Day 12 - Pendleton OR to Arco ID



Day 12 - 28 June 2006 - Wednesday

--- Starting in Pendleton, Oregon ---

In the morning we took a look at the old cars in the parking lot next door:
Old Cars

We then drove a long way on I-84 through some very barren volcanic landscapes. We went past a big Ore-Ida factory, which was right near the Ore-Ida border in Ontario (some people had a big revelation about where the name came from :P). We then crossed the Snake river and entered Idaho.

--- Entering Idaho ---

We stopped in Boise for lunch, and got additional batteries for our camera. In Boise we passed near the Micron plants where a lot of computer RAM is made.

We stopped at Malad Gorge State Park near Hagerman, ID. The actual park can be seen right from the highway. The gorge itself is impressive:
Malad Gorge

The main attraction is a waterfall called the Devil's Punchbowl, unfortunately it was dry:
Devil's Punchbowl

This area is full of springs, and despite the falls being dry, not very far downstream the water bubbles up and makes a very pretty blue river:
Blue Water

We then drove on to Niagara Springs State Park. Here there is a spring that pours out so much water it looks like a waterfall:
Niagara Springs

There are rivers to the North that just disappear to the ground, and there's some speculation that the springs like this in the area are where the missing rivers come back to the surface. Below the springs is a large fish hatchery (The water was icy cold to wade in).

After spending some time here, we had to rush in order to get to our next destination before the Visitor's Center closed.


Continue on to the second part of day 12