View from the Empty Nest: Idaho; More than Potatoes!

So far I've focused most of my posts on the larger parks we have visited. They were the meat of the trip. However, as every steak is enhanced by the condiments, our trip was enhanced by the shorter side trips. This post is a taste of lesser known America.

The drive from the Columbia Gorge to Yellowstone took us through southern Idaho, land of the Spud, but if we expected to find Mr. Potato Head, we would have set our sights too low. Oregon, with it's lush forests and waterfalls, had been beautiful and I hated to say goodbye, but if I was worried about leaving the green of Oregon, I had nothing to worry about. Idaho was lovely, with some unexpected treats.

We stopped in both Twin Falls and Idaho Falls and were glad we did. They are both located in southern Idaho, in an area called Magic Valley. Although they are technically high desert, they are along the Snake River and the settlers developed irrigation to create arable land. This high desert was beautiful, rich farmland.

Twin Falls had a couple of remarkable features.

One was its namesake; the falls along the Snake River. The Shoshone Falls is also known as the Niagara of the West. Beautiful!

In early spring it gushes water on both sides of the falls. The near side had some water running over it the day we were there, but you can see the main path of the Snake River! It was this presence of water that allowed the people to use irrigation for their crops. While we were there, we saw fields being watered constantly. Between dry air, lots of sun, and large fields, keeping the fields properly irrigated was a mighty task. That pull on the river also slows the flow of the falls during the summer.

The gorge was beautiful and the bottom of it had been set aside as a park, and golf course. The road to the bottom was quite steep and long. We saw quite a few exercise enthusiasts who had parked at the bottom, and tested their stamina, walking to the top (or as far up as they could) and then back down again.

Another remarkable feature is that the area looks as though it has sprung a leak! Twin Falls is located on top of one of the world's largest aquifers. Called "Land of 1,000 Springs", a 60-mile drive takes you through countryside where the water is literally running out of the hillsides.

We didn't take that drive but this picture demonstrates the springs.

Notice the waterfall begins in the middle of the cliff!

As I stood in the lush valley and gazed up at the rocky, rugged cliffs, I was reminded of the Garden of Eden. The surrounding terrain was rocky, dry, rugged, but the gorge itself was alive and green. An endless supply of water, the gift of life, sprang from the cliffs and a river ran below. Fields of crops grew on top of the gorge. What else would Adam and Eve have needed? It was paradise, indeed.

The closest we got to finding Mr. Potato Head was when we stopped at the Perrine Memorial Bridge. Apparently, Twin Falls is home to the only bridge in the nation that allows BASE jumping. BASE Jumping is an extreme sport that calls for a person to jump off a cliff, or bridge, free fall, and then pull a parachute cord and float to the bottom. Those guys are either totally crazy, or.... well, just totally crazy! The Perrine Memorial Bridge spans the Snake River. It is 487 feet above the water, has 4 lanes plus pedestrian lanes on either side. BASE jumpers take the pedestrian walkways out into the middle of the bridge, climb over the rails, and then jump!

Watch the bridge closely. There is a tiny speck about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way across. At about 12 seconds in, the speck jumps and goes into a free fall, before pulling his chute.

The day we were there, we saw lots of people walking out on the bridge to jump. After their jump they had to climb back out of the gorge.

The climb back up!

These are two jumpers I chatted with. The one on the left was in the video. I watched them climb out and then come to the wall to watch other jumpers.

Two BASE Jumpers. (NOT Potato Heads.) Cute, and a little crazy, though.

I asked one guy who was folding up his chute if he was packing it in preparation for a jump or because he had jumped. He answered, "Both". He had jumped, climbed back up, and was getting ready to go again!

Inside the visitor center is a map with pins that show where jumpers are from. They come from all over the world. We were there for a few hours and BASE jumpers were coming and going the entire time.

Idaho Falls is also on the Snake River but almost to the Montana border. It was originally named Eagle Rock by early settlers who found eagles' nests nearby and used them as landmarks for travelers.

This beautiful sculpture sits near the falls commemorating the wildlife that inhabited the area before people.

The town is now named Idaho Falls for the beautiful falls in the middle of town. The river has been harnessed for energy, but the dam runs along the edge of the river creating an unusual effect. Part of the river runs over the dam, while most of the river keeps going and crosses the dam further down.