I left Idaho Falls on US-20, about quarter after six, local time, headed to Craters of the Moon National Monument. Along US-20, I passed the Idaho Falls Raceway. I kind of thought that the highway was a raceway, the way people were driving on it bumper-to-bumper and treating the 70 mph limit as the floor.
I saw the usual center pivot wheat and alfalfa, plus one other crop that I couldn't readily identify. I then realized, this is Idaho. It's potatoes. This area is a long, relatively flat area. I passed a sign saying, elephant dinners. Okay, what's that about?
Why are all those people in such a hurry? I pass an energy plant, and most of the traffic turns off there, leaving the road almost empty. At the US-26 junction, another energy complex siphons off what remained of the traffic.
This is part of the Oregon Trail, called Goodale’s Cut Off. Apparently this cutoff avoided a little bit of hostility that was going on further south with the Shoshone. Arco,the only town on the road, bills itself as the world's first town powered completely by nuclear power. The town park actually has the 'sail' from a nuclear submarine, at an elevation of 5300 feet.
The next stop was the Monument, at about 0754 - six minutes before the visitor center opened. I went into the visitor center, got my maps, then spent the next almost two hours driving around, taking a couple of short hikes, and taking pictures.
I left the Monument about 10 o'clock, local time, I headed on US-20 West, continuing towards Cary. I pass a little town called Picabo, as in Picabo Street, the skier. I cross the road headed for Sun Valley, Idaho, which is a major ski area not too far from Picabo.
The road enters a really straight section, a flat and long, long valley. There are mountains to the left and right, but basically the road is straight and fast. The speed limit is 65 and everybody was doing pretty much over 70, although I tried to hold it back to 69.
Finally, I enter a pass to get out of this flat area. It was followed by a long, long series of passes until before finally get back in the flats and stop at Mountain Home. I pull into a truck stop figuring they would have a cafe because I hadn't had any breakfast or lunch yet. The only thing that they had at that truck stop was Arby's, and their chicken sandwich is not to be recommended.
Now I'm on I-84, headed eventually towards Ontario, Oregon. I-84 is a long road, 80 mile per hour speed limit, which most people seem to take as a minimum. The traffic inside Boise was pretty heavy. It had four lanes each way most of the time, but I finally got through it without incident.
Once I crossed the Snake River, I stopped a Welcome Center just outside Ontario, Oregon. I was able to check in early at my Holiday Inn Express. Supper was at a fancy restaurant about a block away, with the best (& most expensive) chicken of the trip.
For the day: 316.2 miles, for the trip 1678.1 miles.
Tomorrow is the John Day Fossil beds via a route with 7 more passes to navigate.
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