Probably the Best Mountain Drive in Idaho

Tuesday, May 20, 2014--Twin Falls, ID to Ontario, OR

After our "Sunrise Breakfast" (which included biscuits and gravy, freshly-made waffles, instant oatmeal, cereal, breads, cinnamon rolls, apples, butter, jam, apple juice, orange juice, and coffee as choices) at the hotel, we were off for another day of exploring.  We started there in Twin Falls driving through the downtown area and by the College of Southern Idaho campus before heading to the Snake River Canyon and the Shoshone Falls.   Unfortunately, downtown there is dead.  The college campus was clean and attractive, but small.  The canyon is a wonderful sight to see, and is the location of an attempted jump from one side to the other by Evil Knievel.  Shoshone Falls are dramatic with water cascading from a dam, then breaking into several parts as it continues over and around rocky drops in the riverbed.  The falls are not nearly as wide as Niagara Falls, but they having a longer drop.

We followed three of Idaho's scenic byways today, and the first two were among the best we have explored--lined on both sides by LONG strings of high, jagged, snow-capped mountaintops.  The Sawtooth Scenic Byway was probably the best.  Tall peaks were on each side of the highway.  The Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway began at the end of the previous one, with the mountain pass where they joined being above the snow level so that we were passing mountainous stands of pine trees above a ground surface covered with 2-3 feet (up to a meter) of snow.

We covered one more short byway, the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway.  It took us westward and downhill from the other byways through a narrow canyon with rocky sides and eventually a valley.

Our destination was Ontario, Oregon, on the border with Idaho.  Tomorrow, we will explore one more scenic byway--one which may be even better, or at least as good as those today.  Will write about it tomorrow.