Idaho Falls Bike Ride
The morning was super productive. I spent about an hour at Starbucks working through a long list of things that had been accumulating while I was traveling. I downloaded my updated Insurance Financial Responsibility Identification Card and vehicle registration, updated some personal information on a few websites, and checked on several subscription renewals. The biggest item was making the final payment on the van. I was amazed by how smoothly everything went online. I transferred the money from the bank to the loan company, and that was basically it. This used to be called paperwork, but I’m not sure that is what you can call it anymore. I never saw a piece of paper. The payment would take a couple of days to clear, and then the title would be transferred automatically. It felt good to finally pay off the loan. Everything was done online—seamless, contactless and almost effortless.
From there I drove to Staples and printed the registration and insurance documents I wanted to keep in the van. Discount Tire was right around the corner, so that was my next stop. The news there wasn’t as good. Both front tires were cupping and wearing heavily along the inside edges, and the alignment was off. They also told me there was a caster issue on the right front. I wasn’t even completely sure what that meant until they explained that caster is one of the alignment angles that affects steering stability and how the wheel returns to center. They aligned what they could, but I could still hear the noise from the front afterward. The tires were far enough gone that I ordered replacements, which were supposed to arrive the next day.
The van weighs over 9,000 pounds, and after driving it all the way to Alaska and back, on Alaskan and Canadian roads, the tires have certainly had a harder life than they would on a normal passenger vehicle. I’ve been running Falken all-terrain tires because they were rated well for highway mileage while still keeping road noise relatively low. I spend far more time on pavement than off it, so that balance matters to me. Even so, between the weight of the van, the miles I’ve been putting on it and the alignment problem, these front tires were finished.
I then headed to CBI Bikes. The electronic SRAM gear changer on my bike uses a small rechargeable battery that lasts for many rides, but I have managed once to start a ride with a nearly dead battery and suddenly discovered that I couldn’t shift gears. Charging it after every ride mostly solves that problem, but carrying a spare in the repair kit solves it completely. CBI was the only bike shop I found in the area that had the SRAM batteries in stock, so I picked one up and crossed another item off the list.
Snake River Landing
Shortly after noon I drove to Snake River Landing on the south side of Idaho Falls. It looked fairly new, with landscaped ponds, walking paths and open green space not far from the Snake River. Behind part of it was a much less scenic industrial area where what looked like construction material was being dumped. I changed clothes, pulled the bike out of the van and set off hoping to get about twenty miles in. The weather could hardly have been better: almost no clouds, bright sun and just enough breeze to keep the temperature comfortable.
Finding the actual bike path took a little work. AllTrails showed me exactly where it was, but it didn’t show an obvious way to get from where I was standing to the trail itself. I finally ended up walking the bike near the entrance to the dump area, picking my way around mud left from the recent rain, until I could get onto the route. On the way back, I realized the bike trail started about 100 feet above where I had parked along the road. There were no markers.
Idaho Falls River Walk
Eventually I reached the Idaho Falls River Walk, also commonly called the Greenbelt. The paved trail runs along both sides of the Snake River and connects parks and downtown landmarks through Idaho Falls. Getting there was harder than actually riding it. I made two wrong turns on the way into town because trail signs and route markers were sparse, and once I was downtown the path sometimes shifted onto sidewalks and crossed busy streets. Unless I kept watching the map, it wasn’t always obvious where the route continued. There were also a surprising number of traffic lights, and at one intersection I waited close to five minutes for a pedestrian signal.
On the ride out, I didn’t take any photographs. I was focused on riding, figuring out where the trail went and getting some miles in. I passed through downtown and along long stretches of the Snake River, but mostly I just kept moving. I knew I would be coming back on the other side of the river, so anything that looked interesting could wait until the return trip. I also wouldn’t be shooting into the sun.
Eventually I reached the end of the paved route I was following. There appeared to be a dirt section that continued on, but I would have had to negotiate my way through about a hundred feet of water and plants. At that point I had nine miles in, and I decided that was a good place to turn around. I followed the trail a short distance to the next bridge and crossed the Snake River to the other side, where I slowed down and focused on the scenery and getting some photos.
The Snake River changed constantly as I rode. In some places it was broad and almost glassy, with trees and buildings reflected across the surface; a short distance later, the water was rushing through rocky channels and over the falls. I stopped frequently, sometimes for a photograph and other times simply to look at something I had passed too quickly on the way out.
Farther along, the river widened and became almost perfectly still. From several points I could see the Idaho Falls Temple reflected in the water from top to bottom. There were historical plaques, old bridges, landscaped waterways, rock gardens and small monuments scattered along the route, so I kept stopping to read or take photographs. By then I wasn’t particularly concerned about maintaining any riding pace. The return trip had become a slow exploration of the river.
I spent more time around the falls that gave Idaho Falls its name, photographing them from several angles. The broad, curved falls and channels are part of the city’s hydroelectric system, and from the trail there are views looking directly into the turbulence, across the river toward downtown and back toward the bridges. The combination of moving water, rocks, reflections and buildings created a relaxing environment.
I stopped at the Japanese Friendship Garden on a rocky island near downtown. The garden was created to celebrate Idaho Falls’ relationship with its Japanese sister city, Tokai-Mura, and includes a traditional gate, water features, ornamental plantings and a Japanese lantern. It was an interesting transition from the noise and power of the falls to this small, carefully maintained garden only a short distance away.
After passing the hydroelectric plant, the trail became much more park-like. It wound through a series of green spaces and neighborhoods, with homes backing up close to the path and long stretches of carefully maintained landscaping. There were ponds, narrow waterways, fountains, rock-lined streams and broad lawns with places to sit and relax. Some sections felt more like riding through a landscaped garden than following a bike trail. The water was so clear in places that I could see the rocks on the bottom, while the trees and deep blue sky reflected across the surface.
It was also one of those days when everyone seemed to notice the weather. As I rode past people walking or sitting along the trail, several called out things like, “Beautiful day,” “Nice day for a ride,” or “Spectacular weather.” I agreed with all of them. I crossed bridges, passed fountains and small waterfalls, and rode through areas that were almost perfectly manicured. There were places where I could have easily stopped, found a bench and stayed for an hour, but I kept moving, stopping mostly for photographs. By then the ride had become less about getting miles in and more about seeing what was around the next corner.
By the time I made it back toward Snake River Landing, I had gotten both parts of the ride I wanted: a real bike ride on the way out and plenty of time to stop, reflect and learn about Idaho Falls. I had ridden roughly the distance I wanted and had gotten a much better feel for Idaho Falls than I would have by simply driving around town.
When I got back near the van, I noticed the Mazda dealership nearby and saw Young Group printed on the vehicles. I stopped and asked one of the salesmen whether it was connected to Gregg Young Chevrolet in Omaha, Nebraska. It was. That was where I bought the van in 2023, when new Transits were almost impossible to find and Omaha was one of only two places I located that actually had one available. A few hours after making the final payment on that same van, I had somehow ended up beside another Young dealership several states away. The timing was too serendipitous not to notice.
I also noticed a small pull-off near the dealership where the road ended behind the Mazda property. Overnight camping wasn’t allowed in the nearby park, but this spot was outside the park area and looked flat and quiet enough for the night. I had read that Idaho Falls allows sleeping in a vehicle overnight for two consecutive nights, so I figured this would work if I didn’t find a better place.
I hung out at the park for a while and then went to Planet Fitness for a shower and some time in the massage chair. After that I stopped at a grocery store, found a quiet place to make dinner and relaxed for a while.
Around 7 p.m. I drove back into the city and found a space along River Road. I wanted to see what Idaho Falls looked like after dark. It has a strangely safe feeling at night. A woman pushing a baby stroller passed me and said good evening. Couples sat on benches watching the falls, and people from the nearby hotels were out walking along the River Walk. I heard several different languages as people stopped to look at the river.
I stayed for about three hours trying to capture the evening. The Idaho Falls Temple stood out across the river, brightly lit and reflected almost perfectly in the dark water. The bridges and pathways were illuminated as well, and one bridge cast a deep blue reflection across the river. The red-and-white lights on the Idaho Falls water tower created another completely different scene. I experimented with longer exposures, using passing traffic to turn headlights and taillights into streaks of light across the frame.
I could have left the van where it was and stayed along the river for the night, but I decided to go back to the spot near the Mazda dealer. I’m glad I did because it was much quieter. The dealership was well lit, the park was closed, and I could still see a few people with flashlights still fishing along the ponds. There was almost no traffic. I was excited to see how the night photographs had turned out, so I spent some time doing a quick edit before going to bed.