Idaho Falls Idaho-20 May

I decided that, as much as I would love to have spent a couple of days exploring and photographing Yellowstone, I didn't want to deal with the possibility of snow.  A weather front is scheduled to come in over the next the weekend, and frankly, I am tired of being cold.  After checking the official Yellowstone National Park weather map, I thought that heading north through Idaho and then in Montana sounded like a great new plan.  So I drove to Idaho Falls today, and tomorrow I head into Montana.  Yippee!

The drive east and then north was  spectacular.  Farm land as far as the eye can see-greening up for summer harvest.    Red tractors, automatic sprinkler units that look like grounded pterosaurs and puffy white clouds were everywhere. 

The 182 miles from Twin Falls to Idaho Falls went by so quickly that I hardly got a change to get many photos.  And, after my reality check from the Nevada Highway Patrol yesterday regarding my excess speed, I thought that I should be a bit prudent and not try to get too many shoots out of the window of my speeding car.  The lower the profile, the less apt I am to get the attention of any more law enforcement.

Idaho Falls is on the Snake River, which at one time flowed freely but is not partly damned for hydro-electric energy purposes.  Dammed rivers always make me feel sad, like wind caged animals unable to be themselves.  The town is pleasant, clean, with friendly people and an "historic" downtown that is half filled.  Or, half empty, depending upon your point of view.  Fantastic old buildings with "for lease" signs are everywhere.  It's like a ghost town.  

I found an organic fresh bakery that mills its own bread daily "right on the premises".  It was as good as it sounds-yummy cream of potato soup and a sourdough vegetarian wrap with pesto sauce.  It was worth the drive.

Idaho Falls must have a love affair with cool benches.  Here are the 3 I liked the best:

    

Self portraits in a cool, curved window:

  

Downtown photos:

 

          
There is a wonderful antique store where I found a stockpile of paper for mixed media art projects:  50 plus year old magazines ($4), piano music rolls in original boxes ($4), old photographs and books and postcards.  I spent $50 and bought more than I could use this year-but how could I pass them up?  Impossible.  If you ever need any collectables, it would be worth a trip to this town.