3,060 Miles to Boston
Lessons were learned from Day 1. I picked up a couple of paperback books at a used bookstore and found a phone lanyard. I was ready!
Propped up against my husbands back and held tightly against the wind is “Garden Spells” by Sarah Addison Allen
Some things are worth turning around for, so that is what we did. Not too far outside of Burns is the community of Buchanan. We weren’t planning on stopping, so we drove on by. A quick tap on my husband’s shoulder was all it took, and we found a place just up the road to turn around.
The reason? I am a sucker for a free museum, and any place with a Model T on the roof is worth a look.
I warned you that this blog would be full of bad photography.
Notice the Model T on the roof.
Inside, we were greeted by a counter showcasing Navajo jewelry before being directed to the left, where a room showcased art by local Paiute Indigenous Peoples. Highly decorated cradleboards hung alongside other handcrafted items, each one providing a glimpse into the area’s rich cultural heritage. Further exploration of the museum revealed a room containing antiques and pioneer artifacts of the ranch and of the home.
Cradleboards and artwork from the local Paiute Indigenous Peoples along side some snacks that I am sure help the profit margin.
After leaving the museum, we were on the lookout for lunch. Unbeknownst to us, we should have turned around yet again and gone back to the food truck at the museum. We had our sights set on the aptly named Oasis Cafe in Juntura, but failing to check the hours and status ahead of time led to disappointment when we discovered it was closed.
As Bob Ross would say, that was a happy little accident. We carried on to Vale and shared the Starlite Cafe’s “Famous Reuben Melt”. It earned that honor because it was easily the best Reuben I have eaten.
You know the food will be good when the barstools are small and there is carpet on the wall.
Right before eating, we had spotted a small wildfire up on a bench in the distance. While sitting comfortably in the cafe, the fire grew. We watched it out the window from a comfortable distance, but talked about knowing the fear of fire. We have watched several from our home, sitting in the driveway praying that the wind does not change or helping the neighbors fight with shovels and tractors. By the time we reached Boise, I looked it up; the fire was growing, and air support had been requested.
The fire before lunch.
There were not many stops today. I snapped a quick picture of a sign honoring Peter Skene Ogden and his party’s enormous haul of 2,000 beaver pelts (no wonder they are scarce today), a picture of the Snake River, and the Welcome to Idaho sign before pulling into the Fort Boise National Historic Site.
Peter Skene Ogden sign
Willows and a field juxtaposed against the high desert hills.
Statue at Fort Boise National Historic Site
The point of this trip is to slow down and take the long way, but holy cow, it took two hours to get through the Boise area (including a short pit stop at High Desert Harley Davidson). It was getting hot; every stoplight had us wishing for the interstate, and we were ready to be off the road and out of our gear.
It’s not Oregon, but there are still hops being grown.
Before too long, we had reached our destination, checked into our room at the Thunderbird Hotel, and went to Kurly’s Sports Bar and Grill for a well-deserved dinner of a BLT, fried pickles, and beer.
Tomorrow, Craters of the Moon awaits. Today didn’t go exactly as planned, but that makes for the best memories.
Carousels and Curiosity 
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