More to Idaho than just potatoes

    Research says that when people think of Idaho, they think potatoes. That may be largely attributable to the genuine potato farmer and his genuine potato dog featured in TV commercials. But the image does a disservice to the scenic beauty and cultural attributes of the state.
   Shirley and I are impressed by both. The scenic part is just about everywhere. We think the cultural part is best exemplified by the resort communities of Ketchum and Sun Valley, once a prime destination for celebrities, movers, and shakers. As RVers, campers, and fly fishers we have enjoyed much of what Idaho has to offer. Including their potatoes. 

Boondocking on the North Fork of the Big Wood River.

Which is just a short drive from Sun Valley.

The lodge has been popular with celebrities for a long time. Hemingway wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls here.

His grave is about a mile away in Ketchum. Part of the tribute is a glass of brown liquid in a double Old Fashioned glass. 

Summer concerts used to be held under a tent but in 2008 they opened a new pavilion--designed to look like the old tent.

There are hot springs along the upper Salmon River. Trout too.

Sun Valley Lodge offered an excellent buffet on the back deck.

At the skating rink behind the lodge, world class and Olympic skaters as well as talented amateurs hone their skills all summer. You may remember an old movie starring Sonja Henie that was set here.

We arrived for rehearsal at the Pavilion and stayed for the concert.

Sun Valley has quaint shops. (That's a euphemism for pricey.)

Up at the Galena Pass we came to the source of the Salmon River, called the River of No Return because the force of the current and steep canyon walls made it impossible for pioneers to turn around and go back. Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe showed how dangerous it was in the movie of that name.

The ghost town Custer is reached by gravel road way up the Yankee Fork.

Shirley learned to pan for gold because there is still a little to be found.

She offered to teach me.

Bonanza! There is a fleck of gold in there--so small that you might not notice if it got stuck in you eye.

The little town of Stanley sits at the base of the Sawtooth Mountains at a bend of the Salmon River.

We went fishing on a mountain lake and came across several black mounds that looked like cow pies. They turned out to be hundreds and hundreds of little black frogs.

Also huge numbers of polliwogs in the shallows.

National Forests permit boondocking--camping without a campground. We think it is a great way to enjoy the blessings of solitude and visits by wildlife.

Such as this otter who was a better fisher than me.

Or this snowshoe hare--also probably a better fisher.

Of course, there are times when we appreciate the amenities of an actual campground--such as a fire ring with grate and a picnic table and maybe running water or a well with a hand pump.

A dipper or water ouzel can actually walk under water in search of the larvae of aquatic insects.

There are huge canola fields in southern Idaho. Like potatoes, it grows well in rich volcanic soil.

Other plants grow in the rubble of a volcanic eruption.

These are at Craters of the Moon National Monument where the astronauts trained for the 1969 moon landing.

We hiked through Indian Cave, a lava tube that is 30 ft. high, 50 ft. wide, and 800 ft. long.

Natural lighting is provided by skylights--holes where the ceiling collapsed. That thought generates a lot of confidence

There are paved trails in the Monument because walking on lava tends to be challenging.

We would be remiss not to pay homage to the classic steak with Idaho potato.