This post will be short but you can get a bit more info at the video I created of the trip to Twin Falls, Idaho that I took in March 2022.
The video can be found here:
Let me share a brief report of this darling town and the countryside around it. Twin Falls may be familiar if you remember Evel Knievel. This is where he attempted to jump the Snake River. Sadly, wind messed up his jump. It is very, very windy here, or at least it was while I visited. But the location of his jump is accessible and so is the very ramp on which he launched his special motorcycle! If you have imagination for such things, you, too can run up the ramp and get the feeling of flying across the canyon. You should not actually jump, of course. But you can pretend.
Then you can head over to the Perrine Bridge which is near the Visitor’s Center. If you are lucky, you will be able to watch humans launch themselves off the bridge with a thin piece of nylon tied to their backs. It’s called Base Jumping and is actually legal here. Heck, if you are really adventurous, you can BE one of those jumpers! There is an outfit that will take care of all arrangements, you can jump solo or you can strap yourself onto an experienced jumper and fly for a moment.
What is it about this area that makes people want to fling their bodies into and across the canyon to the sparkling river below? I, personally, felt no compunction to release my hold on terra firma but if you do, let me know. I’ll come cheer you on!
There are beautiful waterfalls nearby and they have wonderful information boards teaching about the indigenous people and the founding of the Twin Falls.
Downtown Twin Falls has a cute rustic area, a wonderful coffee shop named Twin Beans, and a locally-made cheese shop named Glanbia. I loved the quality of the coffee at Twin Beans; they roast it in house and do a great job of getting a rich, dark roast without burning the beans (yes, I’m looking at you, Starbucks). The cheese shop was less inspiring but after seeing the Glanbia dairies in the countryside, I had to give it a try. If you go by the visitor’s center first, or just mention the visitor’s center, you will get some kind of special discount. I found their cheese rather “young” in flavor but they made a very good baked macaroni-and-cheese. There were several other cute shops along Main Street that would make a lovely afternoon of visiting. And then you might just find the sense of humor that a street painter shared.
I chose to find a place to camp instead of a hotel. I love falling asleep to the stars spinning overhead, a chilly wind brushing the tip of my nose, waking up to the sound of a creek burbling beside me and birds calling the sun to come shine. I found a beautiful and quiet spot not too far from town and very near an interesting rock formation known as Balancing Rock. It is amazing to think this giant rhyolite monolith can continue to balance on that little nubbin! The sign explains for those of us who forgot to bring our tape measure that the rock is forty-eight feet high and forty feet wide and its base is only three feet by seventeen INCHES!
The slower life of driving and camping in nature is absolutely invigorating. I hope you are inspired to get out and enjoy this beautiful world!
Wish You Were Here!
Susan, I loved this story. Thanks for sharing it and the photos. I could never imagine being as comfortable as you are in camping alone. You are very courageous!
By the way, the link to the YouTube video no longer works. Thanks again!
I just realized the video is set to show tomorrow! What an oversight on my part!
I hope you will check it out after tomorrow.
As for solo camping, I would suggest that if you enjoy walking the park trails alone to hear the sounds of nature, you may prefer camping solo. Having friends alo g is wonderful, no doubt! Yet going alone means no distractions in conversation, you are fully with your own thoughts (for good or ill, lol) and with nature.
Big hug!
What wonderful photos and an even more wonderful story! I do agree with Pam Perry that your mother worries about your camping alone. There are just too many four-footed and two-footed creatures out there. But I understand why you love it so.
I know exactly what you mean! Fortunately, I do not camp where other 2-leggers abound, and if there were to be a 4-legger to come nosing in, I have many ways of dissuading interest. Did I tell you that zap stick literally killed my multimeter? I wondered how much juice it had, like maybe it was all hat, no cows. So I tested it. It blew up the multimeter. Not fixable. Had to buy another. So any being that gets within stick range is going to be doing the electric slide. That booger is powerful!
And I get to continue my romps at 4 million star hotels. 🙂 love you!!!!