The Great American Road Trip, Part 5

Are you nodding off yet?  All of this travel can be exhausting, this was the scene from the back seat during most of our trip!  After leaving Grand Teton we headed west and entered Idaho, completing our list of all fifty states!  We ovenighted in Idaho Falls and continued directly west the next morning, bound for Craters of the Moon in Arco, ID.  Craters of the Moon is an other-worldy lansdscape, nothing like we'd seen in the previous days!  This immense lava field is of volcanic origin, but not from a typical volcano like one would think; here the vast volumes of lava came from deep fissures- known collectively as the Great Rift- that cross the Snake River Plain. 15,000 years ago lava welled up from the Great Rift, producing a vast ocean of rock, the latest eruption occurring a mere 2,000 years ago; geologists believe that future events are likely.

Craters of the Moon

Monkey Flower thriving in rocky outcroppings;

a lesson in making the most of a seemingly less-than-perfect

 environment... bloom where you're planted!

There were plenty of hiking trails among the lava beds and fascinating historical and environmental information scattered throughout this National Monument and Preserve area.  Upon leaving Craters of the Moon we followed the Snake River along Interstate 86 from Idaho Falls in the direction of Twin Falls.

We stopped in Rupert along the way, at The Gathering Place.  Oh. My. Goodness.  This quilt shop was HUGE... to give  you an idea how big, there were three longarms inside the store, on 14 ft. tables, and you barely even noticed them! Seriously. This store was well stocked with the latest fabric from every department (batiks to flannels, reproductions to modern designs) as well as notions and patterns; plus kits... they had a wide variety of kits (and the models) from small baby quilts to king sized beauties! It was a pleasure to visit this store; the staff was friendly and helpful, if you're ever in the area I would highly recommend The Gathering Place, there's even a quaint town square across the street where your husband and dog can take a stroll and meet the locals!

We arrived in Twin Falls and took the short drive to Shoshone Falls before dinner. These falls are along the Snake River and spectacular; the 212 ft. falls make them taller than Niagara Falls.  The Shoshone Falls recreation area includes beautifully maintained lush green lawns for picnicking and relaxing; it was a picture-perfect spot, as you can see.

The next day we headed in the direction Of Calwell, ID. 
This was our scenery for the day... potato fields. 
I was captivated by the different styles of extensive irrigation systems.

It's amazing we can even afford a bag of potatoes when

 you stop to think about all that goes into growing them.

Life is Good!

Tomorrow: Following the Snake River...