Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
The Raw Beauty of Idaho
As you know by now I’m from Washington and I’m rather proud of our beautiful state.
But right next door we have a wild and rugged neighbor, Idaho by name, that I have neglected on this blog. So I rummaged through my photos and thought I’d share a few from our travels there. I’ll start with my favorite.
Sawtooth Range
Here we are, camping in the wilds of central Idaho at Stanley (population 69.) It was May and it was cold but we didn’t care.
Because we had this view to ourselves. I had forgotten! I think it’s time to go back.
Shoshone Falls
A bit further south we found majestic Shoshone Falls sometimes called ‘the Niagara of the West.’ I’ve seen the other Niagara and I think the comparison is apt. And here there are no crowds.
Bruneau Sand Dunes
Have you heard of them? I hadn’t either until we stumbled across them on the same road trip. Fortunately I like to pick up postcards in my travels and this one has been at my desk for years, reminding me of our trip and giving me finger tip facts. According to the info on the back these are North America’s tallest sand dunes at 470 feet tall. Who knew?
Craters of the Moon
Last but not least is the otherworldly landscape of Craters of the Moon where lava flowed again and again, thousands of years ago.
I remember taking the short trail to the top of Inferno Cone under the blazing hot sun without carrying water. I have never felt so dry in my entire life. Big lesson learned!
Surprisingly there was vegetation at the top along with wind and panoramic views.
You may have noticed a disproportionate number of pictures from Craters of the Moon. Not because it was more beautiful than other places in Idaho but because we went there more recently. Back in the olden days we judiciously took our pictures on film and hoped we would get a few good ones. And a few good ones is all we got.
So Idaho needs another visit to do it justice.
Hopefully, soon.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
I really enjoy Idaho, I have never seen these spots before! thanks for the intro!
Thank you. We do so much camping in Washington I’d forgotten how beautiful Idaho is. I definitely want to go back. 🙂
I even liked Boise ALOT. I think I might be able to live there.
Yes, I agree! Boise is charming and booming right now. 🙂
Love this! I’ve never been to Idaho but it looks like I should visit! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I need to go back and visit again myself! 🙂
What a great post – I love the look of that path through the dark rocks. What a beautiful place.
Thank you. It really is a beautiful place. It’s so close but I often forget about it.
That’s so easily done – I am always suddenly remembering places nearby that I have not visited for ages 🙂
I’ve been to crater of the moon and a few other Idaho sights. It isn’t crowded and can be beautiful. Thanks for the reminder!
You’re welcome. It was a good reminder to me too! Especially the area near Stanley and the Sawtooth Range! I definitely need to go back!
I have driven through Idaho several times, but always on my to and from the East Coast. I can see I missed quite a bit. Thanks.
Idaho is definitely easy to overlook, even when it’s next door. The area in the middle near the Sawtooth Range is wild and beautiful and I hope to get back there and do some more camping.
It certainly looks lovely.
Terrific photos…people don’t realize just how vast the American West is!
Thanks John! Truly! There is so much raw beauty and variety!
It’s not a state that gets mentioned much over here, so rarely springs to mind. But those natural features are stunning indeed.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks Pete. It’s rather neglected among the western states. I wish I had more pictures to share as it really is beautiful and has a lot to offer. I guess that means another trip is in order! 😊
Nice photos of Idaho. It’s been a while, but I enjoyed my time traveling through that area. Craters of the Moon was a favorite, not least because an alternative route on the Oregon Trail went through there. Some wagons disappeared when they crossed thinly-roofed lava tubes, but the cutoff was popular because it avoided areas where Shoshone warriors tended to ambush the wagon trains.
Craters of the Moon is an interesting place to explore. Great history. Thanks for sharing.
The area around Stanley is truly breathtaking.
I was originally thinking of driving up there after going to Boise in November, and then coming home through Spokane. But when making final plans in October I decided not to gamble with November weather in the mountain passes because there’d already been some heavy snow. (Turned out the weather was great, but how was I to know?) I really want to get back there someday.
I had to chuckle over your reason for not having many older photos because I lived the pain of having to be selective. The thing I love most about digital is being able to take pics willy nilly because you don’t pay for film and processing. If they don’t turn out, just delete!
I agree about Stanley. It’s a wild and beautiful area and I would love to go back. I wish I had more pictures from our time there. Maybe I do, just can’t find them!
In the old days I took a roll or two of film on vacation. Now I take hundreds of pictures, too many actually! I need to find a good balance! But at least I have a lot to choose from. 😊
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Glad you enjoyed my post! Thanks for the reblog!
I so enjoy your travel pictures!! Great blog post!
Thanks so much! I appreciate your comment! You’ve been busy reading this morning! 🙂
Trying to catch up! 😂