Pocatello is not Idaho's prettiest town, but it is one of its most useful. It sits in the southeast of the state, where the high desert, rail lines, and old Oregon Trail routes meet the foothills above the Portneuf Valley. Idaho State University gives it more life than you might expect from a highway stop.
The town's best travel argument is history with a local edge. Fort Hall Replica and the Bannock County Historical Museum explain why this valley mattered to fur traders, emigrants, and the Shoshone-Bannock people long before the interstate arrived. Downtown has old brick storefronts, murals, and enough cafes to break a drive between Salt Lake City and Yellowstone.
Pocatello also makes a practical base for the surrounding country. You can hike basalt ridges above town, visit the oddball Museum of Clean, or use the city as a cheaper overnight before continuing north toward Rexburg, Teton Valley, or the national parks.