Idaho

 

Six months ago, Mark and I packed up and headed west. We’ve now officially begun our journey home. We will take our time making our way east. The plan is to arrive back in Chattanooga the first week of September. After a couple of long driving days, and a short stay in Montana, we’ve landed in Idaho for a few weeks. It feels strange being on Mountain Standard Time again. The months we spent on Pacific Standard Time will perhaps be the only time in my life I consistently stayed up later at night than my grown children.

Idaho is undoubtedly one of our favorite places to visit. One reason is the important role this area played in Mark’s life when his family moved to Idaho in 1977. This is where Mark graduated high school and began college. It’s where he learned to ski and got interested in biking. It’s where his father unexpectedly died when Mark was 19. After Mark and I married, my very first plane ride was to the state of Idaho to visit family there. Thank goodness we still have family in the state so there’s always a reason to revisit.

On this trip our first stop has been Salmon, Idaho; a scenic mountain-town located on the banks of the Salmon River. This river is one of the few un-dammed waterways left in America. We loved our hike to a high desert hot springs called Goldbug. It’s on National Forest Land, nestled in rugged backcountry and is a true geothermal gem.