Homeward Bound

 We left the Oregon coast Sunday morning, heading inland and towards home.  Our propane gauge was showing 3/4 empty so we figured it was time to refill. Fortunately the campground we stayed at had a propane filling station so we topped it off. Even though we've been using the furnace and water heater daily since leaving home on this trip, this is the first time we needed to add propane.

The drive towards Portland was long and winding, but the drive along the Columbia river was scenic. We stopped for gas a couple of times, and for lunch and dinner. We made it almost to Boise before stopping for the night at a Fairfield Inn at Nampa, ID.

It was nice staying at a hotel for a night. We each took a roomy shower, and the bed was comfy. Just being able to walk around the room without bumping into each other was a plus.

Scenic Drive

Scenic Drive

Scenic Drive

Monday morning we set out eastbound on I-84. About an hour and a half out we stopped at the Y-Knot Vineyard and Winery.  We had seen it as a Harvest Host location and would have liked to stay there a night, but it was too far to go Sunday and too close Monday, so we just stopped by to see it and share a wine flight and lunch in their restaurant. 

Y Knot Winery

Winery Entrance

Restaurant and Tasting Room

Vineyards

After lunch we resumed our travel on I-84 until reaching Twin Falls, Idaho. We stopped there to see the falls, but stopped first at the Visitor Center for an overlook of the Snake River Canyon. The canyon is vast and splendid to observe from the lookout.  The Perrine Bridge spans the canyon carrying US Hwy 93 traffic across.  The bridge is also a popular location for BASE jumpers who are permitted to use the bridge without permits.  We saw a couple of jumpers meticulously preparing their equipment on the grass in front of the visitor center. We didn't stay to watch them jump because we needed to continue our drive and wanted to see the falls first.

Snake River Canyon

Perrine Bridge

BASE jumper working on his parachute

So today we learned that while the falls in Sioux Falls, SD are called Sioux Falls, and the falls in Niagara Falls, NY are called Niagara Falls; the falls in Twin Falls, ID are NOT called Twin Falls. Telling Waze to take you to Twin Falls puts you in the town center of Twin Falls.  We figured out that we actually wanted to go to Shoshone Falls and finally found our way there. The road to the falls overlook was one of those winding, too narrow, switchbacks that make you pray you won't meet an oncoming car. Fortunately it was short and we survived.  

The falls are nice. Sometimes called the Niagara of the West, they are higher than Niagara, but can't compare with the volume of water. Their setting within the Snake River Canyon make them pretty though.  We were there at the right time of day to catch a rainbow in the mist.

We originally planned to stop for the night somewhere beyond Salt Lake City, but our sightseeing adventures delayed our progress so we stopped at a KOA near Brigham City, UT.

Shoshone Falls with Rainbow

Snake River Canyon Below The Falls

Requisite Selfie