Montana Trip - Day 16

[somber anniversary... - got a very late start today (finances...) - didn't leave hotel until 1030L - drove across the Snake River (one of several crossings today) on I-84 and made it to Caldwell, Idaho, before I had to get gas - back on the road and drove through Boise without stopping (needed to get back into Utah by tonight) - passed Mountain Home (neither a Mountain or a place I'd like to call home) - following Snake River - got off highway at [Bliss] and started down old US-30 (called the 1000 Fountain Byway here) - after a nice ride down into the river valley, arrived in Hagerman and visited the Fossil Beds National Monument - Ranger was very helpful, pointing out other places to visit nearby and giving me some trail maps - I ended up missing a turn she recommended, but I'm glad I did: as a result, I saw the 1000 fountains! They look like waterfalls - on the opposite site of the Snake - falling from the high cliff walls - there were resorts along the river nearby - lunch at McDonalds in nearby [Buhl] - followed US-30 into Twin Falls (a mistake, it turned out, since I had to stop at nearly every light as I drove through the middle of town just to backtrack to the next place I wanted to visit: Minidoka Internment Camp) - the National [Monument] was in a very remote area off [ID-25] - interesting history and sobering reality - followed [ID-25] east and south, back "towards" Twin Falls, hoping to get around the city to head south - was successful, using [ID-50] - great canyon views when crossing the Snake east of town - sneaked around by the airport and then got US-93 - had a lot more traffic than I've seen for several days - very remote, desert-like environment - lots of BLM signs, indicating recreation areas - long, boring drive, actually - but straight with good speeds! - came around a corner into Nevada (and Pacific Time Zone again) and stumbled across Jackpot (a casino town in the middle of nowhere...) - picked up some snacks and mailed some post cards - back on the road soon after - listening to football games on the radio - rest of drive to Wells was uneventful (except for the pleasant rain showers) - got on I-80 and tracked west - realized soon after leaving Wells that there were NO gas stations to be had until the NV-UT border (and I really needed some fuel!) - hoped there would be some gas in Oasis (shouldn't there be?), but only a rest area - raining a bit more in the mountains - sweating for a bit (idling on big hills, slowed down, did everything I could to make it) - got lucky again and made it to [West Wendover] and a gas station - crossed border into Utah and got off the Interstate again, this time to visit the Bonneville Salt Flats - drove all the way out onto the flats on a paved road but found out they had just closed the raceway access before I arrived (1800L) - turned out to be a good thing, though, since I saw the amazing amount of salt that built up on the cars that had been out there all day... - saw a couple taking wedding photos on the flats - learned a little amout the speed testing (it is in season now - too bad I can't stay around...) - back on I-80 and into the desert (salt storms and high winds - beautiful sunset behind me! - long, desolate spaces for 70+ miles - getting dark - made it back to the exit I'd turned around at almost exactly a week ago - into Salt Lake City, switched to I-215 and then I-15 (towards Provo) - LOTs of construction - swerving lanes, closed lanes, speeding trucks, poorly lit signs - figured I was a goner a few times... - finally arrived at Spanish Fork and found a hotel (Western Inn) on US-6 (brings me back to the Cape...) - emails and repacking until 2330L, then bed - most amount of driving in one day since I started the trip - not as fun...]