Idaho has a beach? What?

Not really, but we had a really great time at Cascade Lake a few weeks ago. It's about 70 miles from Boise, and the drive is spectacular. You feel like you're in the Northwest (some people who live in Boise think they are, but thinking folk don't like to say it out loud). The Payette River is large and stunning and you pass through some beautiful pine forests on the way as well. I'm not big into lakes without sand because they don't usually gradually get deep, and I don't like sitting in mud. Also I don't fish. Sand reminds me of the years we spent in Maryland, Hawaii and North Carolina -- all wonderful memories. Kimball and I were both born in FL -- me in the Florida Keys so I was born with sand in my hair. It was so quiet at this lake that I kept looking around, wondering if we were in the right place. They had these little mailboxes out that said the state park fee was $5, and if you didn't pay it, you'd be charged a $5 surcharge. Ummmm...I don't think that's going to deter anyone, Park Service, and from what I could see, it didn't. We paid our 5 bucks.