Idaho: Check!

By Joe Berk

Susie and I were talking a few days ago about the states we haven’t visited. I’ve hit all but North Dakota, partly due to a sense of wanderlust and partly due to the jobs I’ve had over the last 50 years.  Susie has about a dozen states on her “yet to see” list, and one was Idaho.   That became our latest destination, and boy oh boy, do I have tales to tell about the Gem State.  We flew into Boise with my trusty D810 Nikon and its 24-120 lens and rented a Jeep.  Talk about fun!  Here’s a brief look at upcoming posts.

Lucky Peak State Park

This was a great ride out of Boise: A super road and an awesome watersports destination.

World Center for Birds of Prey

Fun beyond description with an up close and personal look at raptors and scavengers.  This place is fantastic.  It was one of the best stops on our Idaho adventure.  But they all were great.   We had a blast.

Idaho State Capitol

Beautiful, laid back, and fun:  Idaho’s government has its head screwed on straight, and they do it all with a part-time legislature.

Idaho State Penitentiary

A fascinating old territorial prison with fantastic stories.  We loved this place.

Yanke Motor Museum

I’ve got to wait for permission from the Yanke family to share this story and all the photos with you.  It was a very impressive automobile, motorcycle, tractor, and musical instrument collection.

Idaho Military Museum

Small but cool, that’s how I’d describe the Idaho Military Museum.   Guns, armored vehicles, aircraft, and more.  You’ll enjoy this one.

Basque Museum

The Basque Museum is a small museum in downtown Boise.  It covers the history of the Basque people in Idaho as well as other parts of the United States.  There were a lot of interesting things to see there and we enjoyed the stop.

Warhawk Air Museum

This is an awesome place with great exhibits, exciting photo ops, and fun docents.  We chatted with a guy who moved to Idaho from Alaska, and he knew I guy I went to school with who moved to Alaska.  We live in a small world, my friends.

The Hemingway Idaho Connection

Ernest Hemingway had a strong connection to Idaho.  We stopped in a restaurant and general store in Picabo on our way to Craters of the Moon National Monument, and we saw three guns that Ernest Hemingway used when hunting in Idaho.  Hemingway gave them to a friend, and we got a few photos.

Craters of the Moon National Monument

I blew through this area 8 years ago leading a group of Chinese motorcyclists across the American West, and I didn’t really get to see Craters of the Moon National Monument on that trip.  That’s a character flaw I fixed this time around!

Shoshone Falls

Ever wonder how Twin Falls, Idaho, got its name?  Well, wonder no more.  We’ll tell you the story!

Evel Knievel’s Snake River Canyon Jump

Do you remember when Evel Knievel jumped the Snake River Canyon 50 years ago?  We found our way there on this trip, and we climbed the ramp that Evel used for his wild and crazy Snake River Canyon jump.  You’ll get the full story in a near term ExNotes blog!

Hagerman National Fish Hatchery

We tried, mostly because we’ve eaten a whole bunch of steelhead trout over the years.  Alas, the fish had all left town by the time we visited, but that’s okay.  There were plenty of other photo ops!

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument

Commanding views of Idaho’s Snake River, prehistoric fossils, the Oregon Trail, and more were all a part of our ride out to the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument.

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We covered a lot of ground, we checked the box next to Idaho for Susie, and we did all the above in just 5 days.  I snapped something north of a thousand photos, and I selected the best ones to share with you here.  Stay tuned, buckle up, and get ready for Idaho!

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