Transcontinental Loop 2022-Part 1

April 26-29

It’s been nearly two and a half years since I posted anything–although we haven’t stayed at home the entire time. We’ve been to California, to Europe (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Beaune and Venice) and to Kauai. Gary’s been very active in the Portland-Blueback Council of the US Navy League for quite a few years now. On May 28th, the Council’s efforts will come to fruition with the commissioning of the USS Oregon SSN793 in Groton, CT. We decided to attend and make it the 60 day trip by car, visiting family, friends, and points of interest that we haven’t seen before en route.

The trip began on April 26, when we stopped in Boise to enjoy the first of many visits to Joe’s Crab Shacks. Before dinner, we walked along the bank of the Boise River, stopping to watch about a dozen guys, with what looked like boogie boards, surfing on a small, artificial rapid.

Joe’s Crab Shack was fun:

The following day, April 27, we began learning more about the Oregon Trail. One of the more dangerous sections of the Trail was crossing the Snake River.

After spending the night in Provo, Utah, we headed for Moab and a visit to The Arches National Park. The structures, textures, and colors in the park rise up in sharp contrast to the flat sandy plains.

We took a short detour to see evidence of early human inhabitants: petroglyphs on the rock walls lining the road just opposite The Arches Park Entrance.

The reception clerk at our Holiday Inn showed us how to get a “timed-entry ticket” to the National Park for the following morning. The textures, colors and structures we’d see as we approached were a mere sample of the incredible architecture and artistic effects we saw inside the park.

Our appetite whetted by the petroglyphs, we proceeded next to Mesa Verde, the subject of my next post.