Other airports with scheduled service are the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport serving the Palouse; the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport, serving the Lewis-Clark Valley and north central and west central Idaho; The Magic Valley Regional Airport in Twin Falls; the Idaho Falls Regional Airport; and the Pocatello Regional Airport.
Railroads:
Amtrak’s Empire Builder crosses northern Idaho, with its only stop being in Sandpoint. Montana Rail Link also operates between Billings, Montana and Sandpoint, Idaho
Ports:
The Port of Lewiston is the farthest inland Pacific port on the west coast. A series of dams and locks on the Snake River and Columbia River facilitate barge travel from Lewiston to Portland, where goods are loaded on ocean-going vessels.
The Flag of Idaho:
The flag of the state of Idaho consists of the state seal on a field of blue. The words “State of Idaho” appear in gold letters on a red and gold band below the seal.
The seal depicts a miner and a woman representing equality, liberty and justice. The symbols on the seal represent some of Idaho’s natural resources: mines, forests, farmland, and wildlife.
The current seal contains the text “Great Seal of the State of Idaho” in the outer ring, with the star that signifies a new light in the galaxy of states. The inner ring contains a banner with the Latin motto, Esto perpetua (“Let it be perpetual” or “It is forever”).
A woman, signifying justice, and a man, dressed as a miner, support a shield. The miner reminds us of the chief industry of the State at the time of statehood.
Inside, the shield bears images symbolic of the State. The pine tree in the foreground refers to Idaho’s immense timber interests. The husbandman plowing on the left side of the shield, together with the sheaf of grain beneath the shield, are emblematic of Idaho’s agricultural resources, while the two cornucopias, or horns of plenty, refer to the horticultural. Idaho has a game law, which protects the elk and moose, and an elk’s head rises above the shield. The state flower, the wild Syringa or Mock Orange, grows at the woman’s feet, while the ripened wheat grows as high as her shoulder. The river depicted in the shield is the Snake or Shoshone River.
State Nickname:
Idaho’s nickname is “The Gem State” for the abundance of natural resources and scenic areas that include snow-capped mountain ranges, rapids, vast lakes and steep canyons.
The mountains of Idaho contain veins of gold, silver, lead, zinc, cobalt, copper, and many other rare minerals. Among these rare minerals are gems – star garnets, jasper, opal, jade, topaz, zircon, and tourmaline.
Up Next:
We will move onward to the 44th state, the Equality State, Wyoming, in our next post, viewable in days time. Cheers and thanks for reading.