FROM SPUDS TO SPACE ROCKS: HOW IDAHO MASHED OUR TRAVEL PLANS!

What comes to mind when you think of Idaho? Never having been there, and never imagining that I would, I hadn't given the state much thought. The only association I could make was with the lowly russet potato.

Boy, do they grow them big out there!!

Yes, the tater is so popular they even garners its own museum! Fortunately, we found much more than just spud-love in lower Idaho but more on that below.

Since leaving Delaware, our goal is to camp in all 48-contiguous states. At times, we have made detours off our intended route just to camp in a nearby, unexplored state. This is how the potato state was added to our map.

We originally intended to drive directly into Wyoming from Salt Lake City. It's less than an hour drive and Wyoming is home to two of this nation's most popular national parks: Grand Teton and Yellowstone, and we were very excited to visit both. But looking at the road map, we see how close we are to Idaho. Hmmm.. What a dilemma. Who knows if, or when, we'll be this close to potato-heaven again. After much discussion, we decided to veer left and catch the corner of the tuber-state and then head into Wyoming.

The RV park we chose is Willow Bay Resort and Marina. Our campsite is circled in red:

It was a nice RV park located on the shore of Willow Bay. Keep in mind, boating and fishing attracts a particular type of people, so things can get loud during the weekends. So if you're going to visit, we would recommend bringing a white-noise machine. But overall, we would definitely stay again.

We made full use of the four-days we spent here in May of 2019:

CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT:

It was almost a two hour trip from our campground but well worth the drive.

"where nothing meets the eye but a desolate and awful waste, where no grass grows nor water runs, and where nothing is to be seen but lava." -- Washington Irving

This large lava field, spreading across 618 square miles, actually contains the remains of eight overlapping lava flows. According to USGS geologists, the oldest flows date back 15,000 years and the youngest erupted about 2,100 years ago. The epi-center is the Great Rift (see map below), a 62 mile fissure in the earth's surface. The fissure is considered dormant, but not extinct. They are expected to erupt again in less than 1,000 years, so if time travel is ever invented, avoid this area around 3000 A.D. The dark areas pictured below are all that remains from the waves of lava that flowed from the rift.

Walking across this desolate, jagged lava field you feel as though you are at an environmental crime scene. Something horrific happened here wiping out all vestiges of life. Even though the event happened 1,000 or so years ago, the devastation was so complete and so thorough that life has only timidly returned.

If stepping back to a time when "the earth's crust was without form and void" interests you, then this place will be of immense fascination. Its harsh terrain gives a unique perspective of what's going on deep beneath our feet.

NIAGARA FALLS OF THE WEST:

The falls stand 212' tall, a full 45' higher than the actual Niagara Falls! During the rainy season, the Snake River pours over top the rim at a rate of 20,000 cubic feet per second.

Speaking of the Snake River:

REMEMBER EVEL KNIEVEL?

Before sites such as Tiktok, Twitter/X, Youtube made death defying events quite commonplace, there was Evel Knievel. A man larger than life. Part dare-devil, part showman, part superhero. And every young boy wanted to be him.

His claim to fame was propelling himself skyward as rows of trucks, buses or other vehicles passed beneath him. But in order to stay relevant, each stunt had to eclipse the prior. So, when he had pretty much pushed motorcycle technology to its limits, he built a "skycycle". A water heater with wings, I kid you not. When his request to jump across the Grand Canyon was denied by grumpy, old National Park Services, he bought a piece of land bordering the Snake River in Idaho, and prepared to jump the 1/3 mile ravine. His ramp is still there and we hiked to it.

Photo courtesy of ABC's Wide World of Sports

Ready to feel old??

This spectacular event occurred back on September 8, 1974 over 50 years ago! Yikes. At least my memory hasn't completely gone, because I remember the event quite vividly.

To make a long story short, the water inside the skycycle was heated to over 600 degrees, the cork was pulled and, whammo, the cycle zipped from 0 to 300 mph in just seconds. Unfortunately, as the vehicle launched from the ramp, the emergency shoot deployed (people still argue over whether this was intentional) and Evil Knievel drifted helplessly downward landing a few feet from the Snake River shoreline.

Although the jump was a failure it propelled Evil to a whole new level of stardom.

All that's left from the dreams and aspirations of one man, is a large pile of dirt.

THE TOWN OF ARCO:

Driving back to our RV from the Craters of the Moon, we decided to stop at a small town named Arco, for no other reason than to search for a cup of steaming coffee. Now, to the naked eye, this is your "nothing to see here, folks" type of town.

Hidden behind its many boarded-up store fronts, lies an interesting piece of history.

Founded in 1860 (or thereabouts), the town's sole claim to fame is that it was the first community in the world ever to be lit by electricity generated solely by nuclear power!

The event occurred for about an hour on July 17, 1955, powered by the Argonne National Laboratory’s BORAX-III reactor. This landmark event earned Arco its nickname, "Atomic City".

Now, we have visited hundreds of towns of various sizes, but there was a landmark here that made this town very memorable. It is found at the edge of town. It's called Numbers Hill.

Through the decades, it has become the tradition for each graduating class of Butte County High School to paint the last two digits of their year onto the hill's rock face. The dates go back to 1920! From 2020 onward, classes have been allowed to repaint over the numbers of the previous century-old graduating class.

While some complain that the beauty of the mountain has been desecrated, I found this quirky but colorful timeline touching and evocative - even a bit moving. Imagine the history behind these markings. As we look over these decades, how many have died on a battlefield? Gone on to college? Loved? Cried? Prospered? Failed? If only these rocks could talk. Congratulations Arco, memory made.

I saved the best for last!

POTATO MUSEUM:

I wonder if Presbyterian missionary Henry Spalding who brought the first potato to the state in 1837, ever imagine the role it would come to play in shaping the future of the Gem-state? It has transformed the state into the largest producer of the crop in the nation and it has held that position for over 60 years. Way to go, Idaho!

The museum documents the loamy story of potatoes in Idaho's history. It contains a fascinating array of exhibits that showcase the potato's journey from field to table along with its role in local culture.

There is also a unique collection of potato memorabilia, including quirky potato-themed art and historical artifacts that offer a glimpse into the past. And of course, a Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head dolls!

AND THE WORLD'S LARGEST POTATO CHIP!

If you're in the area, add this museum to your itinerary!

MOOSE!

One last item of interest, as we were driving one of the backroads near our campground we noticed something moving in a field near us. At first we thought it was a deer but upon closer inspection we realized we were gazing upon a moose. We've seen plenty of "Moose Crossing" signs, but this is the first time actually spotting one! They do exist! Something else we can cross off of our bucket list!

Well, that concludes our visit to the Gem State. This is the 27th state in which we have camped (and the 88th campground)!

See you on down the road!

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