Listen Up: No Place Like Home

BY CHERIE BUCKNER-WEBB

“I gotta be the biggest fool in the world to come down here with you all!” uttered Deacon Luther E. Johnson as he climbed down into the Shoshone Ice Caves. My mom had conned him into going with us, and after, my grandfather shared with anyone who would listen how truly magnificent it was.

His words captured something essential about Idaho—the vastness and beauty of our landscape. On one side, the smell of the flowers, the smell of rain, freshly felled trees, spring flowers, against a harder edge—a glimpse of animals in their natural habitat (from a distance, preferably) and the feel of the wind on our faces.

I remember camping, fishing, exploring, and swimming—wading, in my case—at Redfish Lake with my parents, brother, younger sister Pepper, my (teen) Aunt Mary who had hardly been off the block, and John, the neighbor kid. With blankets, tarps, and make-shift everything, we scrounged for firewood and cooked over an open fire, scared to death of animals that probably weren’t there.

There is no place in the world I’d rather call home. The abundant and unique outdoor environments, treasures, and experiences of this state are imprinted on the DNA of forever Idahoans and visitors alike. This is the stuff that memories are made of.

As an adult, Idaho offers the same opportunities—and then some. Whether it is driving to Banks to cook breakfast and spend the day hiking, exploring, and taking pictures or watching my kids ski and snowboard, boat and swim on beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene or reveling at the McCall Winter Carnival, enjoying ice sculptures, parades, music, ice skating, sledding, and fireworks, Idaho is a land of opportunity.

On any given day, especially if you’re up for a little driving, one can tour the Hagerman Fish Hatchery, explore the desert at Bruneau Dunes State Park, go horseback riding, mountain climb, sled, hike, walk, rock hunt, or enjoy the year-round art, entertainment, beautiful climate, and great star gazing in Sun Valley and Ketchum, which is part of Idaho Dark Sky Reserve—the only one in U.S. where folks are able to see the Milky Way.

Here, you can begin the day with an exquisite sunrise and end it with an ethereal sunset. As you sh, experience amazing flora and fauna, and oat the pristine waters of the Boise River through a string of parks, just minutes from downtown. You become part of a long tradition, and pay homage to the Shoshone, Bannock, and Paiute Tribes who lived along the river for generations. These are but a few of the gifts available to those who live in and visit our beautiful state. Those who came before us were purposeful about exploring, preserving, and making so many phenomenal gifts of our environment visible and accessible. I am grateful for their toil, commitment, and vision. They have greatly enhanced the lives of untold numbers. We are the most fortunate recipients of their time and talent. They have indeed endowed our futures. And we must, in turn, be good stewards of these gifts, treating our environment with respect and care so that we might continue to leave a legacy for generations to come.

I hold a lifetime of memories in Idaho’s great outdoors, and I have more to explore.