Known to most people as the potato state, those travelers who book flights to Idaho know there's more to do in Idaho than mash spuds.
Idaho was founded by native tribes and is part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the Oregon Trail. Idaho is blessed with beautiful scenery so it's no wonder over 20 million people book flights to Idaho to hike, boat, climb or camp in Idaho’s great outdoors. Idaho is home to the Birds of Prey Wildlife Area – the world's largest population of eagles, hawks, and falcons. There are four ghost towns in Idaho – Silver City, Yankee Fork, Gold Dredge, and the Sierra Silver Mine. For the adventure traveler, climb Seven Devils' Peaks, one of the highest mountain ranges in Idaho. In the peak is Heaven's Gate Lookout, where sightseers can see four other states.
But make sure you obey the laws while traveling the Spud State. According to Idaho law, it’s illegal for a citizen to give another citizen a box of candy that weighs more than 50 pounds.
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Idaho's climate varies depending on the region. In the northern region of the state, the winter has increased clouds, humidity, and precipitation. In the southeastern part of the state, the summers are wetter and drier. Summers in Idaho can be hot, so travelers booking flights to Idaho during the summer months should prepare accordingly, especially if travels head to the mountains. Winters can be cold.
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Idaho has four distinct seasons, but its geography means that the length of the seasons varies across the state. Boise has an early spring and late winter. The winter temperatures are usually in the 20s (F) and 30s, going to the upper 70s in summer. April and May have some flooding from the melting snow, but reservoirs and other flood control measures minimize the potential damage.
Peak Season
Summer, from Memorial Day until mid-September, has the most crowds and usually when Idaho flights and lodging are at their highest rates.
The ski season also means peak-season rates and conditions. The ski runs are open by late November and the season lasts until March or early April.
Off Season
The best off-season time is mid-September through October. The weather usually stays warm, the aspens turn to gold, and some services are still open. Spring is also a good time to visit.
Fall and spring also offer some off-season golf fees in Sun Valley.
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With more than 80 mountains and a rugged, remote, and sometimes desolate landscape, traveling around Idaho requires a car, RV or camper. A destination for outdoor enthusiasts, the scale of Idaho’s untamed wilderness and scenery rivals only Alaska.
The main airport is Boise with links to Hailey, Lewiston, McCall and Salmon.
Boise is the largest, and some say the only, urban center in Idaho. The capital city’s Boise Urban Stages offers extensive bus lines for getting around the city. Ketchum has a weekday bus service between Ketchum and Sun Valley.
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- There are many hot springs throughout Idaho, but the most famous are the pools at Lava Hot Springs in the southeastern corner of the state. The waters here are thought to have been 110 degrees for the past 50 million years. The springs are a popular holiday spot – as well as the hot pools there is an Olympic-sized swimming pool, massage or tube rides on the Portneuf River.
- Idaho has some stunning scenery and vistas – desert plains in the South, mountain ranges and lava rocks in the East and gorges and thick forests in the North.
- Labor weekend sees the Wagon Days festival in Ketchum: a celebration of the city’s mining heritage. The festival sees four days of celebrations hit the sleepy town, including a shoot-out, a fiddler’s contest, a rodeo and the Big Hitch Parade.
- Boise is known as the City of Trees and the capital is surrounded by green land. Golf is very popular round the city: more than 20 golf courses are within a short drive.
- If you want to take a drive to see some of the fabulous outdoors, head for the Bone Road. This “road” is little more than a track, covered in potholes, but its 60-mile span affords views of some of the best Idaho landscapes and you’re almost guaranteed to spot some wildlife like moose or deer.
- Silver City, just outside Boise, is known locally as the “ghost town”. The town was once the site of a silver mine for the War Eagle Mountain. Today, its old houses and saloons are popular with photography workshops.
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