If Interstate Travel Bores You Things To Do While Crossing The Desert

Driving across the vast expanses of America can be very uneventful. In the Midwest and West you can go for miles and get nothing but tumbleweeds and sagebrush. So here are some helpful tips while crossing the vast expanses of land from sea to shining sea.

Always take advantage of increased speed limits.  Most states in the west have 75 MPH speeds, except Oregon, which is stuck at a maximum speed of 65 MPH. So decrease those vast expanses by taking advantage of the interstate travel speeds and rural highway speeds.  Always watch for the law and drive safely.

Notice the landscape. This is Blue Mountain in eastern Utah near Vernal. The Western US is full of varied landforms from the Rocky Mountains to bizarre landmarks. This can break up the time so you don't fall asleep at the wheel or redirect your "are we there yet" children by showing them the beauty and diversity of the geographic features while heading to Disneyland or Sea World.

Driving along the edge of a cliff will always take away boredom. Fear of falling is something we are all born with so why not use it to our advantage.  If you are afraid of falling off of a cliff like this winding road through Colorado National Monument, you will stay awake or others in the car will insist you pull over and let anyone, including the baby take the wheel so you don't plunge to your death.  Also spectacular views should keep anyone awake just for the beauty of the trip.

If you must drive across northern or central Nevada may I suggest night. Day driving can cause drowsiness even for the most experienced drivers.  US Highway 50 is the "Loneliest Road in America" for a good reason. I have seen the miles of sagebrush and junipers mile after mile in the day. A night drive and a chance encounter with alien life forms may be more to your liking. Let the night do it's magic of hiding boredom while you quickly cross the vast expanses of the Great Basin.

Summer is fire season. Why let a good bushfire go to waste if you are driving by.  Lots of other rubberneckers will also be paying attention. The fire with its large flames, the choking smoke, the planes dropping large amounts of fire retardant on the blaze all make for good learning and lessons of nature. Just don't put yourself in danger by being a gomer and getting yourself into a situation where you could become a victim of said blaze and be injured or killed.  Point out to the kiddies that when you smoke and chuck that butt into dry grass this is what might happen and the authorities may stick you with the bill for being a dumb ass for starting the fire.

Oil is the life blood of America. These big oil well pumps have always amazed me the way they pump out crude out of the ground. This one is at the foot of the Uinta Mountains in Utah. But they are all over the West and Southwest if you know where to look such as Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and even the liberal bastion of California.  For fun if you have an environmentalist wacko in your car stop on the side of the road next to the beast and just count the up and down movement of the pump. Preach about drill baby drill until they strip naked and run into the desert seeking a hippie colony to feel safe with.

If you are a fan of canyons and rivers may I recommend Hells Canyon on the Idaho-Oregon border. This geologic wonder of river erosion through rock to make canyons. Hells Canyon lives up to its name. Very hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. Hell is a furnace and also freezes over.  The Snake River is a great place to take that break to stretch as you take out your map to find out where the wrong turn was or why your GPS isn't working.

In the west Utah deserts as with other places of the west the monotony of boredom can set in quickly. Thus point out that you are confused as are these mountains. The Confusion Range in Juab and Millard Counties in Utah will confuse you if you get off the road. Some of the mountains appear to have been broken off and only half remain.  Shield volcanoes also litter this area for hundreds of miles north to south. So stay on the main road unless you know how to be confused.

When in doubt of where you are going consult the Ancients. Their highly visible images just might break up that long drive across the desert. This place called Newspaper Rock in southeast Utah will tell you about who invented the wheel, find game, plant corn, and where to hide if neighboring tribes come to kill you. Though the Anasazi have moved on they left this map for our generation so that long after they had gone to the Great Spirit, you could have their wisdom on your journey.

Craters of the Moon

In southeastern Idaho on the Snake River Plain is a large lava field and old volcanoes, Craters of the Moon National Monument.  In the distance is an eroded shield volcano. These volcanoes do not get as high as other volcanoes as the lava is near the surface and it does not have to force its way up the way that larger mountainous volcanoes such as Mount Rainer or Mount Vesuvius. The cones are much shorter and wide and the craters are smaller.

The name comes from the fact that it reminded some people of the landscape of the lunar surface.  The volcanoes and lava flows have been dormant now for about 2,000 years or so.  The area is still geologically active and part of the Yellowstone volcanic system.

The lava field is truly a unique formation. On the right is a picture of  one of many cravasses some of which extend just a few to hundreds of feet deep.

As lava flows and cools it produces cracked flats like this one pictured on the left. These fields can be wide open or short plateaus that abruptly end in lava tubes, hills broken up, or caves.

This lava mound is a twisted and contorted cracked mound. The mound shows how the lava cooled. You can see the markings of the lava when it was free flowing. Cracks and odd shapes make each of these mounds into unique natural rock sculpture.

The trees and shrubs find a niche in small openings such as the one featured on the right. Lava rock is highly rich in minerals and in soil form is known for its great crop growing from potatoes to vineyards. Many plants take advantage of these rocks for the same reasons.

To the left is a lava cave that opens at the top and descends downward. As the crust on top of the rock thins over time it eventually caves in on itself. This probably was originally a lava tube or tunnel underneath the rock before becoming this crater seen here.

To the right is a lava bridge. This thin area of pooled lava covers a crack beneath it. Going over this one was a bit tricky as I tested the weight of the rock beneath my feet. On all lava fields testing the crust is important as one can fall in to a hole or crack if they are not careful about moving around on the flow.

Finally you can see the expanse of the lava flow with the mountains in the distant background. The flow once on it seemed to go for miles and miles. The entire Snake River Plane was formed by the very forces that made Craters of the Moon National Monument. It is that other world experience without having to leave earth to see it. And unlike the moon, the lava flow supports and abundance of plant and animal life. On our way out from this trip we encountered a rattle snake. The snake is a great reminder to be careful whenever hiking in the wilderness.