Travel to Idaho – Episode 644

Hear about travel to an Idaho road trip as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jaime Mazur about her honeymoon in Idaho.

Jaime had other plans for her honeymoon that might have included someplace like Italy but her husband showed her a movie on Idaho and was able to convince her instead to do a road trip around the gem state, a state known more for its potatoes than its romance. Now Jaime tells us why she has fallen in love with this state.

Jaime says, “Idaho has the complexity of the entire U.S. terrain in just one state. In the panhandle, it is land dominated by forests and lakes and it’s humid year-round. South of the panhandle is the Palouse which is French for the lawn. It’s breathtakingly green and lush rolling hills right on the Washington border. If you continue further down south you get to the gold rush country and America’s Moscow. And then it’s the high desert climate of one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., which is Boise Idaho. Nearby to the east of Boise is the billionaires’ playground of Sun Valley and past that is the arid lava fields of the Craters of the Moon National Monument. If you follow that up north you will be in the Frank Church wilderness which is 2.4 million acres of land with no roads and it’s the largest swath of land in the lower 48 without any roads. All of that in just one state.”

Jaime starts us in Spokane, Washington which is the nearest airport to northern Idaho. Spokane is close (45 minutes) to Coeur d’Alene which is a popular resort area. They went to the only AAA 4 star resort in Idaho.

On the 4th of July, it was very crowded in Coeur d’Alene, but just 80 miles from Spokane is Sandpoint. They stayed at Schweitzer Mountain Resort which is known for skiing in the winter but in the summer it is known for Lake Pend Oreille which is deeper than 4 of the great lakes. The Navy has done submarine testing in the lake.

They drove the Idaho scenic byway from Sandpoint to Salmon, cutting through western Montana. Jaime says it is the most beautiful highway she has driven. Along the way, you will see historic markers as this was one of the routes used by the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Jaime recommends spending at least 3 days in Salmon. You can enjoy a lovely B&B or do something more adventurous by taking a whitewater or fishing trip on the Salmon River. Salmon is also the birthplace of Sacagawea who was a guide for Lewis and Clark.

Their plans to enjoy Sun Valley were thwarted by a large billionaires conference that closes the resort in part of July. Instead, they went to Red Fish Lake which has great hikes and views of the rugged Sawtooth Mountains.

Jaime admits she was surprised by Boise. She is from Chicago but thought Boise was the greatest city she had visited in some time. The capital building is a beautiful if classical design. They explored the city via its green belt bike route. They enjoyed the urban wine route in the city that shows off wines from Idaho’s 4 different wine regions. They also attended the Idaho Shakespeare Festival and toured a nearby wine region.

We get a list of suggestions for hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, breweries, wineries and ice cream parlors along their route. And if nothing else Jaime says lures you to Idaho, let me leave you with 3 words: huckleberry ice cream.

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Show Notes

jamiesays.com
Idaho the Movie
Sun Valley
Craters Of The Moon National Monument
Spokane, Washington
Sandpoint, Idaho
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Schweitzer Mountain Resort
Lake Pend Oreille
Sandpoint Boat and RV Rentals
Panhandle Cone & Coffee – Sandpoint
Idaho Pour Authority – Sandpoint
Pend d’Oreille Winery – Sandpoint
The Fat Pig – Sandpoint
Beet and Basil – Sandpoint
Baxters on Cedar – Sandpoint
Moscow, Idaho
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Big Sky Brewing – Missoula MT
Salmon, Idaho
Syringa Lodge – Salmon
Idaho Adventures – Salmon River Rafting & Fishing Trips
Rawhide Outfitters
Oars Rafting
Sacagawea
Bertram’s Brewery – Salmon
Junkyard Bistro – Salmon
Travel to Sun Valley, Idaho – Episode 327
Boise, Idaho
Inn at 500 Capitol, Boise
“The Blue”
10 Fun Facts About Idaho
Wine Flies Free
Caldwell, Idaho
Idaho Towncar
Boise Fry Company
State And Lemp
Basques
Our Idaho Road Trip Honeymoon Itinerary : 10 Blissful Days

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