting parts, building a jack, finding more parts, and a few swear words I was ready for this project to be completed! Fellow travelers, apparently slide failure is a common issue. So if you ever find yourself with more questions, than answers, give John a shout. He has it figured out! Gotta fix the other slide this summer.
Girl’s Day Out
Buhl’s historic downtown was within walking distance of our “oasis” home. The streets were filled with great antique shops, coffee houses, restaurants, book shops… So, while the husband toiled, I wandered. It was heaven!
Week Two, Time to Play
With most of the projects behind us, it was time to explore. And as mentioned earlier, there are a lot of gems to discover in this area! With our love of waterfalls, we spent our 1st day trip exploring the falls of the Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls. Its believed the Bonneville Flood about 14,000 years ago helped to create the enormous canyon. It truly is a sight to see!
Waterfall Wonderland
The namesake of Twin Falls, Idaho is now just a mono fall! A hydroelectric project dammed one of the iconic falls to provide power for the area. The current fall is impressive as it drops 200 feet into the Snake River. The drive down into the canyon was steep and twisty with several waterfalls seeping over the edge. My fav was the Triple Falls! Maybe a new name for the city? LOL
Shoshone Falls is the real gem! It’s actually higher than Niagara. Standing at 212 feet tall and 1,000 feet wide, the spring melt comes crashing down creating a steady mist and rainbows. With several lookouts, a gift shop, picnic areas and several walking trails, it’s a very popular destination. Be prepared to wait a few to get your turn for the best selfie spots! Travel Tip: Spring and early Summer is the best time to visit the falls. Water is diverted for irrigation purposes during late Summer and Fall.
Perrine Coulee Fall was a little harder to get to. It’s visible from the side of the road as you wind down to Centennial Waterfront Park. My tourist info says there is a trail behind the waterfall and is a great spot for picture taking. Alas, we couldn’t find it! I snapped this pic from the truck.
More than just Waterfalls
The Snake River Canyon is also home to Evil Knievel’s ill-fated jump in 1974. Amazing he survived with only a broken nose!
And if base jumping is your thing, you can jump year round from the Perrine Bridge. There’s parking areas on both ends of the bridge and walkways on either side. It makes for great views of the Snake River Canyon. A drive down into Centennial Park gives you this view.
Craters of the Moon National Monument
The two hour drive to Craters of the Moon was full of changing landscapes, from potato fields to lava fields. Upon arriving we stopped in the visitor’s center to learn more about this rugged environment and the forces that shaped it. Unlike the moon, these craters were formed from volcanic activity. A series of deep fissures known as the Great Rift span across the Snake River Plain. Some 15,000 years ago lava started welling up to produce these vast fields of rock and other unique volcanic features. Scary thought, the most recent eruption was a mere 2,000 years ago and geologists believe future events are likely.
The 7 mile loop road has several viewing areas and short hikes to learn more about the unique features of Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Cinder Cones
Cinder cones form when gas-rich volcanic froth erupts high into the air and then piles into a mound. Standing at 6,181 feet is Inferno Cone. You can hike the half mile round trip to the top for spectacular views of other cinder cones and lava fields.
Cinder Gardens
This harsh landscape of cinders might give the sense of lifelessness. Yet life exists in remarkable succession. Starting with the cinder gardens. These tiny wildflowers help develop the soil needed for the shrub communities to thrive. And on the north facing slopes where there is more moisture you will find limber pine and juniper trees dominating the landscape. Isn’t Nature amazing! Out of the ash rises beauty!
Spatter Cones
Like mini volcanoes, these cones are formed when big blobs of molten lava is spewed into the air during the last gasps of an eruption. Landing on top of each other they create cones along the vents.
You also have the option to hike several of the lava tubes in Craters of the Moon. You will need a free permit from the visitor’s center before you can enter. AND you will be asked if you have been in any caves in the last 6 months and if you are wearing any of the same clothes. A yes answer will deny you access. The National and State parks are trying hard to contain the life-threatening white nose bat syndrome that is devastating our bat population around the globe. So, don’t go on any private lava tube tours 1st!
We opted out of touring the tubes cuz our hungry bellies were calling and the nearest restaurant was an hour away! The Snack Bar in Shoshone was the perfect stop for greasy burgers and fries. Be prepared to wait. It’s a busy place!
Thousand Springs Scenic Byway
Plan on a full day to travel and marvel at the numerous springs and waterfalls that flow out of the side and over the top of the canyon walls into the Snake River. Truly breathtaking!! I never could get an explanation of why some are called springs and others waterfalls, but they were all beautiful. While US 30 is called the Thousand Springs Scenic Byway, you will need to venture off and into the Thousand Springs State Park to find all of the “must sees.” The state park is divided into 5 units, each featuring unique land forms and vistas. The park map is helpful in planning the route to find these gems.
From our home base in Buhl, we headed north to see the Niagara Springs Unit. The drive down into the canyon was spectacular. You can see why this area is called the Magic Valley with all the farm land that dot the valley floor. There were several springs that just gushed out of the canyon walls. The reflective views of Crystal Lake were awe-inspiring. My pics don’t do it justice!
Onto our next stop, the Malad Gorge Unit. At 250 feet deep and 2.5 miles long, this gorge is a must see. Interstate 84 crosses over the Gorge near exit 147. It is definitely worth the stop if you’re passing through! There’s a kiosk of information about the history of the area and a short hike that takes you over the gorge with amazing views of The Devil’s Washbowl. The aerial acrobats of the cliff swallows were a treat to watch!
Next up, Ritter Island Unit. As we wound our way down into the canyon we were delighted by more springs gurgling out of the canyon walls. Named after an enterprising Utah woman, Minnie Milner Springs is one of the bigger springs in the area. She built a successful dairy on Ritter Island in the early 1900’s and became famous for her prize winning herd of Guernsey Cattle. Travel Tip: Ritter Island keeps odd hours! Check to be sure it’s open.
Our last stop in the Thousand Springs State Park was Box Canyon Unit. It was pretty cool. Couldn’t see the falls from the viewpoint. The hike down into the canyon was steep and the early summer sun was taking its toll. We came, we saw, we moved on!
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
Part of our Scenic Byway trip was visiting Hagerman Fossil National Monument. The visitor’s center is shared with the Thousand Springs State Park. Here we learned about the early history of the area during the Pliocene Epoch. Over 200 species of plants and animals have been discovered here. Most famous is the Hagerman Horse. There’s also an area of the Oregon Trail in another part of the park just off US 30 where you can drive and walk the Oregon Trail. FYI: The actual fossil beds are not accessible to the public.
A stop in the city of Hagerman for coffee at Bullets and Brews gave us the energy boost to keep on trucking. It was definitely a different kind of coffee shop to say the least! The grades and turns on the Oregon Trail were a little scary in our dually, can’t imagine doing it in a covered wagon! Even so, it was pretty exciting to be driving and walking on the same path that these brave and adventurous souls once took. And after seeing the beauty of the area, I can see why many of them stayed in this rich and fertile valley.
Lava Tubes and Ice Caves
Our last day trip took us an hour north to Shoshone, Idaho. This area is part of the Shoshone volcanic field and is home to several lava tubes, and at least one an ice cave. Only 12 miles apart, the two caves we visited are privately owned.
Idaho’s Mammoth Cave and Bird Museum
This has got to be the quirkiest tourist stop ever! Upon arrival you are greeted by large stones with creepy faces and peacocks roaming around the yard full of rusted farm relics. The museum is a circular building made of uncut lava rock, stacked one at a time. No wonder it took 30 years to create! It is filled to the brim of dusty taxidermy animals and other random collections. You name it, it’s probably in there! Apparently, the founder and builder, Richard Olsen, was an avid collector and naturalist who wanted to share his collections with the world. I found it a little morbid. Oh! The peacocks are there to keep rattlesnakes at bay! EEK!
The highlight is the Lava Tube. Story goes that in 1954, 17 year old Richard was hunting in the area when he stumbled across the entrance. He homesteaded the area, eventually opening the cave for visitors. Today you are given a flashlight and told to follow the path. That’s it! With no one else in the cave, John and I made the most of our tour! 🙂 It’s an easy 1/4 mile in and out hike that takes about 30 minutes. And in the end, you get to say you have been in a lava tube! Check that off the bucket list!
Shoshone Ice Cave
Never being in an ice cave, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was thoroughly intrigued! We lucked out again being the only ones in the group and our tour guide, Miah, couldn’t have been better. Her knowledge, wit, charm, and excellent singing voice made for the perfect tour. She entertained us with a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner in the cave’s perfect acoustics. I got chills! And not because of the temperatures! LOL
This ice cave has a lot of history. In the 1800’s, the opening was enlarged and the ice sold to places as far away as San Francisco. By the 1940’s over development caused most of the ice to melt. The Robinson family acquired it, closed the massive openings and overtime the ice redeveloped and a tourist destination was born.
Shoshone, Idaho
Tourist-ing is hard work! On our way back, we stopped again in the quaint and historic town of Shoshone (pronounced Show-Shown). This time at the Manhattan Cafe. It’s been open over 130 years, making it the oldest cafe in Idaho. Being built right on the railway line, you could feel the building shimmy and shake as the trains hurry by. After a delish lunch of French Dips and a salad, I wandered into a couple of the neighboring antique stores while John took a quick nap in the truck.
What a great two weeks! While we only explored the south central area, it is easy to see why Idaho is called the Gem State. So many amazing places to see and explore. I look forward to exploring more, but it’s time to move on…
So Long Idaho
