"You want me to live where?"

The Snake River in Idaho Falls with the Mormon Temple in the background

There comes a time in every marriage when you think "What have I gotten myself into?" My moment came when my darling husband informed me that we were to spend the summer (almost three months) in IDAHO FALLS (I didn't even know there was a town by that name). So I opened up my trusted 'Rough Guide to the U.S.A', turned to the chapter on Idaho and read: "Only state capital Boise provides any urban interest, as Idaho Falls and Pocotello are both drab" ... uh oh ... Boise is a 5 hour drive away! It also didn't help that the flight from State College to Idaho Falls is about the same price as a flight from State College to Barcelona, Paris or Athens but all the same, I packed my bags and my sunny disposition and headed to the Pacific Northwest.

The reason for this temporary relocation to the opposite side of the country is that Ivor was offered a summer internship at the Idaho National Laboratory "a science-based, applied engineering national laboratory dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Energy's missions in nuclear and energy research, science, and national defense" (www.inl.gov). It was here that the world's first nuclear reactor was built and more than 50 nuclear reactors have been built here for testing over the last 60 years. Since this is the biggest concentration of nuclear reactors on the planet it makes sense that the area is somewhat remote and that the town of Idaho Falls might be of negligible 'urban' interest.

The gorgeous Snake River

Luckily for me, Idaho Falls is not nearly as 'drab' as I expected. For starters, the town is instantly beautified by the Snake River running past down town. The chilly river flows west into Idaho from Wyoming and there are ample water activities available including excellent rafting , fishing and boating. The name of the town refers to the white water falls occurring  below the first bridge built across the river. Now that the river diverts into numerous irrigation canals most of the falls run over concrete blocks but it is still really pretty. The area on each side of the river is known as the Green Belt and it's a great place for biking, jogging (no, I don't do this) and inline skating. In the summer they have numerous weekend festivals here where stalls are set up to sell arts and crafts as well as all types of [greasy American] food, accompanied by live entertainment. On any day of the week you will find kids feeding the ducks or locals having picnics on the banks of the river. I was pleased to noticed that many people take full advantage of the Green Belt in the summer and they love to be outdoors enjoying the glorious weather.

The wall of International Reds

Within the first 2 days of being in Idaho Falls I was taken to, and immediately fell in love with, Vino Rosso. This wine bar/ live music venue/ cafe/ shop is not something you would expect to find in a city described as 'drab' so I instantly felt much better about the prospect of residing there. Vino Rosso is a beautiful wine shop that sells a comprehensive selection (around a thousand bottles) of wines from all over the world. I even found some of my South African favourites. They have wine tastings every Wednesday and I was there (almost) every Wednesday, savouring their selection of 5 wines per week, from a specific region or interesting varietal. My palate retains fond memories of the Rhine Valley Rieslings and the California Zinfandels. For Ivor they had an ever changing selection of interesting beers on tap and they always offered delicious appetizers.

10 steps from my front door

We rented a house in the South East of Town right opposite a canal. It is remarkable how the system of canals distribute the water of the Snake River in the area of Idaho Falls, turning what used to be a desert into fertile agricultural land. This area is one of the most productive agricultural  regions of the country producing beets, peas, onions and of course ... the Famous Idaho Potatoes. The town is fairly small and surrounding it are the numerous agricultural and well as horse farms. I did see a lot of potatoes growing and was surprised by the lovely flowers they produced (apparently Marie Antoinette insisted on growing potatoes in her garden so she could use the flowers in her hair.) Beyond the farms are mountains in almost every direction, some topped with snow even in the middle of July. A magnificent backdrop.

Girls Day Out

What more can a girl need - a beautiful environment, an endless supply of wine and potatoes? Well I was blessed even further by meeting 3 young woman all of whom have recently moved to Idaho Falls because their spouses also work for INL. We became thick and fast friends and arranged delightful, and sometimes (OK, most of the time) wine fuelled adventures. Some of these included a trip to the Potato Museum (...when in Idaho...), photographic excursions to an Arabian horse farm, picnics in the park, a visit to the zoo, road trips, rafting, lunches and a fuzzy karaoke adventure at Ford's Bar.

The Harley Dealership on Broadway Avenue

Idaho Falls has all the usual American town traits; the stock standard mall complete with Macy's and Barnes and Noble, the Walmarts on either side of town, the strip malls, the same cluster of fast food joints - Wendy's, McD's, Arby's, Taco Bell, etc. The streets look the same as any town, in any State, in America but the thing that tells you, that you are now in the West, is the size of the vehicles. There are more SUV's and bakkies (trucks) than regular cars, and here bigger (and louder) apparently is better. It is also the land of Harley Davidson. The open roads and big skies seem to be a biker's paradise. What I like is the immense sense of space. Although you can see snow capped mountains in the distance, the town itself and surrounding farms are completely flat and you can see for miles. Plus if you do indeed take to the road, magnificent scenery awaits you in every direction, whether into Idaho itself or the surrounding States of Utah, Wyoming, Montana or Oregon. Idaho Falls is the gateway to the majestic West and we took some amazing trips which you'll have to wait to read about.

Now we are are back in State College, but next summer, when the INL internship rolls around again and my darling husband informs me he wants me to live in IDAHO FALLS for another 3 months my reaction will be ... "I can't wait!"