This area straddles the Idaho-Utah border where the Great Basin and the Rocky Mountains come together.  The roughest beauty of the area is well worth seeing as you enjoy all there is to do in the area.

Come and enjoy the Bear Lake Hot Springs which emerge at 118 degrees Fahrenheit.  The mineral water is cooled as flows through the mountains to the tubs.  This relaxing visit will have you ready for all the other things there are to do and see in the area, and then you may want to come back to take another relaxing dip before heading home from your vacation.

The springs are located 7 miles East North Beach State Road on the north east side of Bear Lake in Idaho.  They are open Mother’s Day to Labor Day from 10 am to 10 pm daily.  You can get information by calling 208-945-4545.

Located in Whitney, Idaho is the Ezra Taft Benson Home and Gravesite.  Whitney was the boyhood home of this gentleman who served as Secretary of Agriculture in the Eisenhower Administration and as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 – 1994.  Although the home and farm are private property which is not open to the public Benson is buried in the Whitney cemetery which is close by.

Stop in at the Franklin Relic Hall which is located in the village of Franklin.  Franklin is the oldest European-American settlement in Idaho.  It was established in April of 1860 by Mormon pioneers moving northward from Utah.  The Relic Hall is a log building that was built as a museum in 1937 as homage to the homes of the early settlers.  The displays you will be able to see have remained pretty much unchanged since they were installed in 1937.  There are farm implements, photos of settlers, and a Yellowstone Park Touring Stagecoach as well as a replica of the old fort that was the first structure of the settlement.  The Relic Hall is located at 111 East Main in Franklin, Idaho.

While in Franklin stop in at the Hatch House and Doney House.  This Greek revival style house was built with local limestone in 1872 by Lorenzo H. Hatch.  He was one of the earliest settlers in Franklin. A carpenter and farmer, he was the first Mormon Idaho legislator and served as mayor and Mormon bishop of Franklin. Since Hatch was the local bishop, he built his house large enough to accommodate visiting dignitaries and travelers. The original floor plan included a front parlor, hallway and staircase on one side, a kitchen in the back, and four bedrooms (three upstairs and one downstairs). A brick addition was built in 1905.  Descendants of L.H. Hatch lived in the house until the 1940′s. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is not open to the public.

This is also the site of the Doney house, which has been moved from its original location. It is the second oldest house in Idaho, built in 1864 by John Doney, and an example of a pioneer rock house.  View both houses from the street.  Location to view them is 125 East Main, Franklin, Idaho.

Preston, Idaho offers you the opportunity to see the Oneida Stake Academy whish was one of many schools founded by the LDS.  It was started in 1888.  It is the oldest academy building still standing.  in 2002 the Franklin County School District decided they needed the land occupied by the empty Academy building and were going to tear it down.  Citizens came to the rescue of the building and had it lifted from its foundation and moved two blocks to Benson Park so that it would remain for people to see.

If you have an interest in learning how it was to live as a pioneer lived you can take a Pioneering Adventure and visit the Pioneer style living farm.  You can take hay wagon and covered wagon rides.  You will be able to enjoy Dutch oven dinners, tipi village, and camping and hand cart treks with the hosts.  This is located in Paris, Idaho.  You may find that the illusions of the easy life of "the old days" is just that, an illusion as you get familiarized with the work it took to just exist in the early days of Idaho founding.

Bear River Heritage Area – Logan, Idaho is a post from: Idaho Tourism

This lava tube is 1,000 ft. long with a ceiling height of between 8 and 30 ft. The collapsed roof serves as an entrance.  The cold trap effect and the extremely different temperatures in Idaho between the summer and the winter make it a perfect ice cave.  Now, the cold air flows down into the cave during the winter and freezes all the water entering the cave through fractures.  This produces a continuous layer of ice.  It is cold in the cave (obviously) with a temperature between -7 degrees C. and .5 degrees C depending on which area you are in.  The outside temperature may reach 37 degrees C so warm cloths and sturdy shoes are a must.

There is a wooden bridge above the thick layer of ice covering almost the whole cave floor and the cave ends with a wall of ice.  The cave isn’t the beautiful type cave that many of you have probably been in, the reason this is of interest is that it is an ice cave and you don’t get a lot of opportunities to see them and tour them.

Former owners of the cave thought that if they added some "charm" to the cave it would be more interesting to tourists so they added a green dinosaur with a cave man sitting on its neck, a three-story high Chief Wasakie statue and a bull at the museum entrance.  There were some things inside the cave too but fortunately they have been removed. Concrete sculptures of early natives, stone age (ice) cave men and women, stand along the path down to the cave. Although they are of doubtful beauty, they are a great fun for children.

There are lots of legends about the cave and even a few that are said to be haunted, but in reality, it is a lava tube with ice.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Nearby Shoshone Ice Caves is Bennett Hills Recreation Management Area which has fourteen lava tubes. One of them, called T-Maze Caves is accessible for visitors but undeveloped.

Outside the entrance to the Shoshone Indian Ice Cave are some "courtesy coats" for you to wear on your tour.  It truly is cold in there and you are going to want a jacket of some sort.  Although these may not be Macy’s best, they will keep you warm enough for the tour.

Location: 1561 N. Hwy. 75, Shoshone, ID

Directions: Hwy. 75, 17 mi. N of Shoshone.

Hours: May-Sep. Daily 8 am – 7:15 pm. (Call to verify)

Phone: 208-886-2058

Fees: Adults $7.50, Seniors $6.50 & Children 4-12 $4.00, Children 3 and under free; group rates.

Shoshone Indian Ice Caves – Shoshone, Idaho is a post from: Idaho Tourism

When you visit, you will find the American Falls Reservoir located here.  This huge reservoir is about 56,000 acres in size, making it one of the largest you will find in the country.  It is the largest reservoir located on the winding and turning Snake River.  At the top of the reservoir, which has a nine story high dam that is over a half a mile in length is Highway 39.  This makes for an impressive sight when driving nearby.

If you are planning a visit here, do plan to stay and play.  You can spend a lot of your time outdoors here and the facility is open all year round.  There are docks located nearby as well as fuel and parking facilities.  Many people are in view canoeing and boating up and down the Snake River that is located here.  In addition, you will want to spend some of your visit fishing, as some of the best fishing is available on the American Falls Reservoir.  You will also find other things to do here.  Many people enjoy the camping and the hiking throughout the region around the American Falls area.  This is open air camping of the best type.  You will definitely want to spend some of your time enjoying the vast wilderness found throughout the region.

For anyone that is planning a trip to Idaho, it is essential to take in the look and feel of this area’s landscape.  With hills and trails everywhere, the water is just as mesmerizing as the sites you see around you.  Plan to spend a weekend camping here, or take in a day of fishing on the river.  The locals love this spot for its relaxing experience as well as peace.

American Falls Reservoir, American Falls, Idaho is a post from: Idaho Tourism

The National Oregon/California Trail Center in the Bear Lake Valley in Montpelier, Idaho offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore pioneer history. Hundreds of thousands of Americans set off on the 2,000 mile journey along the historic Oregon/California Trail in the latter half of the 19th century. The Trail Center interprets the pioneer’s story, giving visitors a first-hand experience of the six month journey from Missouri to the Oregon Territory.

The Trail Center is located along the original Oregon/California Trail, and the historic location sets the stage for the recreated trek visitors experience indoors at the Center. Live actors lead visitors on a simulated wagon train journey west through a series of historically accurate interpretive areas.

The Trail Center journey begins at the recreated mercantile shop. Here, the wagon master will guide you in selecting provisions necessary for survival during the arduous six month journey. Visiting pioneers learn about the wagon and oxen needed to carry them along the trail and the livestock they will need to bring for food production. Visitors also learn about the guns and ammunition needed for the journey, how much food is required, and other types of necessary supplies such as candles and axle grease.

As part of your journey at the Trail Center, you’ll see how provisions are packed and loaded on board the wagon in preparation for travel. Once the wagon has been fully stocked, the long trek gets underway. A computer- simulated covered wagon trail ride allows visitors to experience what it felt like to travel the Oregon/California Trail. Pioneer actors in period costumes along with the wagon master provide information about the Trail, and you will learn about the lifestyle of the pioneers at various stops along the way.

You’ll hear authentic sounds and stories as you sit around a simulated campfire at a wagon encampment. The Blacksmith’s wagon and other re-enactment areas transport visitors back in time during a fun, educational and very entertaining experience. The original 2,000 mile journey is condensed into a fascinating one hour tour that provides visitors with an authentic view of pioneer life along the Oregon/California Trail.

In addition to the simulated Trail journey, there are several other attractions at the National Oregon/California Trail Center. The Rails and Trails Museum features exhibits that display railroad artifacts, relics and pioneer memorabilia from Montpelier and the Bear Lake Valley. The early history of Montpelier’s railroad, the history of Bear Lake Valley and the Pioneer experience on the Oregon/California Trail are themes of the exhibits at the Museum.

Visitors to the National Oregon/California Trail Center will also see a very impressive exhibit of paintings by artist Gary Stone. Forty vibrant paintings that were carefully researched for historical accuracy interpret pioneers’ experiences along the Oregon Trail.

National Oregon/California Trail Center – Montpelier, Idaho is a post from: Idaho Tourism

Skiing is a top interest in Idaho where we have one of the two US Ski and Snowboard Association cross country courses.  Idaho is the top choice for cross country skiers – offering a wide variety of courses, slopes, and of course the resorts and accomodations to make your trip excellent!

Idaho’s museums, including the Museum of Idaho offer wonderful educational and historic tours as well.  Ice Age Mammels is exhibiting in the Museum of Idaho, featuring Pleistocene-era mammals, the Columbian Mammoth, Mastodon, Saber Tooth Cat, Giant Ground Sloth, North American Camel, Giant Beaver, Ancient Bison, and Giant Short-Faced Bear.

Idaho Vacation is a post from: Idaho Tourism