After a grueling climb of Teton Pass, which climbs 2200' at 10% (not VW friendly!), it was smooth sailing. I made an inadvertent turn outside IF, and was rewarded with a night's camping along the snake river at Heise Hot Springs. Very nice side trip indeed :)
Idaho Falls are not a true falls. A 1200' diversion dam creates a secondary channel to supply a hydro-electric plant. Still, it is a stunning sight, and as the water makes it way down to the secondary channel, many cascades and micro channels are formed. The greenbelt along this stretch of river in downtown was built by WW2 pows! The area is all lava rock, and they filled it all in and it makes a nice park and walk/bike way. This is where I spent the bulk of my holiday w/e. Think I pretty much walked and biked the whole nine yards. IF has a unique setup. They have a "Tourist Park" out of town on the river. Nice parklike setting with several campsites, and plenty of overnight parking spots. Dump station, rest rooms, no showers though. No charge, just a way to welcome visitors and hope they spend a day and patronize the merchants. Good idea. I chose a riverside spot. As a bonus, there is a drive-in just adjacent, and with their fm broadcast audio, I pulled out my lawnchair and mp3, and watched the latest pirates movie :). This is where all the local teens come to spend their w/e evenings. I have to believe the theatre operator is aware...
Business completed, I headed back into Wyoming, taking an alternate route that did not include teton pass...
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