We have tried a couple of different times to go to Craters of the Moon national monument, but at 90 miles away, it has eluded us. So, Memorial Day was the day! It was very cold that day, so the beach was out. We packed up the kids and the car and headed out. No one but James was thrilled to be going. I was Switzerland--neutral.
See how tiny those people look in the distance?!? Big hill!
Everyone ended up having a lot of fun! It is a very strange and unique place. Craters of the Moon is a vast ocean of lava flows with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush. It can be seen from outer space! http://www.nps.gov/crmo/
We started out at this hill. It was very strange. It was made up of little bits of lava. It sounded squeaky when you walked on it. The kids energetically ran up the hill. James and I ran up the hill after them. Then we started walking, then wheezing! I thought my lungs would burn up! I am definitely out of shape! Emily actually found snow in the crevasse of a tree on the top of the hill! Usually it is extremely hot there. The lava can get up to 150 degrees! I was grateful for the cool weather!
I know they post these signs for my family! Hunter got a sprained ankle and had to sit out for a while.
The exit to the cave. We had to climb up the rocks to make it through the passage way. Next we took a guided tour of the lava tubes--or caves. This was called Indian Tunnel because it had ancient rings of rocks surrounding it from previous Native American ceremonies. The kids had a great time exploring the lava rocks and caves. We were able to climb and explore all over the place.
Proof that people did land on the moon--Craters of the Moon!
Alex tried to make the ride home a little more exciting by wearing a turban and listening to his tunes!It was a fun family day!
1 comments:
It is great to know that finally you had the chance to go to Craters of the Moon National Monument. Thanks for the interesting and informative post. I am planning to visit all National Parks in the next 5 years and Craters of the Moon is in the first three on my list.
I am working on a new website at http://www.recreationparks.net and have a park page specifically about Craters of the Moon National Monument. You can find it here http://www.recreationparks.net/ID/butte/craters-of-the-moon-national-monument-inferno-cone. I'd love to get feedback from you and your readers about the site, ideas for what regional information to add, etc. I'm hoping that many people will vote on the activities at this and nearby parks, since that information will let me setup a search to help people find activities that interest them, and lead people to discover new public parks.
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