August 28 - Stanley Idaho loop with hints of Colorado and Switzerland

Wow! What a ride. Today’s loop from Boise, Idaho to Stanley and Ketchum and back reminded me very much of the Telluride loop in Colorado with hints of Switzerland. I was treated to vistas of multi-colored meadows surrounded by mountain ranges underneath a bright blue sky. Finding a great place to eat lunch in Stanley made a great route even better.

After spending a nice morning with my sister, I headed north on highway 55 out of Boise towards Banks and then headed east on highway 21. At first the topography was similar to that of yesterday – beautiful rolling hills in various shades of light brown and caramel. However, as the road increased in elevation the air became much cooler and the mountains became more rocky and prominent. The road passed through the Boise National Forest and followed the Payette River and then Canyon Creek for most of the 58 miles to Stanley, providing wonderful water views to accentuate the mountains in the horizon.

In the little mountain town of Stanley, I enjoyed a wonderful meal at Sawtooth Luce’s. It almost felt like I was on one of my summer vacations in Switzerland – the restaurant was in a chalet-style building with red and white flowers hanging in baskets from the roof and mountain views visible off of the sun-covered deck. I very much enjoyed my goat cheese appetizer with grape tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, and green onions served with buttered and crispy slices of French baguette. The Kobe beef burger for my main meal was juicy, tender, and flavorful.

Continuing on highway 75 south from Stanley, I continued to see beautiful multi-colored meadows with shades of reddish brown, light green, dark green, and yellow as I passed through the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Mountain peaks abounded including Payette, Glens, and Snowyside among others. As was the case yesterday, traffic was minimal and the speed limits were high, enabling me to enjoy the curves as well as the views.