Heyburn, Idaho

Good morning, my friends. We had a short day of driving yesterday, and we checked off our last sight-seeing item of the trip at Shoshone Falls, near Twin Falls, Idaho. Anticipating a short drive, we could luxuriate in a leisurely morning. Sadie was happy to have more time taking her morning sunbath.

When we got underway, we traveled through agricultural areas, and so we saw plenty of barns.

Not too far down the road, we crossed the state line into Idaho.

After crossing the state line, we had just a few more miles to go before reaching our final destination at Heyburn Riverside RV Park. We've stayed at this park many times. It is owned and operated by the city of Heyburn, and it's a very nice park for an overnight stop. It's situated right along the Snake River. There is a park within walking distance. These next to images were taken on a different trip.

Folks can often be seen fishing along the river.

We've even been here when folks were getting baptized en masse.

After getting unhitched and set up, we had some lunch, and we both had naps, and then we set out to make the 45-minute drive to see Shoshone Falls. We saw more barns along the way.

Approaching the falls, we crossed over this canyon carved by the Snake River. A big wind gust hit us here as we crossed the bridge. There were signs that warned of frequent wind gusts.

Continuing on, we saw even more barns.

And eventually, we were there. There was a $5 charge per car to enter.

And now I’m really glad we didn’t have the RV with us. As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, I had the location of the falls coming before we reached the RV park. If that had been the case, we would have been attempting to tow our big fifth wheel down a perilously narrow, steep, and winding road. I’d checked satellite images of the area to assure myself we could do it. The image below is the satellite image I was working from. The green arrow marks the approximate location of the falls. The green circle indicates an RV parking lot...always appreciated.

But now look at that area circled in red. That is a very narrow (think one car-width) passage with no barriers on either side of the road. There was about a 6-inch drop-off if a tire were to leave the pavement. Not only that, but the basalt cliffs protruded out into the roadway at least a full foot. 

I took the picture below as we left the area to give you some idea how narrow the roadway was there. (Sorry for the buggy windshield.) There’s no way we could have taken the RV down that narrow and winding road. Interestingly, there were no RV’s in the parking lot. The idea that RV’s could come down that road was wishful thinking.

But all’s well that ends well, and we were glad we went unencumbered by an RV.

Shoshone Falls and the fantastically eroded basalt cliffs that surround it are relics of the Bonneville Flood, a catastrophic torrent that ripped through the canyon about 15,000 years ago. Now, Shoshone Falls tumbles 212 feet to the canyon floor.

The waterfalls' terraced 1,000 foot span is one of Idaho's most magnificent sights. 

In 1932, Frederick J. Adams and Martha Stone Adams donated the Shoshone Falls park to the City of Twin Falls, Idaho, with the stipulation that the land be maintained as a public park for park purposes only and for the beneficial use and enjoyment of all people. 

The year after the Adams family donated the land, the State of Idaho donated land on the west side of the park to the City of Twin Falls.

And, of course, a waterfall is always more interesting if you can see and hear the water's movement. It was very windy as I made the video, and the noise you hear is wind. I had to hold tightly onto my cell phone. If you can't see the video, then click right here.

After leaving the waterfall, we took a fork in the road that led to Dierkes Lake Park. As we approached the lake, we watched these two Canada geese herd their little goslings into the shade of a tree. Have you ever seen so many goslings? There were even more outside the frame. 

 

They let me get pretty close to them, but eventually an adult would pop its head up and look at me, as if to say, “I will ‘F’ you up.” A word to the wise: You never want to make a goose angry. Those suckers are mean.

And what a lovely resource this is for the locals. There is a nice swimming area with a diving board and platform.

Looking to my left, it looked like this:

We could walk out on the dock there.

Looking back, there is a nice picnic area with reservable shelters.

There was also a stand selling souvenirs of all kinds. I picked up my final shot glass and refrigerator magnet of the trip.

Okay, and so we have a long drive today. We're trying to get an early start. Mike made waffles this morning, and so the only thing left to do is to shower, dress, and go. We'll be in Oregon before day's end. We're spending one more night at one of our Oregon state parks. And then, we'll be home by tomorrow afternoon. I believe we're all more than ready to be there. It's been a good trip, and three months is a long time to be away from home.

It seems like a good time to thank you all for coming along. Traveling with friends is always the most fun. I've appreciated your kind comments and suggestions, and I hope you've enjoyed the trip.