Idaho Named One of 18 Unpleasant States You Might Want to Skip

Once upon a time, Boise residents celebrated every time the state ended up on a Top 10, Top 50, Top 100 or “Best Of” list.

Seriously. Someone took the initiative to create a LocalWiki page called “Top 10 Lists.” Its description read:

Boise loves absolutely nothing if not being listed on every top 10 list it can. Here we're attempting the near-impossible: a comprehensive index of every top-10 list appearance Boise's ever made. Please help us round this out. And, if you're an editor of a publication (no matter how minor or obscure), please add us to your top 10 list!

The first lists on the wiki were from 2008 and Boise racked up all sorts of accolades like “best places to raise your kids” and “best downtown in the Rocky Mountain West” to “best places to go bouldering” and “America’s luckiest cities.” By 2013, it looks like the effort to keep the list of lists updated was abandoned. For some, that moment couldn’t have come soon enough!

Many believe that both Boise and Idaho being featured on too many of these lists is what led to the explosive growth in our area. Now people groan when we end up on a list that paints our state or city in a positive light.

Well, that’s certainly NOT what Trends & Tactics did for their list of “18 Unpleasant States You Might Want to Skip on Your Next Trip.” The website claims that its expert writers create evidence-based content that’s always rooted in research and data. That’s why we’re trying to figure out if the author who published the list was trying to be funny or legitimately feels like their description of the 18 states that appear on the list are legit.

Either way, Idaho appears at #14 on the list and cautions travelers:

Better known for its potatoes than anything else, Idaho is a place that has a never-ending loop of potato farms. Even though they’re delicious and used for many different foods, it’s not the thrilling experience you might be looking for. Most visitors that decide to come here for vacation can’t wait to leave because of the amount of potatoes around the place and lack of other attractions for anyone.

Do we have a museum dedicated to potatoes? Yes. Do we drop a potato from the sky on New Year’s Eve? Also yes. Does our college football bowl game have an amazingly creative baked potato as its logo? Sure does.

But is the state really nothing but endless potato fields with nothing to do? Idahoans know the truth that if you’re bored while visiting our state, that’s your problem. There’s always something to do! We put together a list of 25 ideas to get you started, but if you think these look boring? You’re more than welcome to stay put in whatever state you’re in!