Deciding what activity to write about in the summer in Idaho is like telling a child to pick ONE piece of candy from a candy shop.

With some of the best white water rafting and kayaking anywhere on earth, more natural hot springs that you can ever experience, hiking, horseback riding, fishing and swimming holes to choose from I had to hone in on one…..right? Well, I gave it a go and it just can’t be done. So, instead I have compiled information on my favorites. The websites from the US Department of Parks, Idaho’s Parks Department and Idaho Fish and Game are incredible resources for information and planning your get away.

I have camped in tents, trailers, rustic cabins with no running water and cabins that are more like luxury resorts—the only requirement; being in a beautiful mountain location. I grew up in Idaho and after spending EVERY family vacation in the mountains, I retired from the activity for over 20 years. I even announced (in a pathetic online single’s ad) that ‘camping in the Hilton’ was my preference. Funny, in Idaho, when you make a statement like that, the phone doesn’t ring off the hook.

Years later, and long after my days on single’s sites I married a  fellow, non-camper. Last summer, on a whim Robert and I decided to give it a go. We bought camping gear on Craigslist and proceeded to pack up our little Mercedes with two dogs and our new collection of survival gear, food and adult beverages.

We asked friends about the best nearby places to camp; took a vote and found a great campsite next to the Payette River and within walking distance to some hidden hot springs.

Upon arrival, O’Malley, the ever, social one, quickly wandered to the next camp ground in search of a suitable lap. Our old dog, Willy curled up in the tent on a mound of blankets and assumed his position, seemingly oblivious to the new surroundings. We put our tent up in a matter of minutes— one improvement for sure—it used to take an engineering degree to accomplish, and could evoke a husband/wife argument only rivaled by the annual, “putting up the Christmas tree fight,” amazingly, the new tent, popped itself upright. After setting up camp, we toured the campground and found running water, a bathroom and trails leading to the hot springs. Our camp was next to the river and I was already looking forward to falling asleep to that long forgotten, soothing sound.

Sitting next to the campfire that first night took me back to my childhood. I found myself missing my dad more than usual. He was the fire master and was the first one up to build the fire for coffee in the morning and the last one to bed, snuffing out the last ashes.  The kids spent time rotating our chairs to avoid the smoke, joking about smoke following beauty and attempting to roast the perfect marshmallow.

We spent a wonderful peaceful weekend along the Payette.

Now, we are just hoping that summer arrives in Idaho so we can head out again. As tempting as it is to return to that wonderful slice of Idaho, we need to explore more of this incredible land, so the search is on for our next Idaho get-away.