McCall is a mountain tourist town that is located at the southern end of Payette Lake. It is an all-season destination for outdoor activity with good winter snowfall at an elevation of 5,021 feet.
Caldwell, Idaho
We needed service done on our refrigerator. The freezer wouldn’t cool below 40F and the refrigerator even on the lowest (warmest) setting was cooling to 30F. After the 3-hour drive from Riggins to Caldwell, it started working again. Airstream pulled the refrigerator and cleaned the coils, but couldn’t find anything else wrong. It could have been the 109F weather we were in or just another typical RV quirk. Their RV park was perfect for an overnight stay with full hookups including internet fast enough to stream.
Hat Ranch Winery, Caldwell, Idaho
Killing time while the airstream was serviced we made a quick run to Costco. There are a number of wineries in the area, but our time was limited. Hat Ranch’s wines were good, but we didn’t buy any.
McCall, Idaho
Originally known for timber, McCall is now known for skiing, boating, kayaking, hiking, ATVing, and just being a tourist destination. Around 3,000 people live here. McCall is only about 2.5 hours north of Boise, Idaho.
A doe and it’s two fawns regularly trimmed the bushes at this local church. The staff enjoy seeing them.
Salmon River Brewery, McCall
Enjoyed lunch at Salmon River Brewery with partial views of Payette lake. They have a good variety of beers. A cold Asian noodle bowl and a panini were delicious.
Farmer’s Market
A small market, but the right goods. We bought peaches, sugar snap peas, sweet cherry tomatoes and chocolate chip zucchini bread. We also bought a spice blend of garlic scapes, Himalayan pink sea salt, basil, oregano and parsley.
Frenchie’s, McCall
A nice affordable southern cuisine restaurant. We sat outside under umbrellas in the rain for delicious seafood chowder and a Po boy BLT.
Stax
A sandwich place that makes fresh homemade bread each day. Their food was inexpensive and good, and the indoors was air conditioned, but the ambience was a little basic.
Toll Station Pizza
A nice bottle of wine and a very good thin crust pizza, which we ate outside and watched the crowds walk by. We definitely enjoy this town.
Payette Lake
The lake was formed by glacier activity and eventually flows into the Salmon River. Its output is regulated by a small dam for irrigation. The lake has 22 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 304 feet. We drove most of the way around the lake. The North Beach area is picturesque. There is a State park at the northern end and there were an incredible number of kayakers and paddle boarders in the tributary waters.
McCall RV Resort
We had a pull through site with 50-amp electric service, good water pressure, sewer and fast enough internet to stream. The sites were spacious and nobody was behind us.
Unfortunately, our neighbors weren’t the best. They were having a family reunion of over 20 people. Their one-year-old pit bull broke its leash, tore across the RV site and attacked Jake. Luckily, Jake is quick and a big dog, but getting old, and only got some scratches on his ear which will leave some scars but no vet needed. It took a couple of 250-pound guys to wrestle the pit bull to the ground. The owner was deeply bitten on his arm and back of his head. We asked the manager to move us to avoid another incident, but the park was full. The RV park owners gave the people the option to board the dog because of liability because of the breed and a human bite occurred or leave, so they left. That was perfect for us. The few wildflowers still blooming were daisies and common mullein.
Last time we visited we had nice views of a river. There was adequate walking around the RV park, and some hiking outside of it along the north fork of the Payette River.
Daily there were female deer, often with fawns grazing. They weren’t shy at all, even around dogs.
Saturday night there was live music. At the entrance to the RV park there were a couple of old travelers and an old DC-3.
