Idaho tourism during COVID
July 11, 2020 12:32 PM Subscribe
My parents want to drive to Idaho for vacation next week, but they don't know where to stay and what to do once they get there. Tips?
They're in their 60s and not interested in hiking and rafting, but they love picturesque walks. They like charming towns with shops and restaurants. They'd be driving from California and would prefer to stay in one or two towns/cities over a 7-day period.
-Which cities and towns *specifically* would be nice to visit? Which places should they not visit right now due to closures?
-Is anything open in Idaho? Do very many restaurants in the cities and towns offer outdoor dining?
-Any B&Bs or hotels that you'd recommend?
They're in their 60s and not interested in hiking and rafting, but they love picturesque walks. They like charming towns with shops and restaurants. They'd be driving from California and would prefer to stay in one or two towns/cities over a 7-day period.
-Which cities and towns *specifically* would be nice to visit? Which places should they not visit right now due to closures?
-Is anything open in Idaho? Do very many restaurants in the cities and towns offer outdoor dining?
-Any B&Bs or hotels that you'd recommend?
Idaho is a pretty big state. Where are they coming from? That might make a difference.
In the northern Idaho you generally approach east or west on I-90. In the south you approach east or west on I-84/I-86. And north and south on I-15.
Oops, you said California, so probably on I-15 unless they like to get off the freeways and use smaller two-lane highways.
For two-lane, I like driving US-93 through the Great Basin up through Nevada.
posted by JackFlash at 1:15 PM on July 11, 2020
In the northern Idaho you generally approach east or west on I-90. In the south you approach east or west on I-84/I-86. And north and south on I-15.
Oops, you said California, so probably on I-15 unless they like to get off the freeways and use smaller two-lane highways.
For two-lane, I like driving US-93 through the Great Basin up through Nevada.
posted by JackFlash at 1:15 PM on July 11, 2020
According to the California Department of Public Health, "Every person has a role to play. So much of protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense: Stay home except for essential needs/activities. [...] Please consult with your health care provider about additional steps you may be able to take to protect yourself. [...] If you have questions about COVID-19 and need assistance finding information online or clarification regarding the information, a statewide hotline number is available 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., 7 days a week at (833) 544-2374."
There have been ongoing concerns about travel and superspreader events, and what this means, including through a study of restaurant transactions, and the risks of treating any state as disconnected from the ongoing and worsening pandemic in the United States.
Idaho has a website describing its Stage 4 guidelines that notes, "One Idaho county had the highest per-capita number of cases in the country at one time and COVID-19 is believed to have been introduced into the county by a traveler or travelers visiting Idaho from out of state," and that "individuals should adhere to state and CDC guidelines regarding isolation following travel," with a list of all of the Idaho counties and their current stages of reopening here, as well as information about what Stage 4 means in Idaho, with a link to business-specific protocols.
posted by katra at 1:28 PM on July 11, 2020 [5 favorites]
There have been ongoing concerns about travel and superspreader events, and what this means, including through a study of restaurant transactions, and the risks of treating any state as disconnected from the ongoing and worsening pandemic in the United States.
Idaho has a website describing its Stage 4 guidelines that notes, "One Idaho county had the highest per-capita number of cases in the country at one time and COVID-19 is believed to have been introduced into the county by a traveler or travelers visiting Idaho from out of state," and that "individuals should adhere to state and CDC guidelines regarding isolation following travel," with a list of all of the Idaho counties and their current stages of reopening here, as well as information about what Stage 4 means in Idaho, with a link to business-specific protocols.
posted by katra at 1:28 PM on July 11, 2020 [5 favorites]
Jackson Hole Wyoming, is just over the hill from a nice Idaho town, with Jackson's sensibilities. Tetonia, or Badger creek. Here is something about Tetonia.
posted by Oyéah at 1:49 PM on July 11, 2020
posted by Oyéah at 1:49 PM on July 11, 2020
I grew up in Idaho and part of my family still lives there. It is a tremendously beautiful state. COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing, the governor is reticent to step back to an earlier phase of reopening, and ICU space is what you would expect for a sparsely populated state. Taking into account the mod note that "Please don't answer just to say "don't take a trip"; they're asking for more specific info on local conditions in Idaho right now", my advice is that if you take a trip, please make it a camping trip. You can find some great resources here.
posted by superfluousm at 2:00 PM on July 11, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by superfluousm at 2:00 PM on July 11, 2020 [5 favorites]
I have close family members currently living in Idaho and have spent a lot of time there. Coronavirus is currently spreading out of control, especially in the Boise area. This is the official Idaho page for virus information, and the dashboard will show you county-specific data so you can consider where they might be going. In many counties, the case rate is higher than much of California. Despite the swiftly rising numbers, basically everything is open, including indoor and outdoor dining, except for bars in Boise. I've been hearing anecdotally that mask usage (or compliance where mandated) is terrible.
All of that said, here are my tourism recommendations, provided without any consideration for coronavirus risk:
- McCall, ID (Valley County) is a picturesque, mostly walkable lake town with cute shops. The best place to stay there is the Shore Lodge.
- Ketchum, ID (Blaine County) is an upscale mountain town comparable to Truckee. I usually stay at the Sun Valley resort, though it's a bit dated and there may be better options.
- Seconding metabaroque's suggestion of the dark sky reserve, which I think is near Stanley, ID (Custer County)? However, Stanley is very remote without many resources or amenities, and best done as a camping trip rather than expecting to wander around a charming small town.
posted by findabair at 2:21 PM on July 11, 2020
All of that said, here are my tourism recommendations, provided without any consideration for coronavirus risk:
- McCall, ID (Valley County) is a picturesque, mostly walkable lake town with cute shops. The best place to stay there is the Shore Lodge.
- Ketchum, ID (Blaine County) is an upscale mountain town comparable to Truckee. I usually stay at the Sun Valley resort, though it's a bit dated and there may be better options.
- Seconding metabaroque's suggestion of the dark sky reserve, which I think is near Stanley, ID (Custer County)? However, Stanley is very remote without many resources or amenities, and best done as a camping trip rather than expecting to wander around a charming small town.
posted by findabair at 2:21 PM on July 11, 2020
If you want to track Idaho's COVID-19 data that are used for assessing its transition through stages of reopening, you can do a check of this page on the Idaho Statesman, which is updated every late afternoon. As you can see, cases are exploding and the governor just keeps renewing the state at Stage 4, hoping that continuing to do the exact same thing will somehow yield a different result. I work for an institution that is on the brink of collapse and if the pandemic continues on this trajectory my whole town will be devastated. You could help me keep my job by convincing your parents not to do this.
But, in the spirit of AskMe, if they are intent on doing the one thing they should not be doing, I suggest renting an RV and exploring the trails in the Sawtooths. It's beautiful there and at least it's close to Boise, which has lot of ICU beds, unlike the whole rest of Idaho.
posted by HotToddy at 2:22 PM on July 11, 2020 [4 favorites]
But, in the spirit of AskMe, if they are intent on doing the one thing they should not be doing, I suggest renting an RV and exploring the trails in the Sawtooths. It's beautiful there and at least it's close to Boise, which has lot of ICU beds, unlike the whole rest of Idaho.
posted by HotToddy at 2:22 PM on July 11, 2020 [4 favorites]
I was just in Idaho the other day. In the areas I was in (not Boise), mask wearing was close to zero and I got dirty looks a few times for wearing mine.
That said, Craters of the Moon is one of the most striking landscapes I have ever been to and if campground are open, I would recommend they go there, maybe continuing on to the Salmon basin or the Sawtooths.
posted by Dip Flash at 4:05 PM on July 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
That said, Craters of the Moon is one of the most striking landscapes I have ever been to and if campground are open, I would recommend they go there, maybe continuing on to the Salmon basin or the Sawtooths.
posted by Dip Flash at 4:05 PM on July 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
So, we visited Idaho Falls a couple of years ago and it was surprising and amazing.
Surprising: the Snake river runs through the middle of town, and it is fast and deep and the shores are rocky and steep. If you fall in, you'd have a very hard time getting back out. And the town is called "Idaho Falls" for a reason: there's a pretty impressive waterfall right there. Super dangerous!
I was struck by how dangerous, and by the fact that there are zero handrails or protective barriers next to most of the river's edge. I asked a local about it, and she said that, yeah, occasionally a child falls to their death, but that people in those parts don't like to be told what to do, so they'll probably never install safety features.
So, I'm not planning to visit Idaho during a pandemic.
posted by amtho at 4:38 PM on July 11, 2020 [5 favorites]
Surprising: the Snake river runs through the middle of town, and it is fast and deep and the shores are rocky and steep. If you fall in, you'd have a very hard time getting back out. And the town is called "Idaho Falls" for a reason: there's a pretty impressive waterfall right there. Super dangerous!
I was struck by how dangerous, and by the fact that there are zero handrails or protective barriers next to most of the river's edge. I asked a local about it, and she said that, yeah, occasionally a child falls to their death, but that people in those parts don't like to be told what to do, so they'll probably never install safety features.
So, I'm not planning to visit Idaho during a pandemic.
posted by amtho at 4:38 PM on July 11, 2020 [5 favorites]
I paid my five to come in and make this comment: Please, please, please have them reconsider. I’m a fifth generation Idahoan and I love this place so much I’ve made a career out of it, but the timing of their plans could not be worse. The cases here are skyrocketing and the data that is coming is very delayed. I was tested July 2nd and I just got results yesterday and I presented symptomatic with a confirmed exposure. They are back to “prioritized testing” due to processing capacity issues, so many milder cases are going unreported.
Regarding the perpetual Stage 4 mentioned above: The political landscape here reflects the majority conservative, rural and agricultural nature that is most of the state. There was some very aggresive political backlash against the stay-home orders, rallied by the local Tea Party officials & Ammon Bundy of Malheur Refuge Occupation fame, which essentially led to the Governor turning over official control to the local health districts. These local health district boards are made primarily of County Commissioners, not healthcare or scientific professionals. All this to say that relying on the Idaho Rebounds documentation and other “official” metrics is placing a lot of faith in the local politics, and much less in medicine or science.
If the risks of traveling through a place where the cases have gone from ~30/day to 577/day in the past two weeks is not enough to dissuade them, I highly recommend a fully stocked RV that they can load up before they head out. My concern is that due to inaction by local districts, the state is going to be forced to roll back to Stage 2 some time this week and there will be another run on groceries and supplies. This caused real hardship for the more remote communities in March and April. If your parents had an RV, they would not be impacting the local supply chain and wouldn’t end up completely stranded if the state does impose restrictions.
Another consideration : they need to stay off of any route that involves US 95 just south of Riggins. There have been multiple rockslides and ITD has declared the road closed indefinitely.
posted by StarGarnet at 10:59 PM on July 11, 2020 [9 favorites]
Regarding the perpetual Stage 4 mentioned above: The political landscape here reflects the majority conservative, rural and agricultural nature that is most of the state. There was some very aggresive political backlash against the stay-home orders, rallied by the local Tea Party officials & Ammon Bundy of Malheur Refuge Occupation fame, which essentially led to the Governor turning over official control to the local health districts. These local health district boards are made primarily of County Commissioners, not healthcare or scientific professionals. All this to say that relying on the Idaho Rebounds documentation and other “official” metrics is placing a lot of faith in the local politics, and much less in medicine or science.
If the risks of traveling through a place where the cases have gone from ~30/day to 577/day in the past two weeks is not enough to dissuade them, I highly recommend a fully stocked RV that they can load up before they head out. My concern is that due to inaction by local districts, the state is going to be forced to roll back to Stage 2 some time this week and there will be another run on groceries and supplies. This caused real hardship for the more remote communities in March and April. If your parents had an RV, they would not be impacting the local supply chain and wouldn’t end up completely stranded if the state does impose restrictions.
Another consideration : they need to stay off of any route that involves US 95 just south of Riggins. There have been multiple rockslides and ITD has declared the road closed indefinitely.
posted by StarGarnet at 10:59 PM on July 11, 2020 [9 favorites]
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posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 1:05 PM on July 11, 2020 [2 favorites]