Where’s the potatoes? That’s what we kept asking because we didn’t see the plain, brown fields all over the Idaho landscape that we expected. You see, when my father-in-law grows potatoes in his garden every summer, they grow quietly under the ground out of sight. He somehow knows when they’re ready and digs them up. That’s when we ever so conveniently stop by for a visit and eat his awesome potato dish cooked over the wood fire. I guess I really wonder, “Where’s the yummy potato dishes?”
Here are some highlights from Idaho:
Best Meal: Maxie’s Pizza and Pasta in Twin Falls. I honestly wasn’t expecting much based on the look of the outside and the indoor decor, but it was the best traditional pizza we’ve had in a long time! At lunch, you order at the counter, and they bring it to your table. We got the lunch special where the 2nd medium pizza was $5. The thin crust was done to perfection, and the blend of cheeses and spices were quite flavorful.
Worst Meal: Snake Bit! We tried Snake Bite restaurant in downtown Idaho Falls solely based upon the reviews and #1 rating on TripAdvisor. Even for lunch, we were way over budget and sorely disappointed though. Don’t get me wrong, the Teton burger was good, but I expected so much more from the reviews. In addition, the chicken pesto pasta was okay but wasn’t worth the money we spent for lunch. We had to laugh when we saw 56 cents charged twice on our bill because the kids asked for BBQ sauce
with their fries. Really? I bought a $14 sandwich and you can't spring for a spoonful of condiment
? That's funny! The one thing we did gain was a new phrase, “Snake bit!”Biggest Surprise: I saw a bear! On the way to Idaho we drove through a slice of Yellowstone where I saw a real, live, brown bear, not in a cage or park. Once it registered in my brain that I had seen a bear in the tree line, I shouted, “I saw a bear – up there!” We were beyond it by this time, of course, but everyone went on high alert bear watch for awhile. Sadly, we didn’t have any more bear sightings. I wonder if we’ll see bears in a few weeks when we visit Yellowstone.
Biggest Twinge of Homesickness: Mike got an email from our friends in Montana who we stayed with. It was to inform us of an item we had left behind at their house. My husband is so creative. Where I would have just told the kids outright what the item was, he played 20 Questions with them. It wasn’t a living thing; it wasn’t edible; it was Levi’s item; it wasn’t smaller than a bread box. Drum roll, please…Levi’s baseball bat! Sometimes it would be nice to have a home to receive mail but just the fun mail, not the junk mail, bills, political ads, credit card offers, and solicitations. On second thought, there’s so little fun mail, maybe it’s not worth it!
Worst Closure: Unbelievably, nothing was closed! Welcome to summertime. Every tourist destination is packed because all of America is taking their vacation while school is out, but the bright side is that everything is open and in full swing.
Most Beautiful Spot: Shosone Falls. Nice. Check out the pictures.
Best Tourist Spot: Bear Adventure. Where else can you experience bears like that? Well, you might catch one in Yellowstone if you’re scanning the tree line but hopefully not up close and personal!
Worst Memory: Sweat dripping down my leg it was so hot! Mike gave a talk outside the DMV in Boise one afternoon. The thermometer edged over 100 degrees. Even standing in the shade was sweltering. Fortunately, the heat didn’t affect Mike’s speech, and he did a great job talking about the importance of organ donation and the DMV’s involvement.
Best Memory: Having fun playing mini golf. Whahooz Family Fun Zone is where we played our mini golf game for ID. It was a neat course. When you get the ball in the appropriate place on the 18th hole, the Tiki belches smoke and fire! It was quite a surprise to us, and we all jumped and laughed. Congrats go out to Levi on his victory in ID.
My ID Hike: Nothing! I can’t believe it, not even a big city. I guess we sat on our behinds all week but caught up on a lot.
Biggest Revelation: Potatoes don’t grow in brown, dirt fields. We learned about them at the Potato Museum. They do have vines that grow above the ground. After learning about it in the museum, I was able to spot several potato fields….with greenery.
The Potato Museum was good for a few laughs, as well as the education. They had a glass case filled Potato Heads where Levi and Chloe played “I Spy,” and I enjoyed seeing the potato that Dan Quayle signed. Mike just salivated over the largest potato crisp
ever made.What We Did Miss: Shosone Ice Caves, Lake Coeur D'Alene, Hagerman fossil beds, Snake River Canyon, Enders Hotel & Museum, and much more recommended to us by our community.
In Summary: Idaho, you’re definitely more than potatoes! We’re sorry we doubted you and your fields.
