Please help. Having a road trip. Need top 5 places to visit in ID (Boise: ski resort, for rent)

[Kaligirl]

ROAD TRIP...Please Help: I need to know your Top 5 (or so) fun places to visit your great state. We will be traveling by car and have three kids, ages 11, 8, and 6. Might be bringing the dog too.

Any good ideas of the "must sees". We love all types of things indoor and outdoor, nature, adventure, etc..... Plan to travel, end of July - beginning of August. We are starting from southern CA and trying to see parts of NV, UT, ID, MT and Northern CA.

And yes, I know it's crazy! hee hee
Thank you!

[Western gal]

Idaho is HUGE, and many miles of highway north to south and even through the central area of east to west. I'm sure we could provide much better help if you had a general idea of the part of the state you'll be driving through.

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Not crazy, I've done a trip much like that before.. I'd go 15 up through nevada, utah, and montana.. Lots to do and see off this route.. Yellowstone being the biggy.. Then get on the 90 west which would take you to North Idaho (Couer d"alene, Sandpoint, Post Falls etc) which has a ton of stuff to do.. Then you could go down the 95 and see alot of Idaho including Boise, then shoot over to North Cali on the 20 to 395 and come back home in one big loop..

Too much to list as far as things to do over this much terrain, but trust me there is alot.. This would be a good route to hit all you want to see as far as states though

Hope this helps..

[TohobitPeak]

As mentioned, Idaho is a huge state which is 305 miles wide and 479 miles long, and there are worthy places to visit all over the state. I would not include Yellowstone in your Idaho travel plans mainly because most of the Park is in Wyoming. I love Yellowstone but if you want to see various areas in Idaho then it might be best to visit the Park on your Montana/Wyoming leg of the trip.

If I had to name 5 areas to visit in Idaho that would be accessible with children and a dog then these would be it:

1. Boise, because it is the state capitol city, the largest city, and has a lifestyle that focuses on the best aspects of Idaho; the outdoors and nature all mixed in with a beautiful thriving city. There is a lot to see and do in the city even with children.


2. Sun Valley, aka the Wood River Valley. Sun Valley is a must see with a lot of history in the ski industry because it was the first ski resort built in America, the ski lift was invented in Sun Valley with a few oldies remaining near the Sun Valley golf course. There is a lot to see and do in this area along with killer alpine mountain scenery that explodes as you head North---

3. Which will lead you to the Sawtooth Valley and the tiny town of Stanley. The Sawtooth Valley has to be one of the most scenic mountain valleys anywhere and the drive from Stanley to Boise is breathtaking.

4. McCall and the Payette River drainage. I will take a stab and state that this area, along with the Sawtooth Valley, is one of the most scenic in the entire West, period. Visit and you will see why. And then take highway 95 North of McCall to

5. North Idaho and visit Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint, Wallace, Priest Lake. Words cannot describe the beauty of North Idaho. The largest amusement park in the Northwest is outside of Coeur d'Alene and there are several water parks in that area too.


But the question is, which area of the state are you planning on visiting? Northern Idaho is a long ways away from Southern Idaho. Eastern Idaho is about a 4 hour drive from Boise in Western Idaho.
If you plan on staying in the Southern and Central area of the state there is more than enough places to visit with a family. You have to get off of I-84 which goes East and West through South Idaho and explore the areas North and South. North is towards Sun Valley and the famous Idaho mountains and wilderness, South is the desert canyon areas.

[cleosmom]

As soon as I have an idea on just what part of Idaho you'll be visiting I can give you some ideas on kennels that do doggy daycare as there might be places that you can't take the dog and too warm in the car.

[pimit2]

Hello Kaligirl,

I concur with Trace Rinaldi. The loop trip he suggests should allow you to cover a lot of the scenic parts of all the states you plan to visit. Idaho has all the outdoors you could want. In the North Idaho Panhandle (Sandpoint/Coeur d’Alene), I urge you to interface with the people, young and old. The people are genuine and friendly….quite the reverse from what I’ve experienced in places like Southern California. I think you’ll find the people refreshing and interesting. Besides the mountains, forests and rivers, the Panhandle features Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced Pon-da-ray) and Lake Coeur d’Alene (pronounced Cor-da-lane), the two largest lakes in Idaho. Both were glacially-formed. I might suggest a cooling swim in Lake Pend Oreille at City Beach adjacent to Sandpoint's downtown.

It’s difficult to pick 5 places to see in the state, but if you take the suggested route, the state capital of Boise can be a good Idaho exit point at the time you are traveling. Boise is our largest city with a population of an estimated 215,000. In late July and early August, temperatures can be at or near 100 degrees….perfect for a float on a beautiful river.

The Boise River flows through downtown Boise. A popular 5-mile float from Barber Park, past Boise State University, and Julia Davis Park, concludes at Ann Morrison Park. If you decide to do this, park your car at Ann Morrison Park and take the shuttle bus to the put-in at Barber Park. Rafts and tubes are for rent at Barber Park. You float back down to where your car is parked at Ann Morrison Park. Guided trips are also available with a guide familiar with the area fauna and flora. For details, call the Boise Parks Department at (208) 384-4240.

If you can time your Boise River float in the early morning, you can beat the high temperatures the afternoon hours will likely bring. Perfect! You should see the downtown area anyway, so this is a great time to enjoy lunch at a sidewalk café. Some of my favorites are near downtown in an area known as Hyde Park, but the downtown has many sidewalk restaurants in any price range.

I hope this has been helpful. Have a great trip and Welcome to Idaho!


pimit2 (Bob)

[Clark Fork Fantast]

I agree with Trace, it isn't crazy at all! We've done similar road trips every year since 2006, from SoCal along different routes, exploring Northern CA, Oregon, Eastern Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada, in addition to Idaho. Of course we ended up loving North Idaho so much that we now own property up there ...so beware! You may end up leaving your heart somewhere along the way!
Good suggestions above--if you're including Yellowstone, make sure you go through Jackson Hole on the way.
Anyway, my top Idaho vote would be the Sandpoint area (the amusement park is Silverwood). Next, the Salmon area, Sun Valley, and Riggins.
Have fun, whichever route you take!

[Trace_Rinaldi]

I'd second Jackson Hole.. Thats a great place to visit. Silverwood is awesome for the kids too, and even a day at the park and beach on lake CdA is all kinds of fun for youngins..
Im also like CF in that we travelled ALL OVER the western US in a car seeing it all and taking it all in.. When we got to North Idaho we knew we had found home and bought property.

[boisefan88]

In my opinion, I'd pick a few places and focus on that.

I've done many a roadtrip that was as ambitious as yours and it turns out the be a little overwhelming. What ends up happening is during the last few days (or week or whatever) you end up saying "eh, that's neat, let's go" to everything you see. ESPECIALLY when you have kids.

I just think it's so much better to focus on fewer places but spending more time in them. Each of the places that have been suggested so far you can easily spend a week there and not get bored. However, a lot of those places might be pointless if it's just a shotgun visit.

[baidaho]

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Sawtooth Valley, arguably the most beautiful scenery in Idaho.