Day 11

Last night was awful. After making far to many stops end route to Yellowstone we were leaving Cody when an accident shut down the road. I had wanted to be at the campground no later than 7:30 in hopes of finding a campsite. But at six o’clock we were sitting in traffic that had come to a complete stop. We waited a half hour before we could move. We thought there was an accident due to the sirens, paramedics, search and rescue teams, and the water rescue people but once the road opened up we didn’t see an accident.

The traffic was infuriating but the drive along the Shoshone River was beautiful.

And then luck abandoned us again. According to the National Park website, 150 campsites were supposed to be first come first serve. They could not be reserved. However, when we arrived all of the sites had reservation forms posted to them. There were empty sites that according to the website we should have been able to use but the website was incorrect. Even the information the park handed out upon arrival listed the sites as first come first serve. We were pissed. This totally screwed us over. We had no where to stay and there were no vacancies anywhere.

So technically we visited Yellowstone. We entered the park, we drove through more than half of it, we saw the geyser beds in the pinkish glow of the setting sun — which was stunning — and then we left. We drove over an hour into Idaho — which was not on our itinerary— before we found a place to camp. We will go back to Yellowstone, just not today.

When G3 first looked at Yellowstone on the map and saw how close we would be to Idaho he must have asked a dozen times if we could just drive across the border to add another state to his list. Each time we emphatically said “No.” Needless to say when he woke up this morning and I told him where we were he was ecstatic. And I wondered, did Dad have a hand in this? He never said no to G3 and he would have known that ultimately, I would have preferred a good story to tell over an easy night. Plus, I too had never been to Idaho so even I get to up my state count.

Last night, while examining the Idaho map and trying to find a place to stay, I came across Craters of the Moon National Monument. Even though it meant a greater detour, we had to go. G3 has become interested in geology and the more science he gets on this trip the more he can compensate for his awful science teacher last year. And Daddy would have wanted G3 to see and experience everything possible, so I am even more certain he led us here.

This was definitely one of the more unique National Monuments I have been to. The lava flow field is covered in volcanic rock. It resembles the surface of the moon so much that when astronauts were preparing for the moon landing they practiced collecting samples here.

I think G3 enjoyed the day. The three of us started a hike on the North Crater Trail — 3.5 miles round trip. Kati and G3 had fun examining the rocks on the trail. But it was another 90 degree day so when Kati started to melt she turned around. G3 and I completed it. He and I did a few shorter hikes as well, including the caves trail where we explored Boy Scout Cave and Beauty Cave which were both formed by lava flow tunnels. It was refreshing to cool off inside. I think the caves were the highlight of the day for G3. I loved looking at the patterns on the rock, patterns that formed when the rivers of lava cooled.

To celebrate our accidental trip to Idaho I thought it only appropriate that we eat potatoes for dinner. Not WITH dinner. FOR dinner. I suggested that we sit down at a restaurant and order every potato dish on the menu. Both Kati and G3 thought it was a fantastic idea. G3 did a google search and found the perfect place for us to eat. I think my German-American potato-loving dad would have approved.