Today I left my hotel in Twin Falls and almost immediately stumbled upon something unexpected. I noticed a huge gorge and a viewing area off the road, so I pulled over to take a look. Later that evening, I learned it was the Malad Gorge. The gorge was massive, with steep canyon walls and rushing water far below.
What makes this even funnier is that after reading about it later, I discovered it is part of a larger park that also has springs, waterfalls, and additional canyon views. Apparently, I accidentally visited only part of the attraction. It's like going to Disney World and only seeing Mr. Toads Wild Ride.
Next, I headed to Craters of the Moon National Park. This place was unlike anything else I've seen on the trip. Miles and miles of volcanic rock, lava fields, craters, and strange formations stretched across the landscape. It really did look like something from another planet. I have never been to the moon, but if NASA called and asked for my opinion, I'd say this seemed pretty close. The park was much larger than I expected. Everywhere I looked there were lava flows, craters, and rocky formations that looked like they belonged in a science fiction movie.
After leaving the moon and returning safely to Earth, I made my way to Idaho Falls. The falls were beautiful and much larger than I expected, stretching for what seemed like a quarter of a mile through the middle of town. The rushing water, walking paths, and views made it a great stop. Idaho Falls definitely earned a spot on my list of pleasant surprises from this trip.
From there, I drove from Idaho Falls to Great Falls, Montana. The scenery along the way was spectacular. Towering mountains, rolling hills, rivers, and wide-open landscapes seemed to appear around every corner. Since leaving Kansas, it feels like every state has been trying to outdo the previous one.
Unfortunately, the weather decided to make things interesting. I drove through quite a bit of rain, and the last hour or so was especially stressful. It was dark, rainy, and prime deer territory. Ever since I hit a deer in Montana on a previous Montana trip, nighttime driving has become a wildlife surveillance operation.
For the last hour, I probably spent more time scanning the shoulders of the road than looking straight ahead. Every shadow looked suspicious. Every bush looked like it was about to sprint into traffic. No joke!
To make matters worse, somewhere in Idaho I passed a dead deer and what appeared to be a giant wild boar alongside the road. The deer was bad enough. A collision with a boar sounds like the kind of story that ends with me hitchhiking home. Thankfully, I made it safely to Great Falls without adding any new wildlife encounters to the trip.
One thing I have really grown to appreciate on this trip is the 80 mph speed limits out West. There is something magical about seeing an 80 mph speed limit sign and knowing you can actually make some serious progress. When I get back home, those 45 and 50 mph speed limits are going to feel like I'm driving through a school zone for the rest of my life. 😎 After spending days cruising across wide-open western highways, adjusting back to normal speeds may be one of the biggest challenges of the entire trip.
Another thing I noticed today was that once I got into Idaho, and especially Montana, somebody apparently turned on the air conditioning and fan for the entire region. It was noticeably colder, and the wind seemed determined to make sure everyone knew it. Just a few days ago I was sweating in Las Vegas heat, and now I'm wondering if I should have packed an extra jacket. This road trip continues to offer all four seasons, someti.mes within the same day. 😎
Tomorrow I plan to visit Rainbow Falls and the famous Great Falls of the Missouri River before continuing north toward the Canadian border. On Tuesday, I'll be exploring Waterton Lakes National Park. The mountains are getting bigger, the temperatures are getting cooler, and Canada is now close enough to wave at
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