Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls... Well... I Did!

Day 6

Our day began with a wonderful breakfast at Smitty's. This little place felt like going to your grandmother's house for breakfast. I had biscuits and gravy with a sausage patty and scrambled eggs. It was a wonderful breakfast in Idaho Falls. 

 The first destination for the day was a 2 hour drive to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. The drive will take you past open fields and open roads. Craters appears out of nowhere. We stopped at the visitors center and gift shop for bathrooms, maps, and souvenirs. The entrance fee to enter the park is $20 per vehicle. I actually ended up paying for an Annual National Parks pass since we will be visiting at least 5 parks this trip. The ranger said that it pays for itself after 3 parks. Well worth it! 

Craters of the Moon is a very cool park. About 2,100 years ago there were volcanoes at that location. What you can see in the park are craters, lava fields and even some cones. Celeste and I walked some easy trails around different areas of the park. We did not climb to the top of Inferno Cone; it was way too steep for me. My favorite part was climbing the spatter cones. It is cool to find out that geologists study the active volcanoes in Hawaii to help them figure out the landforms in this park. Here are some pictures from our hikes. 

The next part of our day took us to Twin Falls, Idaho. This city is about an hour and a half away from Craters of the Moon. The drive takes you to the middle of nowhere! The views are breathtaking though so it is worth the drive. 

We made it to our hotel and unpacked the car. We have it down to a science now and it is like a game of Tetris. When you are traveling to a different hotel either every night or every other night you have to become a pro at packing/unpacking your belongings. 

After a quick rest we decided to head out to see a few sights. The closest sight to us was the Perrine Bridge. There is an overlook and trail you can walk to see the canyon and the bridge. Now, if you know Celeste and I, we always luck out on these trips and see something unique. When we got out of the car we could see a lot of smoke. I'm not saying that this is a good thing that we saw, but it was unique to us. There was a small wild fire burning in the canyon. We pray that everyone is ok from this fire, but it was unique that it happened the day we were in this town. 

The last stop for the day was a visit to Shoshone Falls. It was about a 15 minute drive and you pay a $5 entrance fee. You drive down a little bit into the canyon to see the falls. They call these falls the Niagara Falls of the West. Celeste and I have been to Niagara Falls in both Canada and New York. Shoshone Falls is beautiful but Niagara Falls is much more spectacular. I am not going to complain about these though. They are breathtaking. The water that you see is the Snake River. 

On the way back to our hotel we had one more pit stop. We saw a cafe called Shari's that said PIE! Well... of course we stopped for pie! I got 3 slices, and no I did not eat all 3 tonight. Two pieces are in the fridge for tomorrow. The slices I got were Lemon Sour Cream, Peanut Butter Chocolate, and S'mores. The Lemon was my favorite followed by the Peanut Butter. S'mores was ok. 

I'm so thankful to be able to do trips like these. America is a beautiful place to explore. 

A Giant Spud!

 Day 5

Salt Lake City was fun but we must travel on! Celeste and I decided that sleep and relaxation are needed on this trip. A lazy morning was a must. Our travels started around 10:30 today. The first stop was to fill up the car with gas. By the way... our car's name this trip is Capitol Carol. 

GPS took us up I-15 North to Idaho! One thing I have always wanted to do is to see the Potato Museum. Well folks, it did not disappoint. Of course we started by taking photos out front with the giant spud! 

Your first stop is to go in the gift shop. They have some wonderful things to buy and then you pay your $6 admission. There is a AAA discount! Also, if you buy something, your bag is a potato sack!! 

In the museum you will learn some cool facts about potatoes, see farming equipment and even race some "potato" cars. To see our video you must be friends with Celeste on Insta or Facebook. Here are some facts that I learned: 

1. The average American eats about 110 pounds of potatoes a year.

2. 94% of potatoes grown in Idaho are Russet potatoes.

3. Potatoes originated in the Andes Mountains of South America

4. French Fries were introduced to the United States when Thomas Jefferson served them in the White House

5. Potato chips are one of the most common snacks in the world with billions of bags being eaten each year. 

Now for the exciting part. We ate a baked potato in the potato cafe attached to the museum! And some potato ice cream. The ice cream is regular ice cream with some kind of potato product added. We didn't get the details. The baked potato was fantastic. 

After lunch it was time to head to our final destination for the day. One last photo op was needed. 

I read on Trip Advisor about a small collectors corner in Idaho Falls. It had great reviews. Of course we needed to check it out. Let me tell you, if you ever are in Idaho Falls, visit this place. The couple that owns it are collectors of so many things! I won't bore you with everything but here are a few pictures from the place. The couple has been married for 60 years. They love to drive around the U.S. looking for treasures at estate sales and little stores. They love to talk about the items in their little museum and give you some great demonstrations. They were so friendly. 

Our last stop for the day was to visit Idaho Falls. It was relaxing to listen to the waterfalls. The weather had cooled off and we were able to walk around a bit. So far, I am loving Idaho! 

The hotel we are staying at looks at the Snake River. There is also a beautiful mural in the lobby. 

Thanks for reading and following along!