Saturday, Aug 30th, we are staying at the Snake River RV Park in Idaho Falls, ID and today we decided to take a drive along the Teton Scenic Byway, Hwy 31. The highway is about 20 miles long and we followed the Snake River for some time, the largest and longest contributory to the Columbia River, along a country road. We passed through rolling hills of barley and wheat and the grain silos standing tall in the fields, with the combines working gathering the wheat and barley. The weather was cloudy as we entered the Big Hole Mountains following the rim of the Pine Creek Gorge, we stopped to get a view of the Grand Teton in the distance but it was mostly shrouded in mist. Eventually we were able to see the jagged peaks of the “Les Trois Tetons” or the Three Breasts which the French Trappers used to call them.
The Teton Scenic Byway ended in Ashton and we picked up the 28 mile long Mesa Falls Scenic Byway on Hwy 47, to the Mesa Falls. As we approached the falls on the walkway from the visitor center you could hear the thundering water of the Henry Fork of the Snake River cascaded over the Upper and Lower Mesa Falls. The Lower Mesa Falls is 65′ high and we saw them from the viewing platforms high above and the Upper Mesa Falls is 112′ viewed from a closer platform. The sky was getting darker as we stood on the viewing platforms and I decided to make a run for the car. It started to rain and then hail and by the time Bob reached the car he was soaking wet. We drove back to Idaho Falls and took a walk along the Snake River Greenbelt and saw the 20′ falls that the town is named after. We ate a late lunch at the Snow Eagle Brewing and Grill Restaurant where they served Beaver Dick Brown Pelt America Style Brown Ale. Then back to the RV Park after another successful day of sightseeing.