Travel Destination: Idaho

It may seem strange to talk about visiting an entire state, but when you’re talking about a state bigger than all of New England with an entire population less than most state’s metropolitan cities, it suddenly seems appropriate.

Idaho is one of the largest states in the union geographically, yet has a population of less than 1.5 million people.  It was the 43rd state in the union, is bordered by six states, and is one of the rockiest states because of thee numerous mountains.  In essence, it’s a paradise for hikers and mountain climbers.

The capital city of Idaho is Boise, and it’s also the largest city in the state.  At around 205,000 people in the city, it’s the third largest city in the Northwest.  It also contains the highest number of attractions in the state.  You start with the museums, which includes the Idaho Historical Museum, the Boise Art Museum, and the Basque Museum and Cultural Center.  This last one is unique because Boise has the second largest population of Basque descendants in the country after Bakersfield, CA. There’s also the Idaho Black History Museum, which may seem strange since the population of African-Americans in the state is less than 1%.

In Boise, there’s also the Morrison-Knudsen Nature Center, which offers many wildlife exhibits, and is near Municipal Park.  Boise is also the annual host of the Idaho International Film Festival.

Once you’ve left Boise, you realize there are other attractions around the state, many of them weirdly wonderful.  In Arco, the county seat of Butte County with a population of just over 1,000 people, there’s the world’s first nuclear power plant, which doesn’t have a name.  There’s also the Craters of the Moon monument, their own tribute to man’s walking on the moon.

In Blackfoot, proclaimed the “potato capital of the world“, there’s the Idaho Potato Museum, which not only gives you all the history and information about potatoes that you’ll ever want and need, but is home to the largest baked potato and potato chip.  And, if you remember your Evel Knieval history, you might want to make a stop in Twin Falls, where he tried to execute the Snake River motorcycle jump; that one didn’t go quite as planned.

However, if you’re looking for something a little calmer, Idaho has many national parks, such as the City of Rocks National Reserve, where many people enjoy rock climbing; Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, which has one of the world’s largest fossil deposits containing samples from around 3.5 million years ago.  And the Snake River Canyon is located in what’s known as the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, which offers access to water sports such as kayaking.

And finally, the mountains, which includes the Rocky Mountains, the Owyhee Mountains, and the Sawtooth Mountain Range, which is home to both mountain climbing and skiing.