Craters

July 11
Teton County, ID

Saturday afternoon I visited Crater Lake in OR. There was still some snow in the higher elevations. That night I slept in the open on the high desert of eastern OR. I fell asleep before complete darkness and awoke a little later to be amazed at the brightness of the stars. With a new moon, and no light pollution for hundreds of miles, it was as if I could reach up and take a bite out of the Milky Way. In the morning I woke up to the sound of coyotes howling in the distance. They were well-fed on the plentiful jack-rabbits. Sunday, in keeping the crater theme going, I drove through ID to Craters of the Moon National Monument. It didn't look at all what I expected the moon to look like (but then again I've never been to the moon have I.) As I mentioned earlier I'm traveling toward the east, back to MN to be exact. There's something about the rolling bluff country of the SE corner of the state that's calling me back. I'll be staying at a farm with goats, a garden, and a small vineyard about 20 miles west of La Crosse WI - but not before making a few more stops along the way.