Idaho Travel Guide

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Idaho Travel Guide

Idaho is state in the Rocky Mountains region of the United States. Idaho is a rugged state, with 10,000 - 12,500 ft snow-capped mountains, whitewater rivers , forests, high desert, and plenty of wilderness. Most of the land north of Boise is National or State Forest.

Idaho's nickname is "The Gem State," although the motto on the state's license plates reads "Famous Potatoes." This often has the unfortunate result that anyone who has heard of Idaho imagines the state as a vast expanse of potato farms, with grizzled inhabitants living in cabins with no running water. In reality,Idaho is increasingly becoming a mix of both city and rural life. Some Idahoans do live in cabins in the middle of nowhere, but others live in urbane condominiums in downtown Boise. Indeed, Boise is now the largest metropolitan area in the Rocky Mountains region of the US outside of Colorado. Most of the other major cities in Idaho have also experienced significant growth over the past 20 years.

Idaho is typical of several other western states, e.g., Oregon, Washington, and California, in that there are really two states in one. The northern part of Idaho is characterized by mountains, lakes, forests and rivers. While the southern half has some spectacular mountains , it is mostly high-plains desert similar to the Inland Empire of southern California.

Most of the world-famous Idaho potatoes are grown in Eastern Idaho. Onions are an important cash crop in southwestern Idaho near the Oregon border, while sugar beets are prevalent in the Twin Falls area. As many crops are irrigated in the otherwise arid Snake River Plain, water is an extremely important and potentially explosive political issue in Idaho.

Northern Idaho farming is characterized by dry land wheat, barley, and legume crops. Logging is also a big part of the northern Idaho economy, although not as much as in the past. A favorite bumper sticker in north Idaho is "If You Don't Like Logging, Try Using Plastic Bags For Toilet Paper." Similar to Washington and Oregon, there is a great disparity in the population of each half of the state. North Idaho is significantly less populated than the southern half.

Idaho is second only to Utah in the number of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, or Mormons, as a percentage of the population. Mormon religion and culture are particularly prevalent in Eastern Idaho, where the faith is at least as strong as anywhere in Utah. However, the LDS Church's influence diminishes considerably as one travels north of Boise towards the panhandle.

Southern Idaho is home to one of the largest populations of Basque people in the world outside the Basque Country itself. Public displays of Ikurriña flags and car stickers are somewhat common, even in rural areas. The state even issues a Basque specialty automobile license plate. Next scheduled for 2015, a major Basque festival known as Jaialdi is celebrated in Boise every five years.

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