National Idaho Day
Update: A winner’s name has been drawn and an email sent to the address.
Earlier this year, Karen Witemeyer blogged elsewhere about National Texas Day. She thought, since all her books are set in Texas, that it would make a great post. And it did. I loved reading her list of fun facts. So I wondered if there was a National Idaho Day, especially since I set (almost) all my books in Idaho. I learned there is. It’s today!
I am a native Idahoan. I was born in a small town near the border with Oregon. I was raised in Boise. I grew up being able to walk in the ruts carved by wagons on the Oregon Trail not too far from my own home. I have climbed its mountains and I’ve descended into one of its ice caves. I’ve ridden my horses in the high desert that covers much of the southern part of the state. I’ve been swimming and gone waterskiing in its clear cold lakes (one that has a monster named Sharli, probably a sibling of the Loch Ness Monster). I’ve snow skied on its slopes (a long, long time ago), and I’ve stared at the western side of the Grand Tetons and marveled at the majestic world God created. From Idaho’s borders, I’ve crossed into all six states that surround us as well as into Canada.
At the time my first novel was released, I was employed as a Relocation Coordinator for a real estate firm. My job was to fly to other states to meet with corporation executives and tell them all the reasons why they should move their businesses (and their employees) to Idaho. Thus, my head became filled with lots of fun facts about Idaho. Here are some of them.
FUN FACTS ABOUT IDAHO
- Idaho’s state bird is the Mountain Bluebird. Its state horse is the Appaloosa. Its state fish is the Cutthroat Trout. Its state flower is the Syringa. Its state tree is the Western White Pine. And its state fruit is the Huckleberry. [Note: Oh, how I love huckleberry pancakes with huckleberry syrup; I spent a great deal of time through the years, filling buckets with huckleberries whenever we were camping in McCall.]
- The territory of Idaho was created by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 (see fact about gold below). Idaho was admitted to the union as the 43rd state on May 17, 1890.
- Idaho’s highest point is Mt. Borah (12,622 ft). Lowest Point is Lewiston (738 ft).
- Port of Lewiston (Lewiston, Idaho) is the furthest inland seaport in all of the Pacific Northwest, with eight dams and locks to the Pacific.
- Idaho is 83,557 square miles, the 13th largest state in the US.
- The statehouse in Boise is geothermally heated from underground hot springs.
- Idaho’s Salmon River near Riggins is the longest free-flowing river that heads and flows within a single state. The state has 3,100 miles of rivers — more than any other state.
- Idaho is called the Gem State: It produces 72 types of precious and semi-precious stones.
- Gold was the principle factor in the establishment of many present day towns including Idaho City, located in what is called the Boise Basin. During the Civil War the Basin was the scene of the richest gold rush in American history. It is said to have produced more gold than all of Alaska.
- Shoshone Falls (212 feet), near Twin Falls, drops 52 feet further than Niagara Falls.
- The 1940 film “Northwest Passage” was filmed in McCall, Idaho.
- The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness is the largest in the lower 48 states — 2.3 million acres of backcountry. Idaho has more wilderness area than any other state except Alaska. 63% of Idaho is public land.
- The deepest river gorge in North America is Idaho’s Hells Canyon (7,900 ft deep).
- Idaho is bordered by Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Canada.
- The Great Seal of Idaho was designed in 1890 by Mrs. Emma Edwards Green. It is the only Great Seal in the 50 states to be designed by a woman.
In celebration of the state I love on National Idaho Day, I’m giving away a paperback of one of my Idaho-set novels shown in the graphic to one US winner. Just leave a comment to enter.
Here are my questions:
Have you ever lived in or visited Idaho?
What fun fact surprised you the most?
~robin
Visited Nampa often when we lived in Washington state and our granddaughter lived in Idaho. Loved the bright yellow Larch trees in the fall!
Thanks for sharing the fun facts! I’ve never been to Idaho, but after reading this it seems like a great place to visit.
I was surprised that you have a water fall that is taller than Niagara.
One reason I love your books is because I am a native born Idahoan and raised in Idaho. For the past 30 years we have lived in Boise. All of your locations are ones we have visited. I love your clean romance novels with Christian values.
I grew up in Nampa, Idaho. It was a smaller city then and safer times. I did a lot of walking and bicycling. Liked reading about Shoshone Falls, as that’s something I shared with my family when we all visited years ago.
I have lived in Idaho most of my life and I love it. The mountains bring me such peace. I love seeing them everyday. That’s why I enjoy your books so much. To me, they are home.
I love Idaho! We moved up here from Texas following my husband’s job & planned to be here only 2-3 years. It’s now over 12 years later, all 3 of our kids have graduated high school here, & we love it!
Wow! I have friends who live in Twin Falls. Didn’t realize that there are hot springs and to heat a building. Ingenious!
There’s a street in Boise called Warm Springs Ave. I was told that all the houses originally built on that street are heated geothermally (hence the street name).
We bought our home in Idaho (Hidden Springs, near Boise) after our California home in the woods burned to the ground in a huge wildfire a few years’ back. While I miss living in the forest and rural area, I love the adventure of discovering all the “new” to me here in Idaho (plus, seven grandkidlets!). Last week alone, we went fossil hunting along the shores of ancient Lake Idaho, played pickleball, walked the hills to eye a lovely sunset view, discovered a great church and awoke every morning to the songs of huge varieties of birds greeting warm weather in the adjoining wetlands. Idaho is great!
I didn’t know that the statehouse was also geothermally heated–I knew a number of homes and businesses are, but not the statehouse. Another place on our list to visit!
My son goes to U of I up in Moscow and their sidewalks are heated like that too! I thought that was awesome for the students. It’s pretty much a walking campus.
I currently live in Mountain Home, ID! We moved here with the military and when I retired, we decided to stay because we loved it! We have been here for 6 years now!
The fun facts that surprised me are ones you already covered like Hells Canyon and Shoshone, but also that one of the dunes at Bruneau Dunes State Park is the largest free standing dune in North America at 470 feet!
Your post was so interesting, Robin. You inspired me to check out if there is a New Jersey Day, and there is! In fact, I discovered that there is a national day for each state in the Union.
My husband and I visited Idaho many years ago on a tour of the western part of the USA. We had been living in Kansas and wanted to see the western states before returning to New Jersey. I loved the raw beauty of Idaho and especially the lovely people.
Thank you for sharing this delightful post.
Many Blessings,
MaryAnn
That was interesting about walking in the wagon ruts on the Oregon trail. I also didn’t know Idaho bordered so many states and even Canada. Makes me want to study some interesting things about Alabama. We made an RV trip several years ago out west and didn’t stop but passed through Idaho.
Please enter me in the contest. Thank you!
Most of my family lives in Idaho. Boise, Caldwell, Nampa and Homedale I was surprised to learn the territory was created by Abraham Lincoln/
I was surprised that Idaho is 63% public lands. We love traveling an Jeeping off road in Idaho!!
We traveled to Idaho as a family in 2021. For my parents and sister, it was the final state for their goal to visit all 50. (My 50th was Hawaii and I had visited Idaho in 1994.) We LOVED it. We stayed in a VRBO in Driggs. Such a cute town (and the chimney cakes were to die for)!
I had no idea Idaho has so much wilderness. Granted, it’s gorgeous wilderness, but still… When you think of wilderness, Idaho doesn’t come to mind immediately. 😀
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I’ve never lived or visited Idaho, but was fascinated by all the facts! I love bling so my favorite fact is that Idaho is known as the Gem state with 72 precious stones and gems! I’d love to visit and shop at all the jewelry stores that carry native gems!
I lived in Idaho most of my childhood, some of my adulthood, and my parents lived there until a year ago. I didn’t know the statehouse was heated geothermally. When I was born, we lived on a sheep ranch in tiny Howe, Idaho.
I was stationed at Mt Home AFB from 1984-1987. The state had *just* gone over a million in population, and one town in the mountains had only recently gotten electricity (forget which one). Loved that state when I lived there.
Went to Boise on a business trip in 2006, and was amazed (and saddened) by how much it had grown. It had 100,000 people when I was stationed there.
I have never been to Idaho. Beautiful picture of Shoshone Falls.
I love your books and love that so many take place in Idaho. I was reading your books long before I moved to Idaho though.
I have lived in Idaho all of my 67 years except 4 that I lived in Washington. I knew or at least heard all of the fun facts about Idaho. Fishing and drift boating, and camping are our favorite things to do.
It was fun reading and I hope to visit when hubby retires.
I’ve been to Idaho many, many times, since I live in northern Utah about 20 miles from the Idaho border. I have a brother and a sister who live in Idaho. It’s a fun place to visit.
I think the most surprising fact about Idaho was the deepest river gorge. That’s amazing!
I thought Idaho was such a pretty state when I was driving through it in a truck in the early eighties.
I have only driven through it! I was surprised to learn that Idaho is 63% public land.
Next door neighbor in Oregon and love Idaho. Thanks for all the ideas of places to go in your wonderful home state, and for a chance to win a book.