Yellowstone has long been on my bucket list but the logistics of getting there as well as tales of summer traffic jams, large crowds and lines to hike its iconic natural attractions was a deterrent. As COVID hit and shut down dreams of international travel, we started seriously looking at the US National Parks on our must see and hike list. So in fall of 2020, we decided to plan a trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons for the last week of October, the final week of the season before the roads closed for the winter in Yellowstone. We hoped for light crowds and good weather!
After a bit of research, it appeared that the most convenient way for us to get to Yellowstone was to fly to Idaho Falls , rent a car and then drive to Jackson Hole and on to the park. We were able to book a late night non stop flight arriving in Idaho Falls around 11pm local time, pick up the rental car and drive a short 15 mins to our hotel. We planned on driving to Jackson Hole the following afternoon to spend the night before heading to Yellowstone. This gave us a full morning to check out Idaho Falls. Our first order of business was to take a walk, check out the town and find a place for breakfast.
Our hotel was a short block from the Idaho Falls Greenbelt, a five mile walkway paralleling both banks of the Snake River. The morning was cool and overcast, but no imminent threat of rain. We entered the greenbelt across from a small island. Still referred to today as Keefer Island, it got its namesake from the miner who made a claim on the land and built a small cabin in the 1930s. Although the river appeared wide and calm here, the remnants of tree trunks and branches scattered along the shoreline showed the power this river could muster.
Past the island, towering in the distance was a single white marble spire with a gold figurine perched atop. We assumed the sprawling Art Deco building was a museum or some type of memorial but much to our surprise discovered it was actually a Mormon temple.
The Idaho Falls Idaho Temple was the first temple built in Idaho for followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints back in the 1940’s. It is one of six temples in the state, servicing nearly a half million believers. We hadn’t realized that Idaho is second only to Utah in the percentage of its population, nearly a quarter, who identify as Mormon. The golden figure atop the temple sounding his trumpet wasn’t a character from Greek or Roman mythology but depicted Moroni believed by Mormons to be the angel that appeared to founder, Joseph Smith, informing him that he had been chosen to restore God’s church on earth.
Continuing down the greenway, we were delighted to come upon the falls of Idaho Falls. Legend has it that in the early 1900’s a hydroelectric project ‘tamed’ the mighty Snake River damming and diverting its water for agricultural use and creating the neat and tidy falls we see today.
This stretch of the river was once fraught with rapids and was described by early settlers as ‘dashing upon the rocks, foaming and roaring’. Today this stretch of the Snake is consistent and controlled, generating power that is sold to the local utility company who then provides electricity back to the city at a reduced rate.
The displaced boulders and massive tree trunks and branches littered along the shore suggest that the Snake River is not totally tamed, periodically showing its wild and powerful nature during times of high water.
As if the changing leaves were not sufficient reminder that winter was coming, we came upon a snowshoe hare grazing along the greenbelt. Its fur was already lightening in preparation for winter, its mottled coat a stark reminder that days were getting shorter.
A pretty Japanese garden occupies a rocky island in the river. The little park is actually a Friendship Garden developed to commemorate the 30 year anniversary of the relationship between Idaho Falls and its sister city, Tokai-Mura in Japan. Meant to ‘encourage friendship with peoples throughout the world’, the garden brings the tranquility of a Japan landscape to this small island in the Snake River. We crossed a short bridge, entering through a traditional Japanese gate and followed the Dragon’s Path across a pond to a large stone lantern gifted to the city by Tokai-Mura.
Why in the midst of a small city with rushing people and congested traffic is a Japanese garden so peaceful? It’s the comforting sound of gently rushing water, a natural sound that calms the senses. In addition to a gurgling stream, this garden had a small waterfall surrounded by a small copse of flaming red foliage.
Leaving the garden and the greenbelt, we headed towards the center of town still in search of a restaurant for breakfast. Poised in the center of a highly trafficked roundabout near an upscale condo complex is the city’s signature fountain – Eagle’s Rock. This bronze sculpture was commissioned to local sculptor, Vic Payne, in 2006 by the developers of the adjacent condominiums. Called ‘The Protector’ it depicts a mother eagle preparing to feed a large salmon to her two babies in the nest perched atop a rock while her male partner flies around vigilantly guarding against any danger. The size and scale of this sculpture is impressive – the eagles stand over four feet high with twenty foot plus wingspans. Water cascades from the rocky promenade to a pool below. It’s unfortunate that one of the views behind this beautiful fountain is the local Walmart.
We ultimately found a great restaurant for breakfast – Smitty’s Pancake and Steak House. The restaurant was crowded but we luckily got a booth in the corner socially distanced from other tables, and fortunately our young server was masked, despite the fact that few others were. My omelet and my husband’s French toast were excellent; stuffed we walked back to the greenbelt towards our hotel. The benches along the path had been created by local artists and were both functional and aesthetic. A favorite was a bench that depicted one of the first bridges to span the Snake. Rich in diversity, we saw benches that illustrated surf boards, boats and local wildlife like elk and bears!
We noticed long tailed, blue winged, white bellied birds flying around the greenbelt. I wasn’t sure what type of birds these were but a quick google search told us these were magpies. Known as intelligent birds with a wide repertory of songs, trills and whistles, magpies are also connected to an old superstition. The adage goes, ‘One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret never to be told, Eight for a wish, Nine for a kiss, Ten for a bird you must not miss!’ Although I captured a photo of a single magpie perched in the boughs of a pine, fortunately for us, we saw lots of these graceful birds – a good omen for our upcoming adventure!
