US95: Western Idaho

It was a pretty morning as we started our drive north on US95 in western Idaho, more or less paralleling the Snake River. It was fun to drive curves and hills after so many straights in the desert.

For about the first hundred miles, we drove through a series of passes, valleys and small towns. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Just as I was appreciating the abundance of flora, I saw one of my favorite signs coming up. The lack of traffic allowed me to come to an abrupt stop and take a photo.

As you probably know if you've been following this log over the years, I'm generally happiest at latitudes above 45 degrees. Color me happy!

In due course, we started a long, sustained climb. The already pleasing scenery was enhanced by spots of fall color.



In the town of Riggins, ID, we stopped for a break, right where the Salmon River meets with US95.



From there, it was a long, steady downhill run along the river. Sometimes we were at river level, but other times we were above it. Eventually, we broke off on our own, traversing the terrain northwest.

Approaching Lewiston, ID, we ran into another old friend, US12 which we drove two years ago. By my count, that's at least a half-dozen previous highways that we have new crossed this drive.

Lewiston is a lovely little city, nestled in the confluence of the Clearwater and Snake rivers. Definitely worth a visit whenever you have the chance.

Tomorrow morning we will continue north on US95, possibly getting to the Canadian border... Stay tuned!