Eastern - Idaho

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South Fork of Snake River
Snake River
Interstate 15 continues from eastern
Idaho over Monida Pass into Montana,
passing through Dubois and Spencer
along the way. Spencer is the only
place in North America where opals are
plentiful enough to mine commercially.
Several opal mines are open spring
through fall, and visitors can search for
gems themselves or just browse in the
gift shops and take home a little gem
from Idaho.
Rigby and Rexburg
If you are heading to Yellowstone National
Park, be sure to stop in Rigby to
learn about the invention of television
at the Farnsworth TV and Pioneer Museum,
which houses more than 14,000
square feet of pre-electric and early
electric-era exhibitions. The museum
honors former resident and inventor of
the first television picture tube, Philo T.
Farnsworth, who developed his initial
ideas for the electronic transmission of
images while in high school in Rigby.
Photo Caption
Idaho Falls
Families traveling with children will not
want to miss Yellowstone Bear World,
five miles south of Rexburg. It’s the
area’s only drive-through wildlife preserve,
where you can see grizzly bears,
black bears, gray wolves, and many
other species in a natural, open setting
spring through fall. Guided tours are
available, and a gift shop offers bear
and wildlife items.
About half an hour north of Idaho Falls
sits the pleasant community of Rexburg,
rebuilt after a devastating flood.
In 1976, the newly constructed Teton
Dam burst, pouring billions of gallons
of water through the town. The Teton
Flood Museum details the tragedy and
the citizens’ reaction to it, and also
displays pioneer relics and an extensive
opal and agate collection. To see the
remains of the dam, follow Highway 33
to Newdale and watch for road signs.
Rexburg is also home to the Idaho
International Dance and Music Festival,
held each summer on the campus of
BYU Idaho. Hundreds of dancers from
a variety of countries come to Idaho to
perform, share their cultural heritage,
and experience the best of America. Free
events include the opening and closing
ceremonies, street dances, a parade,
and fireworks, while ticketed events
include the indoor dance performances.
If off-roading is your favorite diversion,
head to St. Anthony Sand Dunes,
just north of St. Anthony, for fun in the
sun and sand. These dunes, managed
by the Bureau of Land Management
for ATV use, consist of 11,000 acres of
clear, shifting, white quartz sand.
Idaho International Dance Festival
Idaho Falls
ReGionAl inFo
« Largest City
Idaho Falls
Population—56,813
« Regional Climate
Summer Average High—85°
Winter Average High—37°
Annual Precipitation—22"
« Elevation
Highest—10,740'
{Tyler Peak}
Lowest—4,615'
{Snake River}
yellowstoneteton.org