Idaho is one of those states that is so beautiful and diverse but full of oddballs. Lots of movie stars, California immigrants, potato farmers, outdoor enthusiasts and of course, thousands of rednecks and Mormons (sometimes one and the same, but not always). Never did I imagine driving the entire state, but Idaho isn't easy to cross. There are these illustrious mountains in the way!
We made it to Arco, a town that I refused to sleep in because it gave me the creeps, a point Grandma and I didn't agree on. Soon the earth turned black and charred and lumpy and the heat poured over us like syrup. We'd arrived at Craters of the Moon!
My nephew has never been here. My Fireman cousin in Twin Falls has never been here. Take a day trip soon!!!! This is the most unique place Idaho has to offer and it's impossible to visualize without visiting it in person. There's a LOT to do, but come as early as possible to avoid the heat.
Eight periods of erupting volcanoes have given us this crazy landscape and the Visitor Center has a very visual display that makes this history easy to understand. The kids learned that magma is inside the earth, and lava when it comes out of the earth.
The loop drive only takes about 20 minutes, with several places to stop and hike. We chose to stop at the Spatter Cones, just a 1/4 mile hike. You can literally look down the cones of little volcanoes -- some still have unmelted snow! Pretty remarkable considering it was 104 degrees out here!
The kids were mad that I wouldn't let them hike more, but their cheeks were already bright red! Also, I remembered that hike to see the horses at the beginning of our trip (see Washington) and I wasn't eager to do it all over again in this heat.
I let them climb as much as possible, but these rocks are sharp and scratchy and porous. Doodle followed Peanut everywhere which was terrifying to say the least.
There's actually a lot of wildlife out here which is shocking, but not nearly as shocking as the tents dotting the rocks -- humans!
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