After arriving late in the afternoon on Saturday at Craters
of the Moon National Monument, I set up camp and rearranged things in the
motorhome that had to be moved to get to the engine compartment earlier.Barbequed up a steak and settled down for the
night.It’s truly amazing how quiet and
dark it is at night in the middle of nowhere.I just watched the sky from my bunk in the Cortez, I had forgotten just
how many stars that there are.
Critters on the Moon
Craters of the Moon formed during between 15,000 and 2000 years ago with
the lava field covering 618 square miles with the most recent eruptive period about
2000 years ago.The rugged landscape of
the monument itself remains remote and undeveloped, with only one paved road
across the northern end.
Sunday morning
the pooches and I walked around the primitive 52 site campground and then over
to the visitor center.I hiked the North
Crater Flow Trail, North Crater Trail and up to the top of the Inferno Cone. Of
course after finishing my hikes on the moon I drank a big glass of Tang, just
like the astronauts drink.
North Crater Trail
After leaving the
moon we stopped in the town of Arco, the first city in the world to be lit by
atomic power from a reactor, located farther down the road at the 900
square mile Idaho National Laboratory which we passed later.The reactor later suffered a
partial meltdown -- another World's First. We passed through Atomic City, a
place that doesn’t live up to its name.
Arco, Idaho
Then we drove through Blackfoot and stopped in Old Town Pocatello for a
few hours admiring the architecture and unique neon signs.
The Chief Theater neon sign
The animated Greyhound Depot neon sign
Then south into Utah where we overnighted at another Walmart near Brigham City.
Enjoying your trip!
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