We had made plans to meet up with Paul's college roommate from Pasadena College for the weekend, so we had a ton of miles to drive. We left Immigrant Springs early headed for Farewell Bend State Park for an over night stay. What a fun surprise to arrive at a nearly empty park and the pick of all campsites. The staff was watering the grounds in anticipation of the Memorial Day weekend crowd, so we waited till the sprinklers were turned off and picked an awesome site with full view of the Snake River.
We relaxed and did nothing but enjoy where we were for the day and then started off again early the next morning for Boise, arriving at Riverside RV Park for 2 nights. A great park right along the river and bike trail, perfect for us. (full hook ups, $34)
We hadn't seen Steve and Sherry for 10 years so there was so much to catch up on! We set up our site, got the oil changed on the SAAB and then headed to their place for dinner. A wonderful evening of non stop talking and sharing what had happened in each of our lives since last we met, wonderful Idaho wines, lasagna dinner and laughter! 10 years may have passed but we there was no lag in our connections, comfortable as always. We left at 11:30 with plans to meet and see more of Boise the next morning.
Saturday morning was time to get caught up on our laundry, one of those "necessary" details we do when there's a laundromat around. Steve and Sherry came out to see our home then we headed back into Boise for Farmer's Market and a late brunch at
Bacon. Such a wonderful place for a Bloody Mary (with a bacon piece attached) and yummy meal. Farmer's Market had not only wonderful veggies, but flowers and an art section. Then a driving tour of Boise after dropping Foster at a Pet Smart for a little cleaning. We stopped to see the renovated Boise Depot and the gardens nearby that Sherry's Dad used to tend lovingly.
Took some photos around the pretty grounds and even saw a Quinceanera celebration being photographed. The hot pink honoree and her attendants in very short dresses and the tallest of heels!
Since everyone was taking photos we did a couple of our own. Here's me...
and Paul and Steve
After driving around old neighborhoods Steve drove us home with plans to meet up for a birthday dinner in nearby Nampa. The celebration was for Steve, turning 64 and his son in law, Matt's, birthdays. We met their grandchildren and shared a wonderful evening of fabulous food and wines at
Brick 29. Fantastic meal.
We said goodbye that evening, our Sunday plan was to drive east to Twin Falls, ID. But before leaving Boise we had to spend a little time along the Boise Bike Path...a fun hour of so.
Steve had recommended a route called the Thousand Springs Scenic Byway, a wonderful drive through beautiful country side and fossils from ancient times. Beginning at Bliss we turned south from I-84 onto highway 30 and dropped into a canyon with fish hatcheries along the Snake River. We stopped at the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument and then followed the 7 mile trail to see the worn ruts from the Oregon Trail and locations of the Hagerman horse fossils. The most interesting part of the drive was seeing the waterfalls coming
through the walls surrounding the river, not over a cliff. Natural springs feed the water.
We ended up by mid afternoon in Twin Falls. What a great find for camping...the county park at Rock Creek County Park. We set up our home then went to explore Twin Falls. We stopped first at the overlook of the Perinne Bridge over the Snake River, a beautiful structure. As we came back across the bridge we watched two brave souls did a BASE jump, an extreme sport that allows you to jump off the bridge at a height of 486 feet to the Snake River below. Once they fall backwards off the bridge a parachute opens and in about 12 seconds the jumper lands below. Pretty amazing to see. this was the bridge they fell from:
From there we went to see Shoshone Falls, 212 feet high, some 40 feet taller than Niagara Falls.
The falls are so worth the trip, only about 5 miles east of Highway 93.
The view of the Snake River from the Falls area.
We ended at a Mexican restaurant for dinner then home to sleep. Monday morning we were up early, 6AM, to make the long day's drive to Yellowstone stopping along the way to see Craters of the Moon National Monument.
We followed the scenic route through the park and enjoyed the diverse and interesting landscape...like nothing we've seen before, a vast ocean of lava flows with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush.
that's our motorhome down below as we hiked to the top of a cinder cone.
After an hour or so we left the park and headed east on highway 20 to Red Rock RV Park just outside of West Yellowstone, 197 miles to go. At last, heading to the top destination on my list this year.
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