Day 18
States: Idaho & Utah
Total Miles: 5800'ish
Time Zones: 1, 4 total
First stop today was Minidoka also known as Hunt Camp (north east of Twin Falls Idaho). This is where the USA decided to put Japanese living on the west coast during WWII. My grandfather's brother, my great uncle Bob, taught here as a young man. Today, very little remains, most of the camp was parceled up and became part of farms soon after it was closed down. All that stood was the rock walls of a guard tower, waiting room, a very deep shed which I think was a firehouse and the concrete slabs of some other building. The highlight was being crop dusted while touring these few places.
After Minidoka, we headed up to American Falls and then tried to find the Crystal Ice Caves that was on our map in the Craters of the Moon National Monument. After searching in vain for the road in or even a sign, we headed back to the American Falls Dam Visitor Center where one of the guys there told us that the place had been filled in and closed down. Pity.
We drove a little bit back south west and stopped in at Massacre Rocks, a semi-famous place on the Oregon Trail and Snake River. We headed due south after that and through the Curlew National Grasslands. There was a campground in the middle of it called the Twin Rivers Campground where Oregon Trailers stopped at because it was the only water for 20 miles. 20 miles being a lonnng distance back then. You could still see the trail they used running up to the west (visible in the picture below).
As soon as we popped into Utah, we Hitt the Spot in Snowville Utah at Mollie's Diner. Cute little place off I-84 and pretty good food. We continued down I-84 toward Salt Lake City and stayed just south in Lehi. We went to see Shrek 2 which as suspected is really really funny and the computer graphics are outstanding.
Minidoka Sign:
In the middle of nowhere Idaho:
What you see as you come up the road (what's left of the guard station on
left, waiting room on right):
Guard station:
Waiting room:
Plaques just to the right of the waiting room:
Basically the last building standing owned by the Gov't:
Inside:
Concrete slabs:
Getting crop dusted:
American Falls Dam after failing to find the Crystal Ice Caves:
Massacre Rocks:
A view of the Snake River from Massacre Rocks:
Entering Curlew Nat'l Grassland (with bobblehead moose in foreground):
Twin Springs Campground with the old Oregon Trail on the hill behind:
Twin Springs sign:
Off to Moab and some funnin' around in Utah's National Parks....