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The road west on US 20 from Craters of the Moon National Monument near Arco ID to Mountain Home ID is an excellent highway over mostly flat terrain interspersed with some rolling hills. From Mountain Home, I took I-84 west to Boise Riverside RV Park in the Boise ID suburb of Garden City ID. The RV park has small spaces and narrow roads, but an assistant accompanied me to the site and helped me position my rig in the back-in site. I’m pretty happy with the new diesel – the on-board computer showed 12.0 miles per gallon from Arco to Garden City as I was PULLING the Bighorn. That’s about 50 percent better than my old truck while pulling the Pilgrim. Pretty much as soon as I had gotten the rig settled in, my neighbor, Eric, came over to exchange greetings. It turns out he is a retired Los Angeles County Firefighter/Paramedic whose son lives in Boise, AND he is a former Navy corpsman who spent the bulk of his service time assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps. Needless to say, we had something in common!
Eric and I set out for a scenic drive on Wednesday, June 28, 2017.
We combined the
Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway and the
Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway into a hybrid of sorts by setting out northbound on Idaho 21, the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway, until it ended at Idaho 75 in Lowman ID. We almost made it to Stanley ID on ID 75 but stopped at Stanley Lake. After backtracking to Lowman, we headed to Banks ID on the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway or ID 17 or the Banks
-Lowman Road.
I drove and Eric served as the navigator, since he is more familiar with Boise and the surrounding area than I. After breakfast, he made our first stop the Lucky Peak Dam Recreation Area where we paused to admire the enormity of Lucky Peak Dam. The earth-filled dam stands about 250 feet above the streambed and extends 1700 feet along its crest. It happened that a water release was underway at the time of our visit. We continued north on ID 21 to Idaho City and the
Idaho City Historical Area. Idaho City, the county seat of Boise County, had a population of 485 in the 2010 census, up 27 people from its 458 in 2000. Founded in December 1862 as Bannock during the Boise Basin gold rush of the Civil War
era, the largest since the California gold rush (1848–1855), its name was changed to Idaho City by the Idaho Territorial Legislature to avoid confusion with Bannack MT.
At its peak during the mid-1860s, there were more than 200 businesses in town, including three dozen saloons and two dozen law offices. Its population of 7000 in 1864 made it the largest city in the Northwest – bigger even than Portland. During the boom, the greater Boise Basin population numbered in the tens of thousands, but most departed the mountains once mining declined. Idaho City’s population fell below 900 by 1870 and was down to 104 by 1920. The modern economy relies mainly on hunting and fishing tourism and visits to the numerous historic sites. Our first stop was the visitor center, followed by a ride around town. Not needing lunch and not having shopping very high on either’s agenda, we resumed our drive through some very scenic canyons along some very picturesque babbling brooks. Indeed, the streams might look inviting to the white-water kayaker.
When we reached Idaho 75, we turned east toward Stanley. Just short of the turnoff for Stanley Lake, we made a stop along a flooded
meadow, hoping to see some critters. I believe the flooding was the result of snowmelt. Continuing toward Stanley, we took the turnoff for Stanley Lake and had a nice time putzing along the lakeshore, capitalizing on some great photographic opportunities and chatting with some other visitors. Our return to Lowman covered new territory – we had been travelling the opposite direction, so we hadn’t seen the landscape from our new vantage point! In Lowman, we turned west on ID 21 or the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway toward Banks. Again, we were treated to some very scenic terrain. A short drive south from Banks on ID 55 brought us back to Greater Boise.
Thursday, June 29, 2017 found Eric and me truck-pooling to Silver City ID –
Silver City Historical Area. Although we had several options, this route was one Eric had not travelled, and it was highly recommended by the RV park staff. Besides, I had lived in Silver City NM so I needed to compare apples to apples! This time, Eric wanted to drive to equalize the expenses. Sounds good to me! We started south on ID 45 and then on ID 78 until we were a few miles south of
Murphy ID. Along the way, there had been signs indicating the mileage to Silver City but not to the Silver City turnoff. Abruptly, a sign appeared indicating the Silver City turnoff. Our ascent up the east side of the Owyhee Mountains began on high desert terrain but quickly changed to an alpine-like environment as our elevation increased. A babbling brook accompanied us for most of the drive on Silver City Road.
As we pulled into the quaint historic town, I spotted two ladies sitting on a wooden bench in front of a store. I approached and asked if either had been to Silverton CO. Neither had been, but I related the fact that Silverton is a similar historic town with wooden benches throughout. Carved wooden mannequins in full attire – cowboys, miners, Native Americans, housewives – stand on the sidewalks and sit on the wooden benches. In the early 2000s, I was sitting on one of those benches with my legs crossed all decked out in my Levi’s, cowboy hat and cowboy boots. A couple from the Midwest, I don’t remember exactly what state, pulled up directly in front of me. They got out and headed for the store
Interesting Structures Abound
Scenic Loop Through Silver City IDwhere my ex-wife was shopping. Just as they stepped onto the sidewalk, I uncrossed my legs whereupon the lady startled so dramatically I thought she was about to have the big one. We all had a great laugh as did I and the two ladies who had just heard my story.
As we were chatting, the owner of the hotel/restaurant returned from a supply run to town. One of the ladies served as the waitress for the restaurant, so she departed to help unload the supplies. Eric and I continued chatting with the other lady and discovered her great grandparents had come to Silver City in 1892, and she summered in the home they occupied oh, so long ago. She related that only a handful of people live in Silver City year around. We had seen several fire hydrants, and she told us about the water system. Eric tried to make a phone call but had no service, so she walked home to get her phone so he could make his call. Is that down home or what? We wandered around town, took some photographs and headed for the restaurant.
A placard in the restaurant tells the visitor
about Silver City. With an elevation of 6200 feet, Silver City gets 4-6 feet of snow annually. The city has had telephones since 1880 but has had no electric service since the 1940s – it is a solar-powered community. In its heyday, Silver City boasted a population of 2500 who lived in 400 houses, shopped at 125 businesses and worked in one of 250 mines. Today the summer population is 12 and the winter population is 2. During the summer season, May through October, visitors may stay at one of the hotel’s 13 rooms – 27 of the original 40 rooms are unavailable. The menu is on the cover of a notebook full of tantalizing tidbits about Silver City, including the double murder at Three Creek in 1928 and the hardships, discrimination and bigotry endured by immigrant Chinese miners in Idaho during the late 19
th century. The French Dip sandwich I had was average but came with a small bag of chips and tourist prices.
The ladies had told us the road down the west slope was in about the same condition as the east slope but that the terrain and ecosystem were totally different. Eric is a rock
hound so we made several stops on the way down the west side of the mountain. While he explored, I enjoyed the serenity. On the way to Jordan Valley OR, we discovered a shortcut that veered off to the northwest. We took it, met up with US 95 near Sheaville OR and continued north to Boise metro. If one has time for only one scenic drive, I would recommend the Silver City trip.
Friday, June 30, 2017 found us hanging around Boise. Our first stop was for a guided tour of the
Idaho State Capitol in Boise. When I made my reservation a couple of weeks ago (I did a lot of housework during my “it’s too hot to do much of anything in Las Vegas NV” week and AFTER my calendar was FINALLY solidified), I had been told I would be an add-on to a high school group. No problem. Eric made a last-minute add-on reservation as well. Our tour guide was a soft-spoken substitute and related more statistical information than colorful stories. Overall, she did a nice job; however, the building is one of the least ornate I have seen. I’ll recommend it for history buffs like me, but
The Jamblya Is NOT to Be Confused with The Jambalaya
J. Curtis Earl Weapons Exhibit - Old Idaho Penitentiary - Boise ID for those with limited time – well, visit another capitol on another vacation and enjoy Idaho’s superb scenery and history.
Our next stop was the
Old Idaho Penitentiary in Boise. A lot of people will say an historic prison is an historic prison is an historic prison; however, each has something unique and interesting about the way the institution’s history is portrayed. In service from 1870-1973, Old Idaho Penitentiary has the requisite collection of weapons confiscated from prisoners, death row and solitary confinement areas and pictures of the most infamous inmates, but it goes well beyond that. One enlightening exhibit tells the story of tattoos, which began about 5300 B.C., but focuses on prison tattoos and their meanings – religious, lust, violence, lost love, spirituality, gang affiliation and others. Another unique exhibit relates the story of how the targeting of polygamists in the 1880s necessitated the construction of a new cell block. Yet a third can be found in the prison laundry. I found the vintage laundry equipment quite interesting. The Old Idaho Penitentiary is chockfull of Idaho history and that, for me, is enough to warrant a visit.
Although housed inside the “prison walls,” another quality museum in its
The Maxim Machine Gun, Model 1898, Is Belt Fed and Water Cooled
J. Curtis Earl Weapons Exhibit - Old Idaho Penitentiary - Boise ID own right is the J. Curtis Earl Weapons Exhibit. Yes, these specimens have nothing in to do with an historic prison, but for some unknown reason it has found its home inside these limestone walls. Indeed, I believe the weapons museum itself is worth the price of admission for those interested in vintage weapons. Exhibits chronicle weapons from the Bronze Age through the machine guns of the World War II era, display numerous vintage pole arms, knives and swords and highlight some of the “movers and shakers” in the development of modern firearms, such as R.J. Gatling, inventor of the Gatling Gun in 1862 and John M. Browning, inventor of the Browning Automatic Rifle or BAR. Placards provide the visitor with a basic introduction to firearms components and how they work. Although numerous types of weapons are displayed, the emphasis is on military weapons both automatic and semi-automatic – sorry, folks, no pistols here.
Our final stop of the day was the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey, also in Boise. First, almost all the captive birds (I’m not sure about the condors) CANNOT be released for some reason such as injury or human imprinting. Eric and
I began by strolling around the grounds awaiting the first presentation which was held in the Archives of Falconry and Library building. That building is secured except during staff presentations, so plan accordingly. The docent gave an interesting explanation of the history of falconry, Falconry Basics 101, raptors vs. birds of prey and falconry today. We were then given time to wander through the displays of historic falconry equipment. The next “show and tell” presentation included an American Kestrel, and our day ended with a feeding presentation with a Peregrine Falcon and a preening demonstration with a pair of Bateleur Eagles native to Africa. All the staff were knowledgeable and helpful, the presentations were informative and interesting and the specimens on display were outstanding. Highly recommended, particularly for those with children.
I had a very nice week in Boise and met a nice man who shared my adventures and shared some of his knowledge of the Boise area. I found the city clean, easy to navigate and felt secure at all times. Eric and I were treated to some spectacular scenery, visited two historic towns, met a couple of very friendly natives and sampled some mighty tasty Idaho vittles.
On Monday morning, this quarterback would have skipped the capitol tour and spent more time at the birds of prey facility; however, the capitol is an integral part of Idaho history. Unfortunately, the
Idaho State Historical Museum was closed for renovation so there’s more history awaiting Uncle Larry’s return.
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