There’s a reward in store for visitors who venture

beyond the shopping centers and restaurants of Blue

Lakes Boulevard North. Downtown Twin Falls,

where pioneering entrepreneurs first built a city on

the desert, still teems with individuality. Downtown

you’ll find Prasai’s Thai Cuisine, an eatery extremely

popular with the locals; Crowley’s, a soda fountain

with 1950s charm; Jensen Ringmakers, where goldsmiths

fashion elk ivory jewelry; and Rudy’s, a

kitchen-gadget store where tourists go nuts over

Idaho wines, trout fillets, buffalo steaks, and other

local specialty foods. Benno’s Fine Jewelry is a

paradise for clock collectors, with everything from

hand-carved German cuckoos to the atomic radiowave

variety, and numerous home-furnishings stores

satisfy fine tastes. That’s only a sampling.

Businesses on Main Avenue or nearby in the Historic

Warehouse District have something to enthrall every

member of your family. While one visitor combs the

extensive selections of quilting fabrics or indulges in

massage and a spa pedicure, another might be drawn

to the archery equipment and scuba gear. Indoor

go-cart racing at Nazz Kart and the costumes and

gags at Poindexter’s Novelty Shop might appeal to

the children in the family – or others young at heart.

Downtown is Twin Falls’ undisputed center of art,

architecture and antiques. Within just six blocks of

Main Avenue you’ll find four of the city’s antiques

shops -- including ANNEtiques etc., where Anne

Pullan’s pottery-repair expertise is a lifesaver for

collectors all over the United States. In addition to three

art galleries, Main Avenue’s brick buildings themselves

are a treat for the art lover, as fervor for historic

renovation spreads among property owners. Inspired

to try a little artistic creation of your own? At Hands

On, a remarkably cheerful pottery studio, visitors can

fashion a tile-and-glass mosaic in one session and leave

with a grout kit to finish the job at home.

One warning, however: Most downtown shops are

closed on evenings and Sundays, and a few close on

Mondays, too. But downtown has other evening

options, including Irish-themed pub O'Dunken’s, a

historic movie theater and – on Friday evenings – wine

tastings at Rudy’s. Tuesday through Saturday nights,

D’On’s Restaurant offers lobster, prime rib, and shrimp,

the latter prepared in six different ways. In the Warehouse

District, enjoy a hand-crafted brew and dinner at

Pandora's Eatery & Brewery or a flick at the Lamphouse

“art-cinema” theater.

You might be able to pick up a specialty cooking class

at Rudy’s while you’re in town; check the schedule

online at cooksparadise.com. Even that is easy to do

downtown, because the Twin Falls Public Library

provides free Internet access to anyone. Just look for the

lovely brick structure next to City Park’s playground.

EVERYDAY

HISTORY

CITY OF ROCKS

NATIONAL RESERVE

CASTLE ROCKS

STATE PARK

SAWTOOTH

SCENIC BYWAY

CITY OF ROCKS

BACKCOUNTRY

BYWAY

THOUSAND SPRINGS

SCENIC BYWAY

MALAD GORGE

STATE PARK

NIAGARA SPRINGS

STATE PARK

MINIDOKA WILDLIFE

REFUGE

LAKE WALCOTT

STATE PARK

SNAKE RIVER

EARL M. HARDY

BOX CANYON

PRESERVE

a visit to the Twin Falls County

Historical Museum, where

photos of early fieldwork share

space with the hand-written

original of a poem by a presidential

candidate. But much of

museum is devoted to the stuff of

everyday lives: Valentines and a

Victrola, pretty dishes and paper

dolls, bloomer patterns and

perfume bottles. The museum’s

shelves brim with miscellany, and

every corner yields a surprise.

The volunteer-run museum is in

the former Union School building

– itself a 90-year-old relic – 3 miles

west of Twin Falls on U.S. Highway

30. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday.

Admission is free, but

donations are accepted.

C O M PA S S P O I N T S

of commerce and entertainment for eight counties of south-central Idaho – and for a sizable chunk of

northern Nevada besides. And the city is growing, thanks to retirees who love the convenience and

culture of a city paired with rural charm – and thanks to working folks who’d rather battle whitewater

rapids than noisy traffic after a day at the office. Job creation here has made Twin Falls one of the state’s

most robust economic engines in recent years. And there’s plenty here to satisfy a visitor’s appetite,

whether for adventure, art, antiques, or eateries.

T h e r e ’ s L o t s t o S e e a n d L o t s t o D o

Twin Falls offers attractions for every traveler’s

taste. A growing assortment of shopping destinations,

for instance. Or a municipal swimming pool

that’s covered in winter. Or the Herrett Center for

the Arts and Science – a museum that boasts Native

American artifacts, a variety of local art, a mock

jungle, a high-tech planetarium, and an educational

observatory that’s the envy of many a larger city.

The canyons, however, are the pride of Twin Falls.

Scenic in-town walking trails wind along the floor of

the intimate Rock Creek Canyon and the rim of the

mighty Snake River Canyon. Accessed from a park

beneath the magnificent arches of the Perrine

Bridge, the Centennial Park Trail is a quick way to

enjoy the canyon’s astonishing scenery and abundant

wildlife as you follow a long stretch of undeveloped

riverbank. Fishing, golfing and swimming

attractions line the Snake River Canyon at Twin

Falls’ north edge. And even when drought reduces

the flows plunging over Shoshone Falls, it’s worth a

visit to the lush, roomy park overlooking the city’s

famous falls. From there, walkers with extra energy

and a taste for urban wilderness can choose a trail

ascending from the park to the canyon rim above, or

one circling nearby Dierkes Lake.

Feeling more adventurous? Outfitters lure tourists

and locals alike with hot-air balloon rides and

helicopter tours that showcase splendid views of the

Snake River gorge. To experience the Snake at closer

range, the summer traveler might launch a raft,

kayak or canoe.

Need a little help finding your way to Twin Falls’

diverse attractions? The Buzz Langdon Visitor Center

at the north end of town offers an array of brochures

and a knowledgeable volunteer staff. Situated at the

south end of Perrine Bridge, “the Buzz” greets

travelers from early spring through autumn. Be sure

to ask the staff for a schedule of the city’s plentiful

arts events and community festivals, to round out

your Twin Falls visit.

should head southeast from Twin Falls. An easy drive from town, the historic

Stricker Ranch at Rock Creek – with its trading post and turn-of-the-century

pioneer house – is a relic of Oregon Trail days. Self-guided tours are available

year-round, and you couldn’t ask for a more peaceful picnic spot than the lawns

surrounding the historic structures. Just beyond the Stricker site, the South Hills

are home to a family-friendly ski resort and miles of trails for hiking, mountain

biking, horseback riding and snowmobiling. Whether it’s the season of wildflowers

or of golden aspens, the South Hills are truly a quick escape to nature.