By Susan Breslow Sardone

How far back in history would you like to go in Idaho? If you're predisposed to the prehistoric, hunker down at the Hagerman Fossil Beds in the south-central region of Idaho. Prowl through skeletal remains of mastodons, saber-toothed tigers, ancient zebras, and other extinct species ­ some 3.5 million years old ­ here in Idaho.

According to Nez Perce legend, the earth was created in north-central Idaho, near Kamiah.

And according to Lewis & Clark, the Nez Perce were "the most hospitable people." So it's safe to expect a warm welcome at the Nez Perce National Historic Park and Museum in Spaulding, Idaho.

In the Idaho panhandle, there's a testament to what cooperation between cultures can yield: In 1847 the Coeur d'Alene Indians and Jesuit missionaries collaborated in building Mission of the Sacred Heart above the river. The oldest building in Idaho, this hand-wrought structure is held together by wooden pegs, straw, and mud.

To learn more about tribes in this Idaho region, travel to the College of Southern Idaho. Its Herrett Center for Arts and Science has collected more than 3,000 Indian artifacts, ranging from 12,000-year-old relics to contemporary Hopi kachina dolls.

The history of Idaho is also one of westward expansion. Some speculators left as quickly as they arrived: Silver City (pictured), high in the Owyhee Mountains of southwestern Idaho, has been called Queen of Ghost Towns.Containing more than 70 intact historic buildings, the Idaho town appears just as she was during the boom times.

Only no one's home....

As the first white settlers made their way west in the early 1900s, large numbers of Basque immigrants, come to work as sheepherders, were among them.

Today Boise claims the largest Basque community in the United States as well as the country's only Basque Museum. Visitors can immerse themselves in these Spaniards' unique heritage along Basque Block. Statues honor notable settlers, and the museum, Basque Social Club, fully restored Basque boarding house, bar and restaurant, and fronton present a picture of life at that time.

In the southeast, Fort Hall, one of the Oregon Trail's most famous trading posts, has been reproduced. The Pocatello fort's massive wooden gates encircle a log house, drugstore, and saloon, complete with wooden awnings and hitching posts.

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