After One Month in Idaho
For our first month in Idaho, we had been based in the tiny town of Cascade, which turned out to be nicely situated; close enough to Boise for things like the Hot Air Balloon Festival, and bordering the wilderness we had been so eager to experience. After just 30 days, we’d only seen a small porting of Idaho; but it was enough to form some solid initial impressions.
Mike: That’s an easy one: spotting two moose in the river just north of McCall, and being able to observe them for at least ten minutes while they ate and drank.

Mike: It has to be potatoes, doesn’t it? But I’m going to go for huckleberries — a fruit I don’t think I’d ever tried before, and now can’t get enough of. Huckleberry pancakes, huckleberry juice, jam… they even sell huckleberry popcorn.

Mike: I find myself surprised every day by Idaho’s diversity. Nature, cities, history, deserts, ice caves, mountains, rivers, potato fields, waterfalls; the list just goes on and on. The most surprising thing about Idaho is how surprising it is!

Mike: Idaho’s a huge state and, due to time constraints, we’re having to skip on things we’d love to do. Hikes and multi-day outdoor adventures, certain towns and experiences that are just a little too far away. We’re doing a lot, but it’s frustrating to miss out on so much.

Mike: There’s a gift store near Horseshoe Bend, with these awful signs posted in the front yard. “No Public Toilet! No means NO!”, “We don’t call 911, We Shoot to Kill!” Stuff like that. It’s an outrageous way to welcome guests, and totally riled me up. So I marched inside and announced loudly, “We’re just here for the free toilets!” The bitter-looking woman behind the counter almost had a heart attack.

Mike: I’m going to say 6. Restaurants aren’t bad, but not super-cheap. Activities and hotels can be pricey, but I think overall we’ve been saving more money than expected. There are a lot of awesome things you can do here for free.

Mike: Unusually friendly and very proud of their state, but protective at the same time. Most Idahoans that we’ve talked to are thrilled we’re here, and that we’re enjoying ourselves… but nervous about our promoting it. Idaho, it seems, is best as a secret.

Mike: Underpopulated, Unbelievable Landscapes

I really enjoyed your comments on initial impressions! Candid and revealing. I’m one of those who has never given Idaho a second thought other than potatoes; maybe because of the television commercials fitness expert Denise Austin did for the Idaho Potato Commission that is what I think of first. The landscape is magnificent, and much like my home state of Georgia, offers diverse terrain. If I ever have the chance, I would visit Idaho.
Hi Diane, Thank you for your kind words. We would love to have you in the panhandle. I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Georgia a few years ago and Loved it. The air was sweet with magnolia and the green was breathtaking. Friendly people and something completely different from the west. Colleen