Day 5 and 6 Utah and Idaho

July 5th,Day 5 of our trip, day two of driving. Last night we drove from Jerome AZ and ended the day in Beaver UT. On the road we passed the Horseshoe Bend in the Colorado river. It is only about a 3/4 mile hike to an observation point into a ‘Kodak Moment’ except our camera would never capture a decent likeness of the site.  http://www.travelsw.com/southwest-trips/southwest-trips-arizona/horseshoe.htm
And there is a campground on the river below, made a mental note to add the site to a future camping trip. The river looks tame there and our folding kayaks could get us there if we take out before the river goes wild.
Then we pressed on to Beaver and arrived for the annual celebration of Butch Cassidy Weekend, a local boy who went wrong. But there is a free and decent band in the park and, judging by the license plates, people from all over the US & Canada. We put off roughing it and got a motel room with TV, internet and a warm pool. I could get used to this.

July 6, Day 6 of our trip and day three of driving. Today we left Beaver and went up the road to Salt Lake City. Stopped and saw the Temple. The whole area was greener than I expected. Since there is a salt lake and the Bonneville salt flats are nearby I expected more like Nevada desert but its actually pretty green.

We press on to Ogden and stop at the Hill AFB air museum. While not on the level of the Smithsonian or Wright-Patterson AFB its actually an excellent site, good range of aircraft and very well presented.  http://travel.webshots.com/album/56115645rVdwpL 

Our favorite place today is actually Brigham City. Their Tabernacle has just charming architecture and is a well restored religious building. And best of all we the Bear River Wild Life Refuge. http://www.fws.gov/Refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=65530

I like to consider my self a ‘birder’. I am a member of the Audubon Society and the Sierra Club but when I go out with ‘real birders’ I get embarrassed. I can figure out that a particular bird is a duck and maybe a male or female. “real birders’ know it is an immature male of a particular subspecies. This place is wonderfully full of bird life and I make a mental note to see what permission is required to take a kayak in the meandering streams and controlled channels.

We press on to Pocatello ID, the first time in Idaho for Susan & I. We had dinner at a local place and of course our main course comes with a side of Idaho potatoes. Too bad they were out of Oatmeal Pie.