We selected Mountain Home, ID as our next waypoint on our journey to Washington. Mountain Home is on the route of the Oregon Trail. As I read about the western expansion and migration I couldn’t help but compare how easy our travels are compared to the hazards those pioneers faced.
We looked at several different RV parks in the area and chose the Mountain Home RV Park. I was a little concerned when it kept coming up on Google Maps as Mountain Home Self Storage! It turned out that these are two businesses owned by the same people on the same property. The RV park was just great. The sites are large and had well-maintained lawns for each site. The staff was very friendly and helpful and their WIFI had a consistently strong signal. The pool and hot tub were nice benefits that we enjoyed. Another plus that I always appreciate was free coffee in the office.
One of the first things we did was to visit one of Pat’s cousins, Jim, who lives nearby. Jim had served in the U.S. Air Force and was an advisor to the Idaho Air National Guard before he retired and settled down in the area. He lives on a mountain (literally) outside of Boise. 
When we drove to meet him it took us almost a half hour to drive from the base of the mountain to his home. Talk about location, location, location! He has the best view! It is a rustic home and suits him just fine.
We talked a lot about what each of us had been up to and then drove down the mountain to have lunch in Idaho City. This is an Old West Town that looks today like the towns we saw on Bonanza and Gunsmoke. The old buildings have been maintained and re-purposed for today’s functions. We also visited the Pioneer Cemetery. It is always interesting to see how long people lived in those days and tragic to see how many children never saw their third birthday. The oddest thing to me was the lack of organization. There were no rows, but graves were scattered randomly within the cemetery.
A couple of days later we drove to the Craters of the Moon National Park. “The surface of the moon as seen through a telescope,” is how geologist Harold Stearns described the area in 1923. The area is a result of volcanic activity along a geologic fault known as the Great Rift. The mounds in the area were formed from cinder thrown from the volcanoes as they erupted. There are acres of lava that flowed from the volcanoes. One of the interesting things is how vegetation has returned to the area and continues to flourish.
When a lava flow develops a hard crust, forming a roof over the still-flowing lava stream. Eventually the lava blocks itself at the source. The remaining lava flows out from under the roof, leaving a cave known as a “lava tube.” There are several lava tubes in the park. Most are fragile enough that visitors are not allowed in them. However, the Park Service has set aside four caves and tunnels formed by lava tubes for visitors to explore. 
These are not like the Carlsbad and Mammoth Caves. They are not developed, they are completely natural and a unique experience. We walk through the largest one, called the “Tunnel.” It was interesting and challenging as we walked around some fallen rubble and crawled over other rubble piles. We literally crawled out through a hole in the rock to exit the lava tube.
After a few days of relaxing, we left on May 16th for Portland, OR
On our way back to the parking lot we took a brief detour to see Pine Arch and Tunnel Arch. It’s amazing to me how unique each of these arches are. Arches National Park is a delight for a twelve year old kid who loves to climb on rocks, and a nightmare for his parents, who are scared he will hurt himself.
Needless to say the temperature was colder than in Manitou Springs and the snow was piled high along the shoulder of the road. We stopped for lunch at a parking area on the Continental Divide, enjoying the view and the warmth of the sun. As we descended to the Curecanti National Recreation Area near Gunnison, CO we were thankful for our previous mountain driving experience and the exhaust brake on our truck. 
The next morning we decided to do another hike to find a 
Page used his keen business instincts to facilitate every resource available. In his drilling operation, he found an abundance of natural gas, and there was more than enough pure spring water available. After constructing an electric light and power plant, owned by the Sand Springs Home for Widows and Children, he began offering free building sites to industries, with the added inducement of cheap gas, water and electric rates. Sand Springs quickly became a major industrial and manufacturing town. Some of the earliest industries were the Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company; Commander Mills; Southwest Box Company; Sinclair Prairie Refineries; U.S. Zinc Company; and Pedrick Laboratories. In 1927, Sand Springs was known as the leading industrial city in Oklahoma. Page also donated the land for most of the original churches.
We also checked out a couple of wineries in the area. After tours and tastings we had added to our wine collection. An interesting fact that many don’t know is that Missouri was once the largest producer of wine in the country. However Prohibition destroyed the industry and it never recovered.
Monday morning we saw the 
This bicycle trail extends 34 miles from the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge to Pinnacle Mountain State Park. We rode from Clinton Park to the Two Rivers Park Bridge. With the exception of a couple of small sections that were closed due to construction projects, the trail was an easy, paved path along the Arkansas River. It was a beautiful day and we rode along the north side of the river to the Big Dam Bridge. The 
The display, “Life in the White House,” described state dinners, holidays, and family celebrations. There are also replicas of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room as they appeared during Clinton’s time in office.
After touring the Clinton Library, we walked through a part of the 
Good food, good prices – check it out! Along the River Market is the 
Michigan Traveler 