Places I've Been... By State
Idaho
|
|
|
| Perrine Bridge over the Snake River. They base jump off this bridge... |
I've been to Idaho three times now. In 1998, Idaho was just as a thoroughfare from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone. 2001 was a mission to touch all 48 lower states, so there was a quick visit to Washington and Oregon, coming back through Craters Of The Moon National Monument.
US-12, Northwest Passage Scenic Byway
In 2006, I was doing Lewis and Clark. After a quick side trip to Glacier National Park (yes, you read that correctly), I drove US-12 through the Bitterroot Mountains, also known as the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway, which sorta follows the Lolo Trail. After coming out of the Bitterroots, you run into the Nez Perce, just like the Corp of Discovery, only I left the Bitterroots in much better shape. The Northwest Scenic Byway is one of my top roads to drive in the US.
| US-12, Northwest Passage Scenic Byway | |
|---|---|
|
I drove the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway (also known as the Lewis and Clark Trail and the Nez Perce Trail), because I was doing a bunch of Lewis and Clark sites in July 2006. The road doesn't exactly follow the Lolo Trail through the Bitterroots, but it's a stunningly beautiful road, following the Lochsa River (and eventually the Clearwater) through the Bitterroot Mountains. There are also images of the Nez Perce National Historical Park (East Kamiah). |
| Idaho / 65 Images. Visited Jul 2006. | |
|
| This map was downloaded from the NPS site. |
US-20, Goodale's Cutoff
US-20 follows the Goodale's Cutoff of the Oregon Trail. Also along the road is Craters of the Moon National Monument, and the Idaho National Environmental Research Park, which holds more nuclear reactors than anywhere else in the world. Make sure to take note of Arco, Idaho, the first city to be powered by a nuclear reactor.
| Craters of the Moon National Monument | |
|---|---|
 |
Craters of the Moon National Monument is just a very cool place. Thousands of years ago, molten lava periodically erupted from the Earth, spreading a half dozen different lava fields over this entire area. It left a black, bleak landscape where desert scrub tries to get a foothold. All sorts of different lava flows/structures are represented here, from caves to different kinds of cones to just a black, endless landscape. |
| Near Arco, Idaho / 52 Images. Visited Sep 2001, Jul 2006. | |
| Experimental Breeder Reactor 1 (EBR-1) Idaho National Environmental Research Park | |
|---|---|
 |
Experimental Breeder Reactor 1 (EBR-1) is the first successful breeder reactor turned into a seasonal museum. On display is the original reactor and light bulbs it lit, and information on the Idaho National Environmental Research Park, the 900 square mile facility that's seen over 50 nuclear reactors. Here's some trivia. A city near here, Arco, was the first city in America to be powered by a nuclear energy. |
| Near Arco, Idaho / 28 Images. Visited Jul 2006, Sep 2001. | |
Snake River
US-30 and US-26 are both scenic byways that follow the Snake River though Idaho.| US-30 (Idaho, Thousand Springs Scenic Byway) | |
|---|---|
|
US-30 in Idaho from Bliss to Buhl has the nickname "Thousand Springs" because the rivers around Southern Idaho tend to sink through the upper crust of volcanic debris until it hits a hard basalt layer from previous volcanic eruptions, then channels the water underground into pools and underground rivers. The water re-emerges here, and at one time would gush out of the rock layers. However in recent years, they've started to capture the water for irrigation, so you'll actually see more pipes than springs. Ugh. |
| Idaho / 20 Images. Visited Sep 2001. | |
| US-26 / Palisades Reservoir / Snake River / Jackson, Wyoming | |
|---|---|
|
US-26 is the main way to get to the Southern Entrance of Grand Teton National Park, by following the Snake River from Idaho Falls to Jackson, Wyoming. There is a shorter, more direct route over Teton Pass, which also allows you to bypass Jackson should you wish. (Jackson is pretty much your best option for groceries, alcohol and food before entering Grand Teton, but it can be a madhouse during tourist season.) |
| Idaho / 21 Images. Visited Sep 1998, Sep 2001. | |
Yellowstone National Park
You could argue that Yellowstone is the best park in Idaho, except the part that's in Idaho is only 2.5 miles wide by 25 miles long. And it's only a coincidence that Yellowstone is in Idaho, since Idaho didn't exist when Yellowstone was established. There isn't even a public access point to Yellowstone from Idaho. But here's the link to the park, anyway. :-)
| Yellowstone National Park | |
|---|---|
 |
Yellowstone National Park tops my list of favorite parks. It doesn't matter if you want waterfalls, lakes, geysers, hot springs, river canyons, glacial valleys, mountain scenery, abundant wildlife, or interesting roads to drive, Yellowstone has all if it. Its world famous icons, such as Old Faithful, the Lower Falls and Mammoth Hot Springs, all point to a very angry Earth below the surface, a super volcano which has the potential to wipe out much of America. So enjoy the park while you can! |
| Northwest Wyoming, Idaho, Montana / 555 Images. Visited Sep 1998, Sep 2001, Jul 2006. | |
Illinois
|
|
I have surprisingly few pictures of Illinois, considering I live there. It's either "familiarity breeds contempt", or geologically, the state is just plain boring. Or both. Probably both.
Misc Illinois Pics:
Nauvoo, Illinois
In 1996, I was breaking in a new car, and took a quick road trip to the Mississippi. I came across Nauvoo almost by accident, and had I known I was going to be there, would have done a little more research. (Though I will point out that in 1996, trying to do research was much tougher to do without the internet as we know it today...)
|
| Brigham Young's home. |
The next picture was taken in Quincy, but that was coincidental since we were following the River Road...
| Miscellaneous pictures of Chicago | |
|---|---|
|
Miscellaneous pictures of Chicago, the sorts of pictures you get when you keep a cheap 35mm in your glove box. |
| 162 Images. | |
| 1979 Yes Concert (event) | |
|---|---|
|
The 1979 Yes Concert was held at the Chicago Stadium. (Since torn down and rebuilt as the United Center.) These are pics from the Going For The One Tour. Back when Yes was... well... Yes. Back when there was only three versions of Roundabout. |
| 53 Images. | |
| 1992 Chicago Air and Water Show (event) | |
|---|---|
|
The 1992 Chicago Air and Water Show (minus the water part) staged out of Glenview Naval Air Station, and the public was invited to come and take a look... |
| 44 Images. | |
Indiana
|
|
|
| Post-ice storm. Glad I wasn't around during this one. Along I-65... |
It might be telling that I have more pictures of travelling through Indiana, than of Indiana...
During my many trips between Dayton and Chicago along I-65 and I-70
|
|
Iowa
No pics of Iowa. Been through it a bunch of times, though. I generally want to get beyond Iowa to start my vacation, and tired on the way home, so Iowa always get's the short end of my attention...
Maybe it'd be different if it wasn't a clone of Illinois and Indiana...
- 04/30/2016 - Initial deployment
- April 2017 - Upgrade to v3.4.
- September 2022 - Upgrade to v5.0.
| Help! | About This Site | Contact Me |