July 16

Let me just say that I feel a little silly for the second night in a row typing on a lap top at a campsite. But whenever I feel silly I remind myself that I will never see these people again. The majority don’t even live in this country. That makes me feel slightly better.


The stars were amazing last night and I have never seen the Milky Way so clear. Speaking of chocolate. While buying ice and gas I saw that M&M came out with a pretzel M&M. Why did no one tell me? It’s delicious and a perfect snack for sitting in traffic.

I drove four hours to get to the town of Kemmerer. In Idaho I passed an Oregon Trail Center but didn’t feel like a museum. Then I passed the World’s Largest Area of Fossil Beds National Park, or something like that, and passed on that as well. I was driven to get to Kemmerer and see the very first JC Penny store, started in 1909, and when I did I laughed. Except for a Taco King and a Kum&Go gas station the town feels like it has not been touched by the outside world since 1909. I walked around the itty bitty store, laughed to myself again and left. That was that. Supposedly there was a museum but I must have missed it.


I then embarked on the 6 hour drive to Bryce Canyon National Park. After stopping at a rest stop to get some info and meet an Acacia I headed to Capital Reef National Park instead. Several hours later, after being in the middle of nowhere I arrived. I really felt I was in the middle of nowhere and then out of the blue there were trees and a tourist town. It actually looked cute but I wanted to head to the campsite.


This crazy red rock, layer rock, and whatever else rock that I will learn about tomorrow is beautiful, but not for me. I think I prefer Mountains, lakes, and wildlife to hot and barren. I do feel like I am on another planet. Maybe that will change tomorrow.


Thoughts:
Craters of the Moon Park is not a must see if you have been to Hawaii. The volcano and lava beds there are still fresh and you can walk on them.


There seem to be a lot of natural hot springs in Idaho AND good fishing


Why are there so many small, I mean closet size, drive up coffee places in the mid-west/west but not on the East?


Some things are no fun alone


Why the heck is it called a Port of Entry and not an entrance?


Gas was the highest I have seen at 3.39 AND the speed limit was the highest I have seen at 80


Foreigners like to rent campers and visit National Parks