Arco and Craters of the Moon National Monument

After visiting EBR-1 we moved on to Arco, Idaho and Craters of the Moon National Monument.

Arco was the first city in the world to be powered by nuclear power.
On the hillside of Arco, the dates of all the high school graduating classes are displayed.

It is fitting that just 18 miles from Idaho National Laboratories, you can find a submarine sticking out of the ground.

In fact, the USS Hawkbill is a nuclear-powered submarine decommissioned in 2001. Since the Cold War, nearly 40,000 sailors have been trained at nearby prototype power plants.

A memorial commemorating how many submarines have been lost was erected in 2004.

This was the first launch of the Hawkbill.

This type of container is used to transport low-level nuclear waste.

Overall view of the park which has a small Visitor Center.

Here is a reminder of how meth is everywhere, not just in large cities. We often see billboards and other things such as this trailer telling everyone the dangers of getting hooked on it.

Our next stop was Craters of the Moon National Monument.

Upon entering Craters of the Moon, you will see its unique campground.

Looks like some of the pictures you would see of the moon...hence, its name.

See the people at the top? Time to hike up.

A view looking back at the car.

A great view of the park from the top.

Temperatures on the rocks can get as high as 150 degrees in the summer. Thankfully, the sun was not out today.

Looking down into this spatter cone reveals a much cooler place. Snow leftovers from the winter.

Remember the land rover pictures from the moon?

This path leads us to five different caves open for explorers.

Four of the caves require flashlights and extra batteries, this being one of them. Unfortunately, our flashlight had NO batteries, good or otherwise.

The Indian Tunnel is a cave you CAN explore without a flashlight.

An opening at the top of the tunnel is a great place for a picture.

No rush hour out here.

The sunset gives one more picture for the night.

For more pictures, click here .

To be continued...

EBR-1 - The First Nuclear Power Plant

The sign says it all for this area.

The Idaho National Laboratory covers over 900 square miles.

We made it to EBR-1, the world's first nuclear power plant.

EBR-1 means Experimental Breeder Reactor. This reactor made history when, on December 20, 1951, it produced usable amounts of electricity. Located off highway 20/26 18 miles from Arco, Idaho, EBR-1 became a National Landmark on August 26, 1966.

To see more information on the reactor, click here .

This map details the 900 square mile area where they build the test reactors.

Here are some facts about the reactor.

Doug stands on the reactor.

This is the turbine that created electricity from the steam produced by the reactor.

These maps show where commercial nuclear power plants were located as of 1999.

For those with the right mindset, here is an illustration of the evolution of the reactor.

Where does one store fuel for the reactor? Right here, of course.

Marlon tries out the robotic arms.

If you ever see one of these, don't open it. These containers are used to move nuclear waste by truck.

Inside the reactor's control room.

Remind you of a movie?

This is what a current day nuclear control room looks like.

Remember when you used to have to change the channels by hand?

An aerial view of EBR-1

The next two pictures are nuclear powered bomber engines that never flew.

For more pictures, click here pictures 1-110.

To be continued...

Mesa Falls Scenic Byway

Mesa Falls Loop is in Idaho and provides 29 miles of great views from Island Park to Ashton.

Here's a map of the Byway.

Here the cattle have the right of way.

Our first stop was the Upper Falls as evidenced by this sign.

In 1904, Thomas Elliott bought the site and built Big Falls Inn. July 14th, 2001 an official grand opening was held after the building's rehabilitation. For pictures of what it used to look like, click
here .

Here we stand in front of one of the many lookouts over the falls.

The Upper Falls are 114 feet high and 200 feet wide at an elevation of 5,600 feet. From 387 to 967 million gallons of water flow over the falls each day.

The green walls behind us form a microclimate caused by the mist from the falls.

Volcanic rock lines the canyon walls.

The Lower Falls are 85 feet high at an elevation of 5,400 feet.

I think Doug is tired of driving.

A field of yellow.

For more pictures, click here pictures 48-110.

To be continued...