When we first started on the road I made a big deal about  what criteria had to be met before putting a state sticker on our map.  In retrospect it all seems rather silly, but since that is how we started, we’ve kept the same methodology for the last four years.  Since our decision was that we had to spend one night AND do something specific to the state, our map has lots of holes in it.  In some cases, like Idaho, we have traveled through the state almost every year but never done anything special and don’t have the sticker.  Since we had some extra time on our hands I decided now was the time to get that sticker.  First I had to figure out where to stay, and since it was still early in the season, many public campgrounds weren’t open yet.  Then I started looking at Passport America campgrounds and stumbled across one that also had an RV repair shop attached to it.  Since every camper carries around a few things that need done, that seemed perfect, and I booked a few days in the park in Twin Falls.

Another draw of that particular area was Shoshone Falls.  I heard about these falls from several people and everyone said I would love them.  To be honest I was dubious, because I generally don’t like waterfalls being harnessed by power companies, but it seemed like the perfect thing to do to get our state sticker.   I was also interested in visiting the Crater of the Moon National Monument, again more for something to do to get a sticker than anything else.  In any event, we got settled into the RV park with no problem, and first thing the next morning we headed out towards the falls.  I didn’t really know much about them at all so we just put it in our GPS and drove that way.

We were both surprised when we got to a small shack and learned their was a $5 day use fee to visit the falls.  There was a viewing area up top that was free, but we paid the five dollars and headed down. It’s actually a really large park area, and even has its own snack stand.  We got there and parked, surprised by how many people were visiting.  Then we got our first proper look at the falls, and simply put, wow!  It wasn’t the size of the falls, or the viewing platform which was also really nice.  It was the absolutely perfect double rainbow that was at the base of the falls. You can just make out the second one above the first one, not as bright.

I’ve since learned that we were incredibly lucky.  The water levels aren’t always that high, and on cloudy days it’s not nearly that beautiful.  I couldn’t imagine a more stunning view though, and felt very blessed that a “check the box” kind of activity turned into something so special.  Here’s my favorite pics:

After the falls, we were both pretty hungry so we headed into Twin Falls to check out the town.  Turns out it is a great little town, with all the conveniences and some uniquenesses that are all its own.  For one thing this was the site of the famous Evil Knievel attempt to jump the snake river, and we found the bridge and walked to viewpoints from both sides.

And while we were exploring we stumbled across a Shopko that was going out of business.  That was worth a look and ultimately we ended up cleaning up on the savings.  We bought some things that we always hold off on buying (socks, plastic containers, etc) because they were so cheap and Lee got a great deal on a brand new iPad. We also visited a great used bookstore that had some titles we were looking for.   Waterfalls, bridges, a bookstore and shopping turned into a great day and left me eager to explore more of Idaho.

 

 

 

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