Shoshone Falls

Canyons, mountains, waterfalls - so many, so spectacular that you quickly run out of superlatives to describe them. Shoshone Falls are higher than Niagra Falls, just over a mile up-river from where Evel Knievel failed in his attempt to "jump" the Snake River canyon. The smoke that engulfed the area was so thick that although appearing as a cloudy day, it was actually clear and sunny, with the smoke providing the shield from the sun - and creating a kind of eerie quality to the atmosphere (and the pictures). If you are ever out this way, you need to see this area - as mentioned, there are many other waterfalls, etc. to see, but we had to move on to get to cleaner air.

Snake River Canyon

Similar to the White River in Missouri and Arkansas, the Snake River crosses the entire state of Idaho and in to Montana. Offering so many scenic canyons and countless quality fishing opportunities, an entire vacation and more could be spent exploring this river. Our first encounter was while heading to the Boise area and knowing that we were going to do a side trip around Twin Falls area to see Shoshone Falls, as recommended by our relatives in Ogden - and are we glad we did! The pictures will look a little hazy due to the smoke from dozens of lightning-sparked fires all across southern Idaho. We didn't fully explore this area as some samll towns on our route were being evacuated and the smoke was pretty intense (everything in our truck smelled like campfire). Not so many wildflowers around here, but there are always trains, so to satisfy Charlcie's fascination with them, we will always include a picture.

Scout Mountain campground

Not wanting to spend another long day driving, we settled for a Forest Service campground outside Pocatello. Nice campground with nice views of the mountains and valleys, but no fishing and no wildlife to view other than free-range cattle. This area is apparently well-suited for winter Nordic skiing, based on the designated areas we saw, but we had to be content for doing a lot of walking (probably good for us), and just plain relaxin' (probably too much). And the second night could be properly designated as one of the most disgusting nights of camping we've ever experienced - several groups of rowdies partying and chopping wood all night, vehemently arguing and threatening the camp hosts and camping neighbors - puncuated as we were leaving with 3 sheriff's cars and Forest Service enforcement officer issusing citations and hopefully with a few arrests. A somewhat scary night for us, but the real disappointment was the fact that they had several very adorable children with them that were being exposed to terrible behavior and language (constant "F" words) exercised at decibel levels heard all around the canyon. We were glad to be moving on.

Bear Lake UT/ID

After a fantastic week with Eva, Barney, Della, Parker, and Danielle in Ogden, we headed up Logan Canyon with the intention of camping for a few days at Bear Lake. Reluctantly passing up the opportunity to fish in the enticing Logan River, or stopping for a fresh raspberry shake that the area is known for, we spent considerable time trying to locate a campsite. The idea was that we would get settled in and then treat ourselves later. We tried numerous campgrounds (some very appealing ones) without success - sadly,they either had no suitable vacancies, were poorly maintained, or otherwise unworkable for us. So we ended up traveling all the way to Pocatello and checking in to a motel for the night. We were disappointed that we weren't able to enjoy Bear Lake - aptly nicknamed the "Caribbean of the Rockies" because of the color of the water. Although the pics don't realistically reflect the true color of the water, if you were to view them without being told, you could easily conclude that it is a spot in the Caribbean.

Smith and Morehouse Reservoir

Another road trip to take in the scenic beauty of northern Utah. After stopping to take a picture of the "Devil's Slide" just off the interstate, our destination was the Smith and Morehouse Reservoir and Campground,a favorite and frequent Utah camping destination of Eva and her late husband Owen. They had taken my parents there in the past and were lucky to see a momma bear and cubs on that trip. There had been recent bear and moose sightings in/near the campground, but we didn't luck out - we were there in midday, which is not the optimum time for spotting wildlife. It is a gorgeous area and we enjoyed driving, and hiking around the campgrounds. We had a unique lunch experience at the Road Island Diner. The diner was pulled from Rhode Island in 2007 and placed in Oakley, UT. It is meticulous - specially constructed and completed in 1939, it was displayed at the World's Fair. Featuring Italian marble countertops, tile floors, and many other very handsome architectural details. The only additions to the original diner are air conditioning, jukebox units at each table, and the flat screen televisions. And the food was quite good to boot! Eva knows the right places to show us and we are having a hard time keeping up with her!

Trout Park

Eva's friend Barry met us at a trout park here in Ogden to fly-fish a pond for large trout. Many large rainbows in this pond - as well as ducks. Caught my first duck on a fly rod! - she swam across my line and hooked her foot, I immediately broke her off so the barbless hook would dislodge soon and she wouldn't be harmed. Also caught many nice rainbows on dry flies, including the largest fish I've ever caught. The picture doesn't really show how big and we didn't measure because we needed to get it back in the water - but it was big and fat. Barney and Parker were nice enough to come join us and Barney netted several of the fish for me and Barry. He's liable to get the "bug". Very nice sunset over the Great Salt Lake as we returned to Eva's.

Golden Spike National Historic Monument at Promontory Summit

May 10, 1869, a ceremonial gold spike was tapped to complete the first transcontinental railroad in the world, setting off celebrations across the US and the world. The Central Pacific Railroad working from Sacramento and the Union Pacific working from Omaha completed what was considered an impossible project in opening up the west to trade and travel and economic development. The two locomotives pictured were re-recreated to original specifications for the National Historic site. At specified times of the day, they roll out, one at a time, to face each other at the original site. The Jupiter is a steam engine fueled by wood, and the No. 119 is fueled by coal. And yes, they are painted to represent the original colors. Very informative and interesting. With Barney and Della as tour guides, we then traveled into Idaho to Malad City for lunch and back to Ogden on a scenic route that included several stops. One was a humorous lane that featured dozens of old cowboy boots topping fence posts. Also stopped at a farm operated by friends of Barney and Della, which has several hundred acres and dairy cows. Also enjoyed a visit to a cheese factory store and loaded up on some very inexpensive, delicious products. We didn't realize that this area was such an incredible agricultural resource. Last stop was at Willard Bay Gardens, the wonderful nursery/landscaping business owned by Barney and Della. They have a great view of Willard Peak in back and a great sunset view over Willard Bay in front - Willard Bay is a fresh water lake that is separated from the Great Salt Lake by a system of dikes.