15 Things Idahoans Have to Explain to Out-Of-Towners

Idaho, The Gem State, Home. Whatever you call it, there is no question that it is a very special state. Idahoans, especially natives know these things to their core and sometimes get annoyed when it has to be explained over and over to non-Idahoans. This list was inspired from movoto.com.

Camouflage Is Never Out Of Style In Idaho - Hunting and fishing is in our culture. It is what we do. Even if someone in Idaho doesn't fish or hunt themselves, they most likely own camo. The camo trend is real and it's awesome, you would be shocked at the outfits and camo variations we rock here.

Textile camouflage cloth pattern.

Idaho Is Not In The Midwest - If they did a geography question on the east coast, many would mix up Idaho thinking it is in the mid-west. Um no, we are almost as close to west coast as you can get. 

USA detailed map with states and cities

Football Games Can Get A Bit Smurfy - For Idahoans or college football fans this is a no brainer, but out of towners mostly DON'T know that the Boise State Broncos football field is the only blue AstroTurf in the world. (Or supposed to be, there are a couple of copycats). Plus people fully painted in head to toe blue is pretty normal for a home game.

Boise State University Broncos Football Stadium

Fry Sauce Is The Only Sauce - Sure we love our BBQ sauce and others but no other state loves fry sauce the way Idaho loves Fry Sauce.

Greg/WOW 104.3

Skip The “Z” In Boise -  Let it be known to out of towners that it is pronounced “BOY-see”. If you say it Boy-Z, prepare for an onslaught of insults.

Island Hopper TV on Youtube

It’s Called The Gem State For A Good Reason - While a lot of out of towners thinking of Idaho and potatoes we are the Gem State because over 72 different precious and semi-precious stones come from here.

Photo by Dan Farrell on Unsplash

Finger Steaks Aren’t As Creepy As They Sound - While the name could be construed as something you only have to eat if you are starving in the wild, they are almost a delicacy here. Long yummy strip cuts of steak that is fried like chicken fingers. Add fry sauce and a loaded baked potato and you have yourself a wonderful Idaho meal.

Idaho Skies Cant Be Beat - From star gazing to Sunsets Idaho skys deliver the best vertical views. Without big populations, pollution or big city lights, our starry night skies are crystal clear. The sunsets light up the skies with pinks, purples, oranges and reds enough to take your breath away.

Credit: Nikki West

We Have the Fish - Fishing is a big deal in Idaho. In fact over 70 percent of trout sold in the U.S. is caught in the Hagerman Valley near Twin Falls. Even though we are not a coastal state, Idaho has some of the best seafood around.

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Idaho is FULL of Mountains - Out of towners are usually surprised to know that Idaho is one of the most mountainous states in the US and part of the Rocky Mountains. Apparently if you flatten Idaho out, we would be as big as Texas.

National Forest Service

Idaho's Hell is Deeper Than The Grand Canyon - Hells Canyon is North America’s deepest gorge, at almost 8,000 feet. The Canyon has the snake river flowing through it which is a popular play, splash and rafting spot for locals.

Hells Canyon Wine Rafting, photo from minamstore.com

Visit the Moon in Idaho -  Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is one of the states most popular attractions, although locals don't find it THAT exciting. It does have some of the largest lava fields in the US from a massive volcanic eruption a long long time ago. While it is cool to see, there are much prettier places worth checking out in the gem state.

USA, Idaho, Craters Of The Moon National Monument, Lava

Rodeos Are A Big Deal, a REALLY Big Deal - Idaho does not have any professional sports teams, we do love our broncos, but we also spend our time, money and energy cheering for the rodeo stars. There are dozens of annual rodeos around the state but one of the largest in the country is the Snake River Stampede. It draws nearly 50,000 people each year.

Nikki West

Aaron Paul Rocks - You know Jesse from "Breaking Bad"? Yep, he's ours. We are proud of Aaron and his Idaho roots. His amazing mother works at our company and after spending time with her, it is easy to see why he is so great.

66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Press Room

Idaho Graffiti is Different - Rather than keeping graffiti artists hiding we celebrate them as artists with one of the coolest places in the US, Freak Alley. Walls, doors, panels, siding, every inch is loaded with unique and amazing art created by graffiti artists and muralists. It is updated every few years.