My next destination was Shoshone Falls, just outside of Twin Falls, ID.
For a time, the only settlers that knew of the falls’ existence were fur trappers. Word spread of this gorgeous phenomenon in the 19th century, and now I knew enough to go and visit.
Shoshone Falls is divided into two main areas. There’s the falls area where I spent most of my time and—on the other side—a lake where you can enjoy being in the water. Here it is…
On my way to the Falls, I pass through Twin Falls and noted it appears to be more developed than other places I’d seen so far. So, after the Falls, I stopped at Twin Falls and treated myself to sushi and a manicure.
My next stop was a hotel in Arco, ID. I can’t tell you why, but I suddenly became overtaken with exhaustion while driving there. I had 26 more minutes to go. I recall weighing the obvious benefit of pulling over and resting, versus the dangers of doing so at that location. I decided to continue to drive. I opened my windows all the way down so that the wind would blow into the car. Every ounce of awareness that I had left was directed at driving. Those 26 minutes felt endless. I couldn’t wait to check into the hotel.
I was clearheaded enough to recognize that I was passing Craters of the Moon National Monument, which was on my agenda for the following day. I also recognized that, if you compare the beauty of what I see during my hours of driving to what I expect to see at the Craters of the Moon, maybe Craters is not a necessary stop for me to make.
I noticed two other hotels on my way to mine. When I arrived, there was no one at the office. A sign on the door directed guests to phone two local numbers. I tried the first and it rang and rang. The second number went straight to voicemail. If you know me, you know I won’t let this go easily. I called again and again but got nowhere. I circled the grounds looking for a sign of life. There was none. I called several more times and nothing. I had to do something. I noticed that the office was attached to an apartment/home. I knocked on that home’s door. A little boy answered “yes” when I asked whether there is a grown-up in there with him. I waited and waited, but no grown-up came to the door.
I gave up and prepared to leave. I tried phoning one more time. A woman answered. She made no sense, assumed I was someone else looking for a different hotel. I told her “no,” that I was right there at her hotel. She instructed me to go into the office. When I pointed out that it wasn’t open, the woman used a gas-lighting tone of voice and said that sure it was open, you just need to push the door hard. She also claimed she was inside. I pushed the door and found myself alone in the office. The woman eventually made it there too. She was confused by the reservations on her desk and did not locate me, at first. She proceeded to check me in on the computer and suddenly asked whether I was the one who knocked on her door. I answered “yes, I am.” She continued in a matter-of-fact tone and said “Don’t ever do that again,” to which I replied “How about I leave now?”
And that’s how I found myself with no place to sleep in a sleepy ID town. I was no longer sleepy, though! It took a few minutes, but I found the other hotels that I passed. One would not do, so I went to the other. I checked in, set up my computer, and had 4 minutes to spare before a WordPress meeting I wanted to attend. After the meeting, I was free to relax and sleep.