5 states,
2 boys,
1 family road trip!
The boys unwrapped a variety of boxes (inside of
more boxes) to get to this certificate:
My youngest asked, “Where are we going?”
Seven months later, we packed the car to the brim and headed out across Oregon and Idaho to reach the world’s first national park. My sons describe the trip as fun, long, hot, exciting, funny, cool, and all around awesome. This will be just one of many posts that tell of our adventures....
Additional posts can be found here, here and here.
First Stop: Bruneau Dunes State Park near Mountain Home, ID
This gem is tucked off the highway and gives travelers a chance to view the beautiful back roads of Idaho. I had heard that you could sled down the sand, but sadly that turned out not to be true (at least not on sheets of cardboard). A good break from
Next Stop: Three Island Crossing State Park at Glenns Ferry, ID
Located on the Snake River at Glenns Ferry, Three Island Crossing offers great picnic spots, camping sites, and the (free admission) Oregon Trail History and Education Center. Just off Interstate 84 this park makes a great lunch stop for travelers (just as it was a key stop for pioneers along the Oregon trail).
You can see Malad Gorge from your car as you fly by on Highway 84, but taking Exit 147 for the five minute drive to its edge is completely worth the effort. My oldest son was a bit nervous
On the opposite side of the highway, at this same spot, is the Kelton Trail. This area is no longer maintained by the Parks Department, but we couldn’t pass the opportunity to see wagon ruts still visible from the great migration west. Follow the first road (on the left) just north of Interstate 84 until you spy the skeleton of the once-upon-a-time parking lot marker (on your right side). The washed-out gravel driveway leads to the small parking lot (slowly losing its battle with sagebrush). If you park there, you’ll see a white marker less than six feet away. It marks the wagon ruts (that are also struggling to hold their own with nature). |