Twin Falls

As we always say, don’t just take a vacation, let the vacation take you. So it was per chance that we stumbled upon one of the most incredible golf scenes ever, in Twin Falls, Idaho. On a road trip joining Western Colorado with Central Oregon, we asked our friend Carol Waller from Idaho, whom we met in Prague, where we should land for a night in between. She adamantly recommended dining at Elevations 486 and choosing any hotel on the main drag of Twin Falls. Her attached canyon photo was pretty impressive.

So, we turned off the highway and drove a few miles over flat terrain before we passed over the bridge of the astounding Snake River Canyon. We scored a deal on hotels.com and called for a reservation at Elevations 486. Well, this place overlooked THE CANYON with a river dividing two pristine courses 486 feet deep below. Hello?! Carol not a golfer, forgot about that part of the view which completely filled our niche and soul. And the food was fantastic, especially the trout. Why? Because it is raised at nearby Clear Springs Food, Inc. Taking advantage of 58 degree clean/clear water allows the finest in trout and seafood farm production.

The FALLS

At sunrise we set out to find the falls. We parked in a sandlot and hiked along the cliffside perimeter with our coffees, near the spot where Evil Knievel failed his attempt to jump across.  Joggers ran by and another walker stopped to chat, sending us on the right path to drive a short distance to Shoshone Falls where not only the sun shone but a bright rainbow arched above meeting the heavy mist from the raging, wide waterfall. The only thing missing in the surreal picture was a unicorn and pot of gold.

The GOLF

Twin Falls was so great that we scheduled another night on our way back to Utah and Arizona. We made the always comfortable Hampton Inn our overnight home and again, we dined at Elevations 486, marveling about the view.  Golf the next morning at Clear Lake Country Club in Buhl presented a casual setting with fun routing along the Snake River, gorge and trout farm with cliff views of the aquifer from every hole. The layout rises and falls within the neighborhood of floral landscapes that enhance the beauty of this well-conditioned course.

And after golf, where did we lunch? Yes, Elevations 486 for the third time. It is seriously one of the best restaurants in the country considering cuisine, service and view. For our mulligan trip to Idaho, we might try to play the canyon courses or make a more extensive road trip to Boise, Sun Valley and the famous Coeur d’Alene to see if the rest of the state compares with the beauty of Twin Falls. Just having lunch by the river and a quick tour of downtown Boise on route to Oregon, indicated there is much more to explore. visitidaho.org