130) Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument

Visited: Saturday, September 19, 2020

After three straight positive experiences, I suppose it was inevitable that this would be a bit of a disappointment.  The fossil beds are interesting - but you don't really get to see them, just some of the fossils.  A few.  Without a lot of context.  Making the most interesting aspect of the site being that it abuts the Oregon Trail - but even that isn't quite as interesting as the California Trail at City of Rocks, there being no markings, and following a far smaller segment of the trail.

We did have fun driving back to Boise by going West; we were soon on dirt roads in - nowhere.  Literally; looking on a map after, there is no name for the place we drove through.  Vehicles we saw on the road: 1, a tractor we saw shortly before returning to pavement.  Cows we saw on the road: 6, including one who wanted to race us.

129) Minidoka National Historic Site

Visited: Friday, September 18, 2020

One of the great things about the NPS sites in Idaho is how isolated they are.  You drive and drive - and eventually get there.  But you're a long way past the last city with a population of even 500.

And that is precisely where nearly 10,000 Japanese-Americans were sent during WWII.  Not that the other interment camps were any less isolated, of course; and not that the situation in Minidoka was worse than elsewhere; it can reasonably be argued that it was among the better camps, and it was certainly preferable to Tule Lake.

I have a real challenge with Minidoka; my father was a civilian POW during WWII.  And I've heard many times about the challenges my grandfather's family faced - including being rescued by the US Army just a day before the Japanese were planning to kill all of the POWs.  The situations weren't identical by any stretch - but I can't help but notice how much better the situation was in Minidoka.

But better does nothing to excuse Minidoka.  Which is well presented - particularly the difference between the first, second, and third generation immigrants.  The visitor center is new, and is fantastic - it _fits_, and tells the story of the site very well.  The choice of having a baseball field (along with two of the barracks which served as living quarters - and everything else - for those interned) _fits_, on the whole; there was a lot of life at the site.  Doesn't excuse things, but - it gives the site a sense of hope that I hadn't really expected.

128) City of Rocks National Reserve

Visited: Friday, September 18, 2020

City of Rocks is an entirely different type of weird from Craters of the Moon.  Here, they're not growing lava, but - huge boulders, spaced out randomly across the valleys.  We saw more people rock climbing here than I've ever seen doing that before, probably collectively - every large rock where it was allowed had multiple climbers.

But even more fascinating - at least to me - were the signs of the California Trail present on the (dirt) road through the park; it wasn't difficult to picture wagons passing through.

On the way to City of Rocks we saw a coyote at the side of the road - the second most interesting wildlife of the trip.

127) Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve

Visited: Thursday, September 17, 2020

Craters of the Moon feels like - nowhere else, really.  There's a _bit_ of Hawai'i Volcanoes to the site, but - it's just a taste of that.  The lava cones are particularly impressive; it amuses me to no end that one is called Snow Cone.  Almost as impressive as some of the lava - which really seems to be growing up from the ground some places - are the fields of little white flowers, according to the information there being a type of Buckwheat, which uses an extensive root system to support the miniscule bit of the plant that shows above ground.

I'm not one for camping, but there is camping at Craters of the Moon, and - I could almost see it.  At least with an RV; it's just such an odd place to be that being there longer would be fascinating.

103 Revisited) Glacier National Park

Revisited: Monday, September 14 2020-Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Glacier covered by wildfire smoke is - not quite the same.  Still impressive, still beautiful, but - it turned out not to be the very best time to visit.  In addition, while less busy overall than on our previous trip, the closure of the East entrance, along with the sights on that side (including Many Glacier), made the park feel _more_ busy.

Of course, it was still enjoyable, and there was a real highlight - we got to see a big horn sheep, an animal we missed the last time there.

I think the net result is mostly that I want to visit a third time...

23 Revisited) Minute Man National Historic Park

Revisited: Friday, September 4, 2020

For better or worse, Covid has had no impact so far upon our NPS site visitation.  But that's changing this month - in a positive way; we'll be revisiting two sites, and visiting at least two we haven't seen before, directly as a result of not being able to do other things.

Today was a bonus wellness day as a result of Covid, and so Megan and I went to the North Bridge.  It was a very nice, if a little warm, day for a walk, and the site was not busy at all.  The visitor center was closed, with a ranger stationed outside to welcome visitors.

But today's visit was, in the end, just a nice place to have a walk.