Idaho Travel Guide

Understand

Idaho's nickname is "The Gem State," although the motto on the license plates is "Famous Potatoes," with the unfortunate result that anyone who has heard of Idaho imagines the state as a vast expanse of potato farms, with grizzled inhabitants living in cabins with no running water. In reality, the cabins mostly have running water.

The other common misconception is that Idaho is somehow a racist or Neo-Nazi state. Around 1980, a Neo-Nazi and White Separatist brought a band of followers to Hayden Lake, Idaho and began regularly making the local and national news with his racist provocations. Although the local residents vigorously disapproved and regularly held much bigger counter-demonstrations, the Neo-Nazi image has stuck. Idahoans breathed a collective sigh of relief in 2001 when the 20 acre compound owned by the "church" was handed over to a black woman who had filed a lawsuit against them after being assaulted by their guards, and many of the racists left the state.

Idaho is a rugged state, with 10,000 - 12,500 ft (3000 - 3800m) snow-capped mountains, whitewater rivers, one running through the deepest river canyon in the U.S., forests, and plenty of wilderness. Most of the land north of Boise is National or State Forest.

In the winter, skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and even camping are popular outdoor activities, both with tourists and residents. Indoors, you can drink and screw, or maybe watch college basketball. In the summer, Idaho has world-class boating (try a jet boat leaving from Lewiston), whitewater rafting, camping, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, and hiking. Rodeo is also popular in the more rural areas.

The Lewis and Clark Trail runs through North Idaho, through the twin cities of Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington. The Nez Perce Indian Reservation is just East of Lewiston, apparently the U.S. Government's way of saying thanks to the Nez Perce people for saving Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery from starvation one winter, and for boarding their horses while the Corps ventured on to the Pacific Ocean.

Regions

North Idaho is sometimes considered part of the Pacific Northwest. It's where the rolling grain-covered hills of the Palouse give way to the Bitterroot (Rocky) Mountains. South Idaho is usually considered part of the Intermountain West, and is in the Mountain timezone.

• North Idaho -- Forested and mountainous, with "dry land" grain farming

• South Idaho -- Mountainous, with arid basins to the south, irrigated farming and the state capitol, Boise

Cities

All of the following cities are good bases for outdoor activities within their regions.

• Boise -- Capitol and largest city in Idaho, some high tech employment

• Idaho Falls -- The commercial and agricultural center of Eastern Idaho, home of the Idaho National Engineering Labs

• Moscow -- Home of the University of Idaho, combination agricultural and college town

• Coeur d'Alene -- Northernmost Idaho city, surrounded by mountains and excellent recreational lakes

Hotel - Flight - Car Rental

• Idaho Discount Hotels Directory

• Click here for discount air fares.

• Click here for rental cars.

Other destinations

• Sun Valley -- the first great ski resort in the U.S.

• Craters of the Moon National Monument -- volcanic park with vast fields of seemingly lifeless lava, fun lava tubes to explore

• Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness -- follows the Snake River through Hells Canyon (as deep as 9,300 feet, much deeper than the Grand Canyon) north towards Lewiston, where the Clearwater and Snake River meet

• Yellowstone National Park -- Second only to Yosemite as the most majestic National Park in the lower 48 states, but weirder, more colorful, and more spectacular, filled with hot springs, geysers, and fumaroles. Mostly within Wyoming, but probably most easily reached from Idaho Falls and West Yellowstone, Idaho

Talk

It's all English, except that potatoes are called "spuds" and there's a bit of a rural twang as you get out to the logging and farming areas.

Get in

Flights come in to all cities, plus some of the towns. Alaska Airlines and its subsidiary Horizon Airlines are the best, but United, America West, and Southwest Airlines serve Idaho as well (Click here for discount air fares.).You could also drive to North Idaho from Seattle or more easily from Spokane. For South Idaho, you might fly in to Boise, or drive in from Salt Lake City. If you're going to Yellowstone, you'd probably want to fly in to Idaho Falls then drive up to the West Yellowstone park entrance.

Get around

It's all driving or flying. There are two segments of freeway that cross the state, I-90 for roughly 60 miles across the panhandle in the North, and I-84 for a couple hundred miles in the South (ok, someone pointed out a few miles of I-15 in far Eastern Idaho). The rest of the roads are two lanes, and often curvy and hilly (but scenic!). A few "highways" aren't even paved. You know you're from Idaho when your elderly grandparents think it's normal to arrive at Christmas (or even just for a weekend visit) after driving 400 miles through blizzards and along winding two lane river roads.

To the East, the Continental Divide (West of which rivers flow to the Pacific, East of which rivers flow to the Atlantic) meanders down the spine of the Rockies, and defines the border with Montana. A handful of passes cross the Divide. In the winter, check with the highway department for pass conditions -- many passes are closed from the first snow until mid-April.

There is no convenient way to get from North Idaho (Moscow) to Eastern Idaho (Idaho Falls), since there are no roads that go directly through the rugged mountains (and the "Idaho Primitive Area.") Instead, you would have to drive 300 miles to Boise, then another 300 miles East to Idaho Falls. Or you could drive North to I-90, East through Montana, then South to Eastern Idaho. Either way, you'll drive 600 - 700 miles when it's something like 300 miles as the crow might fly.

Flying is an expensive but wonderful way to get around and see the majestic scenery. Backcountry flights are available from many airports in the state, and you get to fly through canyons and into remote airstrips that are nearly unreachable any other way. Examples are McCall Aviation (http://www.mccallair.com/) and Selway Aviation (http://backcountryaviation.com/) in Central Idaho. If you just want to go city-to-city, call Horizon Airlines.

Eat

The food is pretty much middle American. There are a few ingredients that are Idaho specialties, like Idaho Rainbow Trout, and of course the Famous Potatoes. Moscow proclaims itself the "Dried Pea and Lentil Capitol of the World," so I guess those are Idahoan too. In the college towns (Moscow, Boise, Pocatello, Idaho Falls), it's pretty easy to find organic and vegetarian food, but in the rural areas you might have a hard time finding a meal without beef.

Drink (Nightlife)

The college towns have a good selection of bars, including the occasional microbrewery. You're unlikely to find any kind of original live music scene, although there are generic pop cover bands in the bigger towns. Out in the sticks, Friday and Saturday nights will have country western bands playing in the rough logging town saloons.

Stay safe

The weather in Idaho can be fickle and extreme compared to other parts of the world. Mountains make their own weather, and it can be sunny one moment, and stormy in a few minutes. If you are taking part in some outdoor activity, be prepared. For example, if you are hiking in the backcountry, take The 10 Essentials (http://www.backpacking.net/ten-essl.html). Most importantly, use your common sense.

External links

• Caribou National Forest - Press releases, monitoring reports, and information about camping and the wilderness.
• GORP - Idaho National Forests - Extensive national forest list for Washington. Includes activities, history, wildlife, books and maps.
• Idaho Panhandle National Forest - Information about camping, lodging, wilderness, directions, fees and permits.
• Idaho State Parks - Guide to the state parks in Idaho. Site includes directions, facilities, and other information for the parks.
• Salmon-Challis National Forest - Information about camping, lodging, wilderness, directions, fees and permits.
• American Park Network - Yellowstone - Offers information about activities, camping, flora and fauna, geology, history, lodging and dining, photography, sights to see, walking and hiking, and the weather.
• The Magic of Yellowstone - A comprehensive Yellowstone site, including historical documents and galleries.
• Total Yellowstone Page - Extensive park information from Yellowstone fan John Uhler. Guide includes such topics as: wildlife, activities, road info, lodging, weather, art and camping.
• Yellowstone National Park - National Park Service official site with useful information for the park visitor and background on the natural and scientific aspects of the park and the Yellowstone ecosystem.
• The Yellowstone Site - Includes lodging, adventure tours, scenic drives, activities, maps, photo gallery, entrance fees and general information about the park and surrounding area.
• Yellowstone Treasures - Suggests and explains sights in the park, including geyser basins, wildflowers, animals, mountains, geological phenomena, and waterfalls.
• Yellowstone-Park.Net - A comprehensive guide includes activity information, fees, weather, park regulations, suggestions on what to do while visiting and maps.
• Idaho Wineries and Vineyards - Complete list of all wineries and vineyards in Idaho with descriptions and contact information. Also includes historical information and links.
• Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation - Official site for state system with information on tent and RV camping, hiking, biking, boating, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling opportunities statewide.
• Challis Area Lilac Festival - Information about events, which include parade, golf tournament, street fair, and community yard sale.
• Gene Harris Jazz Festival - Information on the annual jazz festival held in Boise, Idaho.
• The Wedding Party Show - Features Boise's oldest and largest wedding show, held annually in January.

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