When people describe Mountain Home Air Force Base, they describe it as one of those places that, “You cry when you get here, and you cry when you leave.” Although we were happy to move here, it was still an adjustment! But over the almost-two-years that we’ve lived here, we’ve discovered lots of fun outdoor sites and activities!

Here’s a roundup of our top ten favorite outdoor things in Idaho:

1. Craters of the Moon

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We spent the weekend at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, ID! It was a great time of no reception, camping, and hiking. We’ve never seen a landscape like this before. SO COOL, and more pics will be coming! -Em & Jacob . . #EJRogersinIdaho . . #cratersofthemoon #cratersofthemoonnationalmonument #nationalpark #idaho #travelgram #visitidaho #lavarock #hiking #dualmilitary #militarylife

A post shared by Lead With the Left (@leadwiththeleft) on Sep 23, 2018 at 1:40pm PDT

2. Kirkham Hot Springs

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We had a lot of fun at some hot springs on New Year’s Day with my sister and brother-in-law! They’ve come to visit and it’s so nice to show them our Idaho home. -Em . 📸: @aria_spears . . . #kirkhamhotsprings #idahome #idaho #militarylife #hiking #hotsprings #hikeidaho

A post shared by Lead With the Left (@leadwiththeleft) on Jan 2, 2019 at 11:36am PST

3. Jump Creek Falls

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We’ll be moving in about a year for our next assignment, so the inevitable “leaving countdown” has begun in my head. 🏞 For some people this means disconnecting and checking out, but I’ve found that you miss out on a lot of great memories that way. For me, the “leaving countdown” means “enjoy ALL THE THINGS!” 🏞 So I’m making sure to enjoy Idaho and our life here before we move—meeting people, adventuring to cool nature spots, eating local food, not letting PCS logistics distract/detract from enjoying the present. I try to be intentional in being all in until the moment I leave a place. It makes for a lot more fun! -Em . . . #pcs #pcsseason #movingwiththemilitary #nomadlife #enjoylife #liveinthemoment #militarylife #moving #idahome #womenwhoexplore_idaho

A post shared by Lead With the Left (@leadwiththeleft) on Jun 2, 2019 at 6:51am PDT

4. Shoofly Oolites

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We took a short hiking trip to the Shoofly Oolites near the base this weekend, and it was beautiful! ⛰ Sandy cliffs rise up over the desert hills, and interesting rock formations (called “oolites”) roll and wave over the tops. ⛰ Southern Idaho has so many hidden gems! ⛰ . . . #idaho #shooflyoolites #idahome #grandviewidaho #ooids #rockformation #hiking #gooutside #mountainhomeafb #mhafb #hiking4heroes

A post shared by Lead With the Left (@leadwiththeleft) on Feb 3, 2020 at 8:23am PST

5. The Springs at Idaho City

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We did another fun local thing last weekend: @thespringsid in Idaho City! (Seriously, we’re going to ENJOY IDAHO for these last couple months before we move!) 🌲🌲🌲 We just did a quick trip and reserved a private pool for an hour. It’s a popular place outside of Boise, so we needed to reserve them online a couple weeks ahead. . 🌲🌲🌲 It was *so* nice! We drove out of the city where the pine forests and snowy mountain landscape begins. It was about 35F out, but the spring water was hot and toasty! We went to a private area closed off by walls on three sides and open to nature on the fourth. We ordered a Mediterranean snack plate and munched while soaking like the fancy people we are. 😆 🌲🌲🌲 It was totally private the whole time, and there’s even an intercom for ordering more food and adding it to your tab if you want. (Fetching your own food is for peasants. 😂) 🌲🌲🌲 We hope to go back soon and try out the bigger public pool, too! Have any of you been to @thespringsid? What did you think of it? 🌲🌲🌲 . . . #thespringsid #hotsprings #idaho #idahome #hotspringsid #idahohotsprings #couplesgetaway

A post shared by Lead With the Left (@leadwiththeleft) on Feb 10, 2020 at 8:08am PST

6. Box Canyon

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Box Canyon State Park is a good place to stop and hike for a few hours in southern Idaho! In the middle of farmland, this canyon appears out of nowhere. 🌊 At the bottom is the bluest, clearest water I’ve ever seen in a river! It’s crisp, cold spring water that winds through the gorge and ends in a pond we’ve heard is great for swimming in the summer. 🌊 A local guy we met on the trail did say the poison ivy gets pretty thick in the spring and summer though, so…. weigh the pros and cons. 😆 🌊 . . . #boxcanyonidaho #exploreidaho #idahome #boxcanyonstatepark #bluewater #clearwater #hiking #gooutside #winterhike #hiking4heroes #idstateparks #southernidaho #allthingsidaho

A post shared by Lead With the Left (@leadwiththeleft) on Feb 20, 2020 at 3:21pm PST

7. Magic Reservoir

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Check out my 15 inch rainbow trout! I haven’t caught a fish in, like, ten years so today was awesome. 🎣 I went ice fishing with the Protestant Men of the Chapel at Magic Reservoir. It was my first time ice fishing and I’ll definitely be doing it again! -Jacob 🎣 . . . #ilooklikeCousinEddie #icefishing #trout #rainbowtrout #fishing #idaho #idahome #magicreservoir #protestantmenofthechapel #pmoc #militarychapel #libertychapel #mhafb #mhafbchapel #ventureout

A post shared by Lead With the Left (@leadwiththeleft) on Feb 22, 2020 at 7:10pm PST

8. Lavender Festivals
(One of the farms we went to was Red Chair Lavender!)

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I’m a huge sucker for unique, local food products at festivals. My dream would be a pantry full of dozens of jars of local things! I got pie fillings, jams, syrups, and baked goods at the lavender festivals this weekend, YUM. (It’s not even all pictured! 😄) I’ve tasted a couple things so far and they’ve been SO good. . . #fsmaternity . . #lavenderfield #sophieschoicedesigns #redchairlavender #thelavendermerchant #lavenderfestival #lavender #vintagematernity #maternityfashion #28weeks #28weekspregnant #eminidaho #vintagemamasclub

A post shared by Emileigh (@flashbacksummer) on Jul 8, 2019 at 3:44pm PDT

9. Hillside to Hollow Preserve & Top of the Rock
(These are both hiking areas overlooking Boise!)

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We went hiking around Boise yesterday! I realized that nowadays I’m to the point that I really don’t have a lot of modern clothing I wear outside the house, so hiking in vintage style it is! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE hiking in @freddiesofpinewood’s various baggier jeans. They’re sturdy, thick denim and the high waist means I don’t have to pull my jeans up as I bend and climb. With it I wore a sweater, scarf, jacket, and knitted turban that kept my head warm and my hair out of the way. It was totally practical and comfortable! . . . #hikinginvintage #hiking #hikeboise #boise #idaho #idahome #vintagecasual #freddiesofpinewood #vintagejeans #vintageblogger #fashionblogger #casualvintage #1940sfashion #1940svintage #truevintageootd #truevintageootdregular #eminidaho

A post shared by Emileigh (@flashbacksummer) on Jan 3, 2019 at 9:21am PST

10. Trailing of the Sheep Festival
(This is a largely outdoor festival centered on sheep and all things sheep related!)

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About one month postpartum, and I went on my first big outing today! We drove a couple hours to the @trailingofthesheepfestival, a local event dedicated to all things sheep. We ate delicious lamb, saw dancers from sheep-raising cultures around the world, and enjoyed wool-based arts and crafts vendors. I bought some beautiful merino wool from @gotlandsheepandwool and a cute little Peruvian sweater for when Ruby is a bit bigger! It was a fun day, but now I’m quite tired. 😅 . . . #trailingofthesheep #trailingofthesheepfestival #trailingofthesheep2019 #gotlandsheepandwool #wool #yarn #handmade #knitter #eminidaho

A post shared by Emileigh (@flashbacksummer) on Oct 12, 2019 at 5:23pm PDT