Images of Idaho: Gem of the Mountains

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Ernest Hemingway once quipped, “A lot of state, this Idaho, that I didn’t know about.” 

That’s probably true for all of us! 

Nestled against the western side of the continental divide of the Rocky Mountains, Idaho is vast and diverse. Northern Idaho gleams with emerald green hillsides and sparkling lakes of all sizes. Rugged mountains, wilderness, and rolling farmland make up central Idaho. The Snake River Plain, with its wide open vistas, lush farmlands, and vibrant cities, forms the character of southern Idaho. Wherever you travel in Idaho, you’ll find spectacular scenery and a place that’s unhurried, unspoiled, and unassuming – perfect for our backroads adventure! 

Day 1 – Home to Bismarck, ND 

We depart with great anticipation of a new travel adventure. We stop along the way for morning coffee and lunch on our own before our late afternoon arrival in Bismarck. We enjoy an included welcome dinner aboard a delightful river cruise this evening. 

Included Meals: Welcome Dinner 

Hotel: Home 2 Suites 

Day 2 – Bismarck to Bozeman, MT 

After an enjoyable hot breakfast we depart for Bozeman, MT, our destination for today. We make a quick coffee stop before making our first of many scenic overviews on this incredible trip at the Painted Desert in Western North Dakota. Lunch on our own and a coffee break are scheduled as we make our way across vast Montana. Today we realize that the “Big Sky Country” is really true! We arrive at Bozeman’s C’Mon Inn, nestled in the hub of Montana’s Rocky Mountains just 90 miles from Yellowstone Park. You will love being surrounded by mountains on all sides. Dinner is on our own this evening with a couple choices close by. Sleep will come quickly as we breathe in the fresh Montana mountain air. 

Included Meals: Breakfast 

Hotel: The C’Mon Inn 

Day 3 – Bozeman to Wallace, ID 

Hot breakfast is provided at the C’Mon Inn. This morning is not just “another ordinary travel day.” This stretch of interstate is one of the most incredible and scenic drives in all of America. Multiple mountain ranges are always in view, a truly inspiring experience. Awaiting us is a stop at Wheat Montana Farms and Bakery where we will treat ourselves to a tasty goodie – which will also be our early lunch break. We then move on along the river valleys of the Bitterroot Mountains to Wallace, Idaho, a little hamlet you will not soon forget. The entire town of Wallace is on the National Historic Register, famous for its rich silver mining and logging heritage. This afternoon we tour the Sierra Silver Mine, the Wallace District Mining Museum if you’d like, and more. After our afternoon in Wallace, the coach will take us to the Wallace Inn to check in and enjoy a complimentary wine & cheese social. Our included dinner tonight will be served at the Inn. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Hotel: Wallace Inn 

Day 4 – Wallace to Coeur d’Alene, ID 

Our “good morning” breakfast buffet will be served at the Inn. After breakfast we leave on our westerly trip through the Silver Valley to The Old Mission at Cataldo, Idaho’s oldest standing building. The Mission is unique in its architecture and romantic in its history, beckoning all who pass. Our journey now takes us to the beautiful city of Coeur d’Alene for lunch on your own in this restful park area before we will enjoy a scenic cruise of pristine Lake Coeur d’Alene. Exploring the lakes wooded bays we will see wildlife, incredible secluded lake homes, and the world’s only floating golf green. Check into the beautiful Resort at Coeur d’Alene before having an included dinner. Enjoy the evening by relaxing, exploring the area, strolling on the boardwalk, and taking in this incredible setting. This is the life! 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Resort at Coeur d’Alene 

Day 5 – Coeur d’Alene to Orofino, ID 

After breakfast in our amazing surroundings we depart for Heyburn National Historic Park & Visitors Center, where we will have time to walk the beautiful trails and bridge. Our home for the next two nights will be The Lodge at River’s Edge in Orofino. As guests, you will be enthralled at the spot we have chosen. Dinner is served at “The Edge” right next door. You will love it! 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: The Lodge at River’s Edge (2 Nights) 

Day 6 – Orofino 

We enjoy breakfast this morning together in a bright & beautiful dining room totally surrounded by spectacular scenery. We are on the banks of the Clearwater River, one of America’s most renowned wild rivers. Had we been here in 1805, we could have witnessed Lewis & Clark floating by on their historic quest. This morning a very informative tour awaits us a the Dworshak Dam and Reservoir. At 717 feet high, Dworshak is the third tallest dam, in the United States and the tallest straight-axis concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere. Then, just down the road is the Dworshak National Fish Hatchery, located in the Clearwater River basin. This afternoon takes us on the Gold Rush Historic Byway to the backroad village of Weippe. We will visit the Weippe Hilltop Heritage Museum and the Clearwater County Museum in Orofino. Dinner this evening is again at The Edge on the River. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Day 7 – Orofino to Boise, ID 

Another awesome breakfast experience is enjoyed in our surreal surroundings before we depart. We have in store for us a beautiful and informative drive today with stops for many photo ops, like: the picturesque Clearwater River, Nez Perce War sites, Heart of the Monster and Long Camp, Villages of Kooskia & Grangeville and spectacular Salmon River Canyon. The featured stop of the day is Fiddle Creek Fruit stand. Save your pennies for homemade Huckleberry Pie and Jam. We enter McCall located on picturesque Payette Lake for lunch on your own. More gorgeous landscape unfolds following the winding Payette River as we exit the Canyon through Horseshoe Bend into Boise our destination for the night. A pizza party dinner is provided right at the hotel. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Hyatt Place 

Day 8 – Boise to Twin Falls, ID 

Breakfast at our hotel is served before departing for a beautiful but busy day. Our first stop of the day will be the State Capitol Building in Boise for a self-guided tour. After our capitol visit, we will continue on to Glenns Ferry for a visit at the Y Knot Winery for some wine tasting and a delicious lunch! After lunch we travel to Three Island Crossing State Park, where the Oregon Trail crosses the Snake River. Here we will see first hand the struggle that early pioneers faced on their journey west. Then we’ll travel to Shoshone Falls State Park, where we’ll see what’s called the “Niagara Falls of the West.” Our destination this evening is the Hampton Inn of Twin Falls, a fabulous location. We are near the incredible Snake River Canyon, only a stone’s throw from the famous spot where Evel Knievel attempted to jump the canyon on his motorcycle in 1974. Savor this special view! Dinner this evening is on your own to choose from excellent choices near our hotel. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Hotel: Hampton Inn 

Day 9 – Twin Falls to Idaho Falls, ID 

Breakfast at the hotel is served before our full day of travel and sightseeing. The view out the coach windows takes on a whole new look than we’ve been accustomed to since entering Idaho. Traveling through the desert of Idaho and the lava beds all around us, we arrive at Craters of the Moon National Monument. The Craters of the Moon Lava Field spreads across 618 square miles and is the largest lava field in the lower 48 U.S. states. The 60 distinct lava flows that form the Craters of the Moon Lava Field range in age from 15,000 to just 2,000 years. It derives its name from its realistic moonscape appearance. Lunch today will be in the tiny desert hamlet of Arco, the first community in the world ever to be lit by electricity generated by nuclear power. This occurred on July 17, 1955, powered by Argonne National Laboratory’s BORAX-III reactor at the nearby National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS), which eventually became the site of the Idaho National Laboratory. Following lunch our journey then takes us to Blackfoot where we tour The Potato Museum and discover first hand why Idaho is referred to as “The Potato State.” Arriving at the Holiday Inn Express in Idaho Falls we have completed our day of travel. Tonight we go back to the 1950s for great food & fun at Dixie’s Diner. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express 

Day 10 – Idaho Falls to Riverton, WY 

We depart early this morning, traveling on one of the most scenic drives of our journey through the Grand Tetons to Jackson, Wyoming. We arrive at the banks of the Snake River for a fantastic float trip down the now peaceful Snake River. We’ll enjoy our picnic lunches aboard our rafts as we float down the river! See the awesome Teton Range like never before, much like John Colter first did in 1807 when he discovered this incredibly beautiful and unspoiled place. This just might be the highlight of the trip! The serene yet powerful Snake River winds timelessly through the history of Jackson Hole beneath the geological grandeur of the majestic Grand Tetons. This river ecosystem is a bird watchers paradise where Golden & Bald Eagles prevail and herds of elk, mule deer, and moose abound. The rafts will gently carry us along one of the most beautiful stretches of river our country has to offer. Next is Moran Junction, known to be one of the most spectacular unheralded drives through the Bridger Teton National Forest and over Togwotee Pass. Watch for the ever-present possibility of wildlife gracing the wide-open fields of classic Wyoming ranch country. As we continue our drive, we will stop near Dubois at The National Museum of Military Vehicles, established in 2020. On display are more than 500 military vehicles and a significant firearms collection along with other artifacts. Our hotel tonight is the Hampton Inn in Riverton, WY. Dinner tonight will be a sandwich and salad buffet at the hotel. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Hotel: Hampton Inn 

Day 11 – Riverton to Keystone, SD 

Just because Idaho and the Tetons are behind us doesn’t mean our journey home is no longer exciting! Much more to see and do is still ahead. After breakfast we will be on our way across the high wide open spaces to Casper and then Lusk, Wyoming before entering the Black Hills country of South Dakota. Crazy Horse Memorial is our next stop and it is an unbelievable work of art in progress. After leaving Crazy Horse Memorial we visit majestic Mount Rushmore, the landmark memorial tribute to our great former presidents carved in the side of a mountain out of solid rock. It is an awesome, inspiring sight even if you have viewed it before. Our hotel for tonight will be the Ramada Inn in Keystone SD. Enjoy dinner on your own in Keystone before returning to Mount Rushmore for the evening lighting ceremony. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Hotel: Ramada Inn 

Day 12 – Keystone to Mitchell, SD 

Departing Keystone after an included breakfast at the hotel, we are then on our way to the infamous Wall Drug in little ol’ Wall, SD. You will have ample time to explore this famous tourist stop and have an early lunch. Leaving Wall, we immediately enter Badlands National Park and experience a beauty unique only to this seemingly God forsaken land. The panoramic views change with each turn in the road and the ever changing sun angle. After a pause at the Park’s visitors center, we travel on to Mitchell, SD where we will check into the Hampton Inn before enjoying a farewell dinner at Whiskey Creek Restaurant. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Hampton Inn 

Day 13 – Mitchell to Home 

After breakfast we board the coach and stop at the Mitchell Corn Palace, an incredible landmark building adorned entirely in corn. Lunch will be on our own along the way. We have completed another exclusive R&J backroads adventure – what an extraordinary journey! 

Included Meals: Breakfast