KETCHUM, ID
Sorry, but I couldn't spend two weeks in Idaho without ONE potato reference!
I had zero expectations for Idaho. In fact, I hadn't even planned to spend time here when I originally thought of all the places I wanted to go. But I was overwhelmingly impressed with what I saw and sort of fell in love with this beautiful place.
As I crossed the border from Utah to Idaho, I was greeted with flat, green, irrigated farmland as far as you could see in any direction. It was beautiful. The towns I passed through were small and sparse. It looks different than where I grew up in South Dakota, but it feels similar.
Then suddenly, a line of mountains emerged from the horizon. It is crazy how you're driving through flat farmland and then, just like that, you're driving in the mountains.
I arrived at *exactly* the peak of spring. The trees were blooming. The hillsides were covered in wildflowers, giving them a yellow sheen from thick blankets of yellow blooms. The mountain peaks still had snow, and down in the valley, the air was full of fluffy white flakes of cotton from the cottonwood trees. For a couple days, you could see pollen misting through the air, covering my car, the yard furniture, and the window sills. Thank God I don't have allergies so I could actually appreciate it!
Here's a quick overview of how I spent my time here.
Hiking
Sawtooth Wilderness Area
Near Ketchum
Salmon Challis National Forest
Things To Do
Craters of the Moon - this is an otherworldly site, with acres of what looks like freshly plowed soil from a distance, but is actually jagged lava rock. When you go, be sure to get a cave permit at the visitor center so you can check them out.
I like the picture below because it shows the lava field in the mid-distance, plus areas where plant life has finally formed on the lava fields in the foreground (although that tree clearly didn't make it), and then the mountains in the background that look like a fake backdrop painted for a stage performance.
Boat Box Hot Springs - this is so random! Shout out to Tim who used to live in Idaho and told me about all the hot springs in the area. You just pull over on the side of the road and jump in. It's crazy! There is one just outside of Stanley, so after my hike, I pulled over and sure enough ... someone put a big tub there and rigged up a PVC pipe to the water so you could direct it into the tub and whoa, the water is HOT! Spent a little time soaking in the tub while soaking up the beautiful scenery around me.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Hailey - this is a beautiful old church built in 1913
Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Ketchum - the architecture of this church is beautiful. Built in 2007, it combines natural elements of wood, stone, and concrete, with huge windows providing panoramic views of trees and mountains. It was designed by parishioner and architect, Jim McLaughlin. The pic below is from their website.
Eating
Warfield - the day was sunny and 70 so I took my laptop and spent the afternoon on the rooftop patio here. My salad was delicious.
Grilling at Home - After two weeks in Salt Lake City without a grill, I took full advantage of having one in Ketchum. I grilled chicken, burgers, and brats. Basically, I ate like it was the Fourth of July every day I was there. Oh, and I bought and baked a potato. It tasted like Idaho.
Sleeping
I stayed in a lovely condo in Ketchum, just one block from a ski lift, so the view from the condo was magnificent.
The condos were filled with a mix of owners and short-term renters, or were seasonally vacant. The couple next door own their condo and live here in the summer. They were super friendly and said hello through the window every day while I sat at my laptop like a kid stuck in detention while they went for bike rides and grilled and played in their little garden. Another guy waved every morning as he passed by, walking his dog. People congregated outside for bike rides and conversation. It was such a friendly community.
Here's the condo. I had the entire first level of this building, including the little patio and grill.
This particular Airbnb's was one of the few I stayed in that had personal effects of the owners. There were books throughout the house that made me want to do nothing but read the entire time I was there - the history of Sun Valley, hiking and climbing and skiing guides for the area, Memoirs of a Mountain Guide by Whittaker, Rugged Mercy by Wright, the history of how Idaho was settled, The Lance & The Shield: The Life & Times of Sitting Bull by Utley, several works by Ernest Hemingway, and Hemingway's Sun Valley by Huss.
Wait, what? Did YOU know that Ernest Hemingway lived in Sun Valley, ID? I very clearly did not. Idaho is a long way from the sea. And I didn't hear any bells.
See that bookshelf to the side of the fireplace? I stared at that all day while trying to work. :)
I worked at the table next to the window so I could see the gorgeous views all day. And that's the kitchen where all the culinary magic happens. :)
It's clear from how the house is decorated that the owners travel. This cabinet is a little too big for the room, but is such a cool piece! I wonder about the story behind this and some of the other unique pieces throughout the house.
Things on My List I Didn't Do
Oh gosh, I swear my "didn't do" list gets longer and longer everywhere I go!
Hikes - There are COUNTLESS hikes that I didn't get to - many due to snow, others due to distance, most due to lack of time. I can't even begin to list them - between hikes I found on AllTrails, plus the book I found in the Airbnb that lists FIFTY hikes within 30 minutes of Ketchum ... I didn't even scrape the surface.
Boise - I was hoping to check out Boise, especially after learning Uncle Marti lived here in a suburb back in the day.
Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Park - not generally one to check out prisons while passing through, but this is apparently an historic site worth seeing. Plus, it would have been a shout out to Warden Linda! Next time.
Shoshone Falls - dubbed the Niagara Falls of the West, they also boast that they're even taller than Niagara.
City of Rocks - double bummed to learn that Elaine will be here for a climbing trip just a week after I leave. Would have loved to meet up and learn to actually climb from some pros!
And that's a wrap.
See ya later, Idaho tater!
Next Stop: Black Hills, South Dakota. See you there!