Thoughts on the social climate and culture in the Panhandle? (Boise: transplants, 2013)

[stealheadrun23]

The people are polite and will give you hellos and waves as they drive by, but that is as far as it extends. They are not interested in taking it any further. It makes things like shopping more pleasant but isn't going to get you wrapped up into a warm social network. Also, a huge chunk of the population has recently moved here from big cities and they are not friendly at all. If you wave at them as they drive down the street, you get a glare back if they even notice you.

Hmm, now I'm wondering: is the area around Pocatello any different?

Looks like real estate prices are lower in the SE. I seem to get on alright with Mormons but I would be worried about the winter winds.

[Glenview94602]

Originally Posted by GileadCommander

My big worry about the panhandle is it seems like there is a severe lack of good medical care.

If you are north of CDA, yes. Lewiston, Moscow, and CDA have some large hospitals and there are supporting hospitals on the WA side of each.

[AnythingOutdoors]

Originally Posted by stealheadrun23

Hmm, now I'm wondering: is the area around Pocatello any different?

Looks like real estate prices are lower in the SE. I seem to get on alright with Mormons but I would be worried about the winter winds.

I'll chime in, though I'm sure others here know the area better...

If you generally like SW Idaho but want cooler temps then I think Eastern Idaho is a good candidate.

I have friends that grew up in Poky and ended up in Boise because they wanted a bigger city. Most people would say it's not as scenic as NID (though that's very much in the eye of the beholder), and there's more ag and industry. This means more regular working folks and less wealthy out of staters cashing in their expensive coastal homes for a house in the Idaho woods (though everywhere has suffered from expensive property values).

I certainly wouldn't mind living in the Pocatello or Idaho Falls area. Big enough cities for most things I want/need, and fantastic fly fishing on the Upper Snake River and Henrys Fork, and the colder temps don't bother me. But my wife prefers the hotter summers and milder winters in Boise, and I think the bigger city works better for our family overall with great schools and more stuff for the kids.

It's an easy drive, so maybe make some trips out there to get a feel for the place.

[ejisme]

It's an easy drive, so maybe make some trips out there to get a feel for the place.

I agree with that statement. You could do a Memorial Day weekend trip to Pocatello and Idaho Falls. You'll be seeing the nice green springtime landscape. It tends to get pretty brown later in the summer, much like the Boise area or Twin Falls. If you choose SE Idaho, there are a lot of interesting outdoors areas and activities: Hunting, fishing, skiing is still close, good hiking. I've done the hiking and fishing in the area, and it is much less crowded than the Boise area has become. We've been in the Boise area for 15 years, and the mountains and deserts have become much, much more crowded in the last five years or so.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by ejisme

It's an easy drive, so maybe make some trips out there to get a feel for the place.

I agree with that statement. You could do a Memorial Day weekend trip to Pocatello and Idaho Falls. You'll be seeing the nice green springtime landscape. It tends to get pretty brown later in the summer, much like the Boise area or Twin Falls. If you choose SE Idaho, there arhise a lot of interesting outdoors areas and activities: Hunting, fishing, skiing is still close, good hiking. I've done the hiking and fishing in the area, and it is much less crowded than the Boise area has become. We've been in the Boise area for 15 years, and the mountains and deserts have become much, much more crowded in the last five years or so.

If you plan such a trip, a very good way to see what the southern end of the state offers is to leave Boise on the Interstate, and stay on the Interstates to the Upper Snake River Valley, then return on U.S. HWY 20, which dumps out in Mtn. Home.

This route is especially good this time of year. Seeing the Arco desert in bloom is unforgettable.

[stealheadrun23]

Originally Posted by banjomike

If you plan such a trip, a very good way to see what the southern end of the state offers is to leave Boise on the Interstate, and stay on the Interstates to the Upper Snake River Valley, then return on U.S. HWY 20, which dumps out in Mtn. Home.

This route is especially good this time of year. Seeing the Arco desert in bloom is unforgettable.

That's an interesting idea. I've driven across the interstate multiple times going to Wyoming and Utah, but apart from gas stations and a diner in Jerome one time, I've never stopped to look around. I have never been on highway 20 or 26. Might be worth considering.

I would probably need to try the same journey in January-February to feel comfortable about it though.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by stealheadrun23

That's an interesting idea. I've driven across the interstate multiple times going to Wyoming and Utah, but apart from gas stations and a diner in Jerome one time, I've never stopped to look around. I have never been on highway 20 or 26. Might be worth considering.

I would probably need to try the same journey in January-February to feel comfortable about it though.

20 can be closed in the winters in the Fairfield area. So while the highway is open most of the time, I always check w/ the state police before I make the drive in the wintertime.

It's the shortest E-W route from Boise to I.F., but it's a slower drive because it's all 2-lane and twisty.

I enjoy it for the scenery; every valley along the way has a pass that drops you in and another that lets you out. Each is much different than the last.
The highway drops and rises in altitude too, so just around the bend or over the next hill, it's another Idaho that comes into view. Everything from craggy mountains to flat farmland. Amazing contrasts.

[stealheadrun23]

Originally Posted by banjomike

20 can be closed in the winters in the Fairfield area. So while the highway is open most of the time, I always check w/ the state police before I make the drive in the wintertime.

It's the shortest E-W route from Boise to I.F., but it's a slower drive because it's all 2-lane and twisty.

I enjoy it for the scenery; every valley along the way has a pass that drops you in and another that lets you out. Each is much different than the last.
The highway drops and rises in altitude too, so just around the bend or over the next hill, it's another Idaho that comes into view. Everything from craggy mountains to flat farmland. Amazing contrasts.

Ah, good to know. What are your thoughts on Blackfoot?

[volosong]

Originally Posted by stealheadrun23

Ah, good to know. What are your thoughts on Blackfoot?

My great-grandfather lived in Blackfoot for a long time, in fact, he died there. But, that was a long, long time ago. Today? About all I know is that it is a smaller farming community, or appears to be.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by stealheadrun23

Ah, good to know. What are your thoughts on Blackfoot?

As Volo said: It's a fairly small farm town. Blackfoot is close to the Shosone-Bannock Ft. Hall reservation and lies in the heart of S.E. Idaho's potato country; French's has a large processing factory there, along with some of the biggest outfits and a lot of fresh packing houses.

I like Blackfoot- it's home to the Eastern Idaho State Fair, the largest fair in the state, and is well located in between larger Pocatello and Idaho Falls. So if a person likes the quieter life of a smaller town, it's a good choice, as the commute is only about 20 miles north to I.F. or south to Pocatello on the Interstate.

The Snake River widens in the area, so flooding sometimes occurs that can threaten houses built too close to the river banks.

The town has an interesting history; it was once in consideration to become the state capital, and how it got its name is a mystery, as there are no Blackfeet tribes in Idaho. The Blackfeet were blood enemies to the Sho-Bans, who have always lived in the Ft. Hall area, a part of their traditional homeland.

From time to time, a movement starts to get the name changed to Grove City, but nothing ever comes of it.