A Cross-Country Family Adventure with Two Teenagers, a Camper, and a Cat
Eighth Stop(s): Idaho Falls, Idaho and Provo, Utah
Eighth Stop(s): Idaho Falls, Idaho and Provo, Utah
After more than a week in Glacier National Park and almost a month on the road, we knew it was time to start making our way to the halfway point of this cross-country adventure - Las Vegas. But to get there from Glacier would mean driving almost 1,100 miles. Break that up into 5-6 hour driving shifts and we were looking at about three days of driving. Ugh…We decided to break it up with two-night stays at two separate campgrounds. Why? Because there are only so many hours one can drive listening to podcasts before losing it on the highway. (Sorry, Smartless hosts.)
We settled on Idaho Falls, Idaho for the first stop simply because it looked like the biggest city within our driving limit. It actually rounded out at 6.5 hours of drive time. Not ideal but it was either there or somewhere with zero wifi. Oh I just laughed as I typed that. Zero wifi. As if?! I can see my sons plotting my future nursing home accommodations in a less than desirable facility at the mere mention of stopping somewhere without wifi. We're all good, boys.
The drive from West Glacier to Idaho was beautiful! Our GPS took us around the west side of Flathead Lake. The views were stunning. Pretty lake towns were scattered along the route which borders the lake's more than 200 square miles of water. We also drove through Missoula, another pretty city, and right by Butte which is best known for its toxic lake. Yep, you read that right - a lake filled with toxic waste.
It’s called The Berkeley Pit and used to be an open-pit copper mine. Now, it’s filled with 40 million gallons of acidic water, heavy metals and unusual microscopic lifeforms that have adapted to the harsh living conditions. It’s one of the only places in the world where you can pay to see toxic waste. We didn’t, this time, but I am curious and thought it was worth a mention for other travelers who find themselves in Butte. (And the city is pronounced with a long "u," not the short vowel sound similar to buttocks. Moms of young boys, you're welcome.)
Tip #1 - YOU CAN'T SEE EVERYTHING IN ONE TRIP. TAKE NOTES OF PRETTY AND UNIQUE AREAS YOU PASS THROUGH FOR FUTURE PLANNING.
After Butte, there wasn’t much more until Idaho Falls. The landscape was still beautiful with snow-covered mountains in one spot which led to a snowy section of the highway. I was driving then. I freaked a bit but drove on. As mentioned in previous posts, I racked this up to my newly attained badass status. Hauling almost 20,000 pounds of RV through snow? Check.
The campground we chose in Idaho Falls - Snake River RV Park - was described in online reviews as a “hidden gem.” Not really sure what the reviewers were mining but I do believe their idea of a “gem” was more on the cubic zirconia side.
The campground WAS hidden - in an industrial area of the city across from towering grain bins and expansive warehouses. And it did sit on the Snake River like its name suggests, but full-time residents had the prized spots that bordered the river which made it hard to see and enjoy. The shoreline was also grown over and made access less than desirable.
We checked in after-hours but the friendly desk clerk forgot to leave our reservation by the front door. So we took one of the few sites remaining, introduced ourselves to the couple we shared a picnic table with (spots were close together), and called it a night.
The next day it was time to explore all that Idaho Falls had to offer. The population is about 65,000 with the majority of residents Mormon. We ate lunch at a really good Chinese restaurant downtown - Yummy House (how fun is that?!) - and headed to see the Idaho Falls Greenbelt which is listed online as the city's number one activity.
The greenbelt runs for five miles on both sides of the river and is really impressive. This is a good example of making the most of a random RV stop. Not every stop will have a world-class museum or gorgeous national park. So make the most of your time and tour the town like a local.
Later in the afternoon, I took a solo bike trip on the greenway while the boys relaxed at the campground. Cities, take note! Idaho Falls’ greenway is beautiful! It had paved, divided paths with tunnels under roadways, a Japanese garden, waterfalls and even a place to air your tires. I rode the beautifully landscaped loop to have some much-needed “me-time."
TIP #2 - ALLOW AND ENCOURAGE FAMILY MEMBERS TO TAKE TIME FOR THEMSELVES. THIS INCLUDES LETTING KIDS HAVE SCREEN TIME. TAKING AN HOUR OR SO TO DECOMPRESS AWAY FROM THE FAMILY CAN REDUCE STRESS LEVELS GREATLY.
The next day, we headed to our second two-night stay in Provo, Utah. We booked a site at the Springville/Provo KOA. This was a nice campground. Sites were a little tight but the clubhouse was incredible! Arcade games, a bowling alley, board games, a pool table...top-notch as far as campground club houses go.
We ate lunch at an amazing Mexican restaurant, got a bike tire fixed at Jolly Circle Bike Shop (highly recommend these super nice guys!) and visited the Museum of Paleontology on the campus at Brigham Young University. The museum is free and small but really impressive.
There was a lot more we could have done in the area but we were road-weary and preferred to just spend the rest of the day at the campground. We did play several, very competitive rounds of Kan Jam which I highly recommend for families with teens or young adults. It's the best!
Next and final stop for this FIRST leg of our cross-country adventure…Las Vegas, Nevada!
(All photos in this post were taken with an iPhone only.)
The Shawnanigans Fall Tour
A cross-country family adventure in a camper and RV with two teenagers and a cat