Grand American Tour Day 18: Salt Lake City to Boise

The drive out of Salt Lake is fairly interesting. As we were driving into the city, we were moving away from the canyon desert scape into the salt lake area. Driving out, it was interesting to see that the land began to turn into lush parie with tall grass on moist land over rolling hills and the old western wooden barns sprinkled over the landscape. Livestock like cattle grazed casually all over the mountains. It was full of life, not like a tropical exotic jungle, but gentle, subtle and relaxing.






Stopped by a Mexican restaurant which happened to be television featured, excellent food!

The land really changed as we got into Idaho state. The same prairie, the same farm land with cows grazing, but the rocks are different. From ancient and solid canyon red rocks, the Idaho land consists mostly of young volcanic rocks formed from lava that cooled down not that long ago. Of course, that’s a relative term. To humans, everything is very old.



The rocks are almost black in color, but painted with vibrant colors from algae and other plant matters. In a way, it is more colorful than the single-hue red rocks in the Utah canyons. The canyons here are also different. Lots of rivers cut into the rocks forming gorge, although not as grand as the grand canyon, offers opportunities for every one, especially the locals, to enjoy the nature. I mean, how often do you get a majestic waterfall as a city park?













Driving across Idaho also teaches about the American agricultural industry. On one side of the highway, there are the free grazing cows on lush green. On the other side are industrialized farm land where cows eat from troughs and live on their own crap. Over the landscape are also gigantic machines, long pipes on wheels that spray chemicals onto the vegetation in a circular pattern. There were very few people on the field, if any, and everything is automated.

There is also pretty high concentration of Mexicans all over Idaho. It’s no El Paso, but close. City parks and pockets of neighbourhood. I guess agriculture brings workers, and Mexicans are handy folks. That said, other than grocery store cold sandwiches, Mexican food were the next most food that I’ve consumed on this trip.

Then I was closing on my friend’s place. He said he lives in the mountain only accessible by dirt road. He said he has elk and wild turkey visiting him every day. He said he’s got two loving golden retrievers and a horse, and a Porsche Boxster. Sounds damn good to me.



Getting off the free way, there’s 19miles of road to cover before I will get to his place. 19 miles of winding roads along the river in the beautiful gorge of Snake River. This is more like a place where I go for the weekend, I can’t believe that this guy lives here! So there it is, on top of the mountain, two loving golden retrievers awaits.


Neighbour's dog.




Daily visit from wild turkeys.