As we were entering town, we discovered Billingsly Creek, a wildlife preserve in 1000 Springs State Park. The air was filled with the sounds of birds.
We camped at Miracle Hot Springs.
The soak in our private hot pool was glorious!
After checking out the alligators the next morning,
we went sight seeing.
Hagerman is famous for its natural springs gushing from steep canyon walls and cascading into the Snake River.
We embarked in our inflatable kayaks on an adventure to get up-close-and-personal to as many as possible.
We paddled across the Snake River navigating around power boats, water skiers and jet skis, made our way around Ritter Island,....
...and entered paradise. The water was crystal clear. The falls from the springs were spectacular. Butterflies flitted here and there among flowering bushes. It was peaceful and serene--no power boats or even another human being was in sight.
After paddling against the current for quite some time, we stopped to rest and have a snack at a conveniently placed park. An obviously bored and not at all shy little boy who was fishing with his grandfather approached us. As he recounted his adventures, he eyed our food with a hungry look in his eye. We graciously shared a little before continuing on our journey.
Hydroelectric and irrigation projects divert some of the water so you can no longer see the fabled 1000 Springs but we saw enough to take our breath away.
Thankfully, because of the current created by the cascading water, we got to paddle with the current for the rest of our journey as we continued around the island. I welcomed the chance to rest my aching limbs!
We ended our fabulous Labor Day weekend adventure with a swim in the hot springs at 1000 Springs Resort. As we headed for home, we started planning our next trip to paradise.
1 comment:
Great pics! I missed this post, somehow. One thing, though, what were those gators doing in Idaho??
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