Background:

I first became acquainted with the Handbook series when my wife and I took our then 13-year-old niece on a 3-week trip across the northwest. We bought the Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Washington and Oregon editions of the Handbook at that time. We also have the updated version of the Idaho Handbook that has recently come out.

The reasons we liked the books is they give detailed information about the sights in the state which means you don’t need 20,000 brochures from the different locations taking up valuable space.

This review goes over the Idaho Handbook by Don Root. The series is published by Moon Travel Handbooks.

The Book’s Sections:

Section 1: Introduction
-Land and Climate, Flora, Fauna, History and People

Section 2: On the Road
-Sightseeing Highlights, Recreation, Arts and Entertainment, Accommodations and Food, Transportation, Other Practicalities

Section 3: Boise and Vicinity
-Sights, Recreation, Boise After Dark, Arts and Events, Accommodations, Food, Transportation, Shopping, Information, Services, South of the Snake River

Section 4: Southwest Idaho
-Hells Canyon Rim Country, Canyon Country, Gem Country, Payette River Country: Highway 55 North, McCall and Vicinity, Highway 21: The Ponderosa Pine Scenic Highway, Elmore Country, Owyhee County

Section 5: South-Central Idaho
-Hagerman Valley, North of the Snake River, Twin Falls, South of the Snake River, Mini-Cassia Country

Section 6: Southeast Idaho
-Massacre Rocks to American Falls, Pocatello and Vicinity, South to Utah, Highway 30 to Bear Lake Country, Lava Country, Idaho Falls and Vicinity, Highway 26 to Wyoming, Teton Basin, Highway 20 to West Yellowstone

Section 7: The High Country
-Hailey and Vicinity, Ketchum and Sun Valley, Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Yankee Fork Country, Salmon and Vicinity, Basin and Range Country

Section 8: North-Central Idaho
-The Hells Canyon Corridor, Grangeville and Vicinity, Lewiston and Vicinity, The Lewis and Clark Highway, Moscow and Vicinity, Across the Palouse

Section 9: The Panhandle
-Coeur d’Alene and Vicinity, The Silver Valley, Highway 95 to Pend Oreille Lake, Sandpoint and Vicinity, Priest Lake, Highway 200 to Montana: The Pend Oreille Scenic Byway, North to Canada

Overview:

As I mentioned all of the state Handbook series are excellent reference tools when you are traveling. Among the information in the book:

Attractions: Goes over what there is to see and do across the state. Includes museums, recreation areas, historic sites, scenic sights and many more.

What to Do: These books show activities in the area including biking, hiking, walking, skiing, swimming, backpack adventures, fishing, horseback riding and golfing.

Accommodations: The books go over accommodations in the various areas including hotels, motels, B&B, hostels, RV parks, campgrounds and guest ranches. These books do well in not only showing the chains but also include the smaller motels. However these books are not updated every year so some places may open, some may close, and some change.

Food: The book also covers restaurants in the area including upscale, cafes, bakeries, coffee places, and international restaurants.

Services and Information: The book goes over transportation options and has information on where to find tourist information at the various sights or cities.

Special Events: The book also lists any special events or community celebrations that are held throughout the area.

Likes:

What I really like about the series it is a one-stop source for information while traveling. It not only includes information about the sights but also includes information about lodgings, food in the area, and where to find out additional information.

I like the fact that the book not only list the major lodging choices but also mentions the smaller places that are not mentioned in other publications. I like checking out the little mom and pop places, especially ones that have been around for many years.

I also like the section about the special events. It is often difficult to find out when special events are held in places without doing a ton of searching. With these books you just look up the city and you can see when they have their special celebrations.

Dislikes:

I have several of these Handbooks and sadly I have to say I have to rate the Idaho as the worst of the lot. That is not to say that the book is downright bad which it is not, but when you compare it to the other members of the state handbook series this one is just that the others are much better.

First of all, two of my favorite things to do when traveling among many are to check out waterfalls and ghost towns (especially ones that haven’t been touristy). While he does mention a few of each, he does not point out several ghost towns and waterfalls that I have been to when traveling through Idaho.

Also you quickly see that the writer likes hip expensive places. He shows his disdain for any place that does not have the hip places. Also in his hotel listings you see a lot of detail in the more expensive ones and then he will just briefly mention some of the less expensive places.

While he does include some things to do with the kids, the book’s main focus is on adults and adult travel.

Conclusion:

If you are looking for a good resource on what there is to see and do in Idaho then the Idaho Handbook is a great source. From the listing of sights to the listing of lodgings the Idaho Handbook is your source to make your trip more enjoyable.

While you will have to wade through some bias, it is a good source.

Moon Handbooks
ISBN: 1566915945
List Price: 19.95
Author: Don Root

Other Handbooks Reviews:

Southern California Handbook


Recommended: Yes