Our Own Private Idaho

So there we were, in Idaho Falls.   We eked every last bit of value from our short stay which included free breakfast, an early morning romp in the pool, and "Pirates of the Caribbean" on TV.

It seemed a shame to blow through without paying any attention to the town, so we headed to the actual falls  (Idaho Falls, remember?) for a picnic lunch before hitting the road.

Lovely table manners.  Perhaps we've been on the road a bit too long?

The Snake River winds through most of southern Idaho.  The falls in Idaho Falls are actually man-made,  but have been modified over time to appear more natural.  The park that borders the falls on both sides of the river is quite lovely.  For the record, we saw not a single snake along the Snake River.

Idaho Falls, Idaho

Idaho has lots of mountains, several Native American Reservation lands, and a good deal of desert.  That means that to travel across Idaho means to follow a large arc along the southern half of the state, following the river for most of the route.  In many cases the interstate follows the same path as that of Lewis & Clark's Discovery Expedition, and later pioneers along the Oregon Trail.

Three Island Crossing, Idaho

We approached Three Island Crossing and Kelly insisted we stop. This was a major stop on the Oregon Trail (OT). We had even worked it into a Camp Del Ray pioneer activity.  At this point on the OT, pioneers had to decide whether to brave the crossing here, for immediate access to better grazing land for their cattle, to to continue on, perhaps another 2 weeks, to an easier crossing.  The Snake River at Three Islands is deep and swift, with unpredictable currents.

The covered wagon outside the beautiful, CLOSED
interpretive center.

There is a beautiful, modern Interpretive Center at Three Island Crossing, Idaho.  Unfortunately, it CLOSED 15 minutes before we arrived.  The family was reluctant to hike through Idaho sage brush in 100 degree heat, so we settled for a distant look a the river, and some self-guided exploration of the outdoor wagon exhibit.

Luckily, we had modernity and enough supplies on our side.  No attempts to cross the river here.  Westward again, we came to Boise right around dinner time.  Yelp identified the best restaurant for us as deep within the city.  We found the 13th Street Pub in the Hyde Park neighborhood.  More trees and  more bikes, but a definite funky Del Ray vibe.  In fact, our waitress, Megan, was lately of Del Ray!

After a delicious meal, we asked Megan if there was a place in Hyde Park comparable to the Dairy Godmother, where we could get some dessert.  She pointed us down the street to Goody's. Goody's is as good as it's name:  a cross between Dairy Godmother, Pop's of Old Town, and Purple Goose.  Awesome carmel corn!

Back into the car for a short drive, we spent our last night on the road in OREGON!