Today I left Bend, Oregon, and headed to Smith Rock State Park. As soon as I arrived, I could see why it is such a popular destination. The rock formations were absolutely massive, rising out of the landscape like giant stone skyscrapers.
Smith Rock is famous for rock climbing, but I did not see anyone dangling from the cliffs today. What I did see was what appeared to be some sort of race. There were people everywhere running past with numbers pinned to their shirts. Judging by the steep trails and hills they were climbing, I was exhausted just watching them. I decided my role for the day would be professional spectator.
The scenery was incredible. One of the giant rock formations had a snow-capped mountain sitting behind it. It was an incredible sight. It was a beautiful day, with perfect weather, and another fun day in Oregon, one of six states I had not traveled to before.
After leaving Smith Rock, I settled in for what turned into nearly eight hours of driving to Twin Falls, Idaho. Fortunately, the scenery along US 20 made the miles go by a little easier. There were mountain views everywhere, along with wide-open spaces and landscapes that seemed to stretch forever.
One thing that has really stood out on this trip is how amazing the scenery has been ever since I left Kansas. Mountains, lakes, canyons, and more!
On US 20, I came across something I was definitely not expecting. An overturned tractor-trailer had caught fire in the median between the eastbound and westbound lanes. The scene was pretty incredible, and not in a good way.
Thankfully, I was traveling eastbound. The westbound lanes were completely shut down, and the backup was absolutely insane. Traffic stretched as far as I could see, and those drivers were probably settling in for a very long wait.
On the eastbound side, we got lucky. Officials only had to close one lane, and traffic continued moving. We were able to get through the area fairly quickly.
By the time I rolled into Twin Falls, I was ready to get out of the driver's seat. I think my car and I had reached an agreement that neither of us wanted to see another mile marker for at least a few hours.
Tomorrow's adventure includes Craters of the Moon National Park, Idaho Falls, and a few waterfalls in Montana. If that sounds like a strange combination, welcome to this road trip. At this point, I've gone from casinos to deserts, mountains to lakes, snow to heat, and now I'm apparently headed to the moon without ever leaving Idaho.
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