Craters of the Moon National Monument

Here's the second try on the Craters of the Moon National Monument.

June 12, 2018

Looking at the map we decided to just blast through Provo, Salt Lake City, Ogden areas heading toward southern Idaho. Our first stop was a Wal-Mart in Springfield, UT just south of Provo.

As is our habit, we look for a local brewpub when we stop.  Low and behold, right across the street was the Strap Tank Brewery. Since we weren't driving any more today we walked over for dinner and some local craft beer.

Strap Tank Brewery

Their name sake, a replica of the rare early Harley Davidson motorcycle.

We try to travel only about 200-250 miles a day so we spent the next day traveling through the Salt Lake City area and on into southern Idaho for another night of Wal-Mart camping.

The next day, we moved on to Craters of the Moon National Monument.

Appropriately named, Lava Flow Campground, site # 35 - all those rocks around the campsite are lava.

Looking south from atop Inferno Cone along the Great Rift that formed the features of
Craters of the Moon Nat'l Monument .

Lava flow looks like it stopped yesterday instead of 2,000 years ago.

Ranger talking about the Limber Pine on the "Evening Stroll " program.

Wild flowers blooming on the side of a cinder cone volcano.

Dwarf Buckwheat

Dwarf Monkeyflower

Syringa

A blustery morning on the side of  Inferno Cone. 

Looking north toward the Pioneer Mountains.

Spatter cone.

From atop s Spatter Cone, looking into the "belly of the beast".

Coming next, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.