Weekly Recap: Bryn's Idaho Adventures

Hey. 

It's Bryn. 

Shawn's gone and now it's me and Percy chilling in Idaho for a week. I dropped Shawn off at the airport in Boise and decided to go have myself a NIGHT in Twin Falls. But first, I had to stop by and see the Potato Hotel. The potato used to be a marketing tool before it was purchased and turned into an AirBnb. I continued to Twin Falls and made the last minute decision to get thai at Jasmine Thai. I got beef Pad See Ew. It was solid. From there I wandered through the cold night to Koto Brewing Co. and nursed a flight while chatting with the bartenders. Everything I tried was very nice! What a good spot! The vibe was chill and they have some really cool artwork throughout the brewery to admire. 

One of the bartenders heard my plea for a fun karaoke spot and pointed me towards DK's Log Tavern so off I went. I opened the door to DK's and was greeted with hazy cigarette smoke and some off-key karaoke. What a Catch-22. But I thought "Eff it. I'm here and it's 18 degrees outside." Pushing aside my shock at a smoking indoors bar, I signed up for karaoke and ordered a beer. Several songs and new friends later, I left to make the frigid 15 minute walk back to my car and begin my 30 minute drive back to the trailer. A miserable drive as I sat in my cigarette stench and realized I needed a full scrub once I got home. I bagged my clothes up so the trailer wouldn't smell and took a hot midnight shower. No more smoking bars for me!

Saturday morning I was up, caffeinated, and prepped for my first ski day of the season by 10:30. So exciting! Our campground is just over an hour from Sun Valley so I purchased a half day ticket. The drive was foggy. The fog in Idaho is unreal! Super heavy and eerie. It lifted about halfway to the mountain which I appreciated because the road started to get windy. After a yummy, hot lunch at River Run Lodge I was ready to hit the slopes. I did 6 runs top to bottom (only 4 lifts were open and I did every run available) then plopped down in front of the outdoor fire pit and had a Bailey's Hot Chocolate while listening in to a group conversation across the pit. Don't judge. I was alone!

 

After my drink I trekked back to my car and drove along a snowy, windy road in the Sawtooth National Forest to Frenchman's Hot Spring, a naturally occurring hot spring along Warm Springs Creek.

Guys.

Let me tell you. 

The JOY of sliding down a snowy river bank and sitting in scalding water along with a bunch of strangers after a ski day. 

UNPARALLELED.

I nestled into the riverbed and enjoyed the beautiful winter scenery, which included a black squirrel running through the snow along the far bank. The river, which is held at bay by rock formations along each bank, is painfully brisk. The pools created by the rocks vary in temperature from scalding to lukewarm. The air was 23 degrees and I happily sat half in the water with a hat on for over an hour, slowly pruning myself and realizing that I was going to smell vaguely egg-y for the rest of the night thanks to the sulfur from the springs.

Undeterred, I made my way back into town for a flight/info gather at Sawtooth Brewery. The staff was more than happy to make recommendations for my next stop. After a beer tasting (plus purchasing a fantastic IPA to go) I bundled up and walked to Sun Valley Wine Company for a little pre-dinner wine and snack. The place was deserted, which apparently was a stark contrast to the night before. The owner and an employee were busy sorting wine so I sank into a chair by the fireplace and enjoyed some wine and an amazing burrata and roasted heirloom tomato salad while I got the low-down for the rest of my night from the owner's husband. According to the owner a premier Ketchum restaurant, Enoteca, actually had some open reservations that night.

My interest piqued, I headed around the corner in hopes of a bar spot at Enoteca, which I secured. I sat next to a woman named Margaret, fresh off the plane from a business trip and waiting for her takeaway order so she could go home. Enoteca is her favorite restaurant and I was told to get the bacon wrapped dates with gorgonzola. Sold. The dates were amazing. What other wisdom could Margaret offer? Get the trout and go to Casino and ask for Matt the Bartender. So I ordered the Idaho trout, panko crusted and served with a fresh arugula salad with a house-made raspberry vinaigrette. Phenomenal. I forgot to take a picture and scarfed it down.

Hoping to extend my night a bit, I headed across the street to Whiskey's, rather than go straight to Casino. I'm so glad I did, because I met Megan. Megan has made the drive from Idaho to Salt Lake City with a trailer multiple times each year for ages and told me exactly what to expect down to where I should stop for gas. I've been so nervous about making the drive on my own so this was a much welcome encounter. I feel very prepared! After Megan left I danced for a bit before crossing the street to Casino.

I found Matt the Bartender, told him I know Margaret, and got a free beer, my last of the night. I sat down at the far end of a long high-top between the bar and the game tables to enjoy my beer and take in the scenery. Immediately a group of friends sat down around me with bright green Appletinis. One of the men exclaimed "Appletinis are the F**KING BEST" and down the gullet his went. Round two followed quickly. One of them asked if I was part of the group and was delighted to talk skiing with me when he found out I wasn't. He's a ski instructor at Sun Valley and I HAVE to go to Alta. It's the best. I'm convinced! I'll go to Alta.

I didn't finish my last beer. The hour drive home loomed over me and I decided to leave my half drunk bottle by the door. I saw a deer on my way home through the fog. The drive is thankfully uneventful. I get home around 1 am and decide to finish my night at the local saloon a short walk away. It's Saturday night, after all! A couple shots with the bartender/patrons and two beers later, I wander home, have a snack, and collapse into bed at 2:30. A very successful night.

Sunday was a quiet recovery and prep day, as I had a survey in Butte, Montana, Tuesday morning and needed to pack/clean up for my departure Monday.

My business trip was uneventful, aside from a delicious dinner at Casagranda's Steakhouse in Butte. A standout place! I made my way home Tuesday in time to play a few hours of a one-shot DND campaign with friends (Shawn is our DM). We had a fantastic time! I'm looking forward to finishing the campaign. I think we got our friends hooked on DND now.

Wednesday morning I scheduled a massage first thing. It was Shawn's present to me for my birthday. Such a treat! I found an excellent massage therapist in Twin Falls and decided to make a day of it. I returned my rental car from my business trip after my massage and headed to Starbucks to work for the morning. At lunch I switched to 2nd Street Market, a very popular collective with 7 vendors (BBQ, Poke, PanAsian, Beer, Ice Cream, Coffee, and Pizza). Lunchtime was quiet but by 5 pm the place was packed with locals meeting up for drinks and dinner. 

The rest of the week was pretty quiet. Work, working out, and relaxing were the focus. I went back in to Twin Falls one last time to pick up Shawn's snowboard and my skis, which I had dropped off to be tuned and sharpened. I swung by Evel Knievel's jump site at Snake River Canyon which is a fun bit of history (Knievel failed the jump and was lucky to just have a few scrapes). 

I was early to bed after prepping the trailer to leave the next morning.