TWIN FALLS | Leaving Boise on my recent US road trip, it was time to pick a place to stay, somewhere between Boise and Salt Lake City. Twin Falls looked decent enough, and what a great place to spend a night it was. While home to only 52,000 people, it’s the largest city in a 100 mile/160km radius.
Twin Falls is the gateway to the Snake River, and Shoshone Falls. It’s perhaps best known for daredevil Evel Knievel’s failed 1974 attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in a specially modified rocket cycle. In 2016, stuntman Eddie Braun successfully made the jump, using a rocket motorcycle built by the son of the man who built the original.
The best time to visit Shoshone Falls is in late spring/early summer, when the water levels are high. By the time I visited, in late summer, the water levels were well down on their peak. This is due to irrigation diversion during the dry, summer season. As I think my photos show, however, they’re still spectacular.
I didn’t take any photos of Twin Falls itself with my proper camera, because to be honest, I made an effort to resist the urge to be in “City Lane” mode several times during this road trip. Sometimes, a holiday can just be a holiday, and there’s a lot to be said for not feeling pressured to document and photograph everything with an eye to potential content. Having said that, I’ve still got you. Here’s a few tips if you’re ever in Twin Falls for a night:
Try some local beer and wine at Koto Brewing Co, then head over to Milner’s Gate, who as well as being a brewery, do some great pub meals. The Idaho-grown Snake River Farms Kobe beef flank steak is fantastic. Post meal, walk over to 2nd South Market. It’s a food hall housed in a restored 1926 workshop and factory. There’s seven diverse food vendors, plus a bar with family and dog friendly beer garden out back with a real community vibe to it. Have a drink, watch some local live music, and soak in the atmosphere.
The next morning, head over to Idaho Joe’s, a no-nonsense diner known for their extensive selection of delicious pies. Get your Agent Cooper on and order their damn fine cherry pie with ice-cream, and a cup of joe.