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...

Sawtelle Mountain

Today's destinations were Sawtelle Mountain and Mesa Falls. In the picture below, you can see Sawtelle Mountain in the distance. Notice the little round ball on the top.
Going up Sawtelle takes some time but there plenty of breathtaking views.

The little ball at the top of the mountain is actually an FAA long-range radar station.

The sign says it all...don't go any closer.

Still plenty of snow remains for July.

It was so windy today, we could barely stand here to get our pictures.

It's almost like looking out of a plane. Sawtelle is 9,866 feet high.

Several people rode their bicycles up the mountain, making a great trip down if you make it up in the first place.

It's like being in the clouds. You don't see any trees this high up.

For more pictures, click here pictures 1-47.

To be continued...

Playmill Theater to see The Foreigner

It was time to go to the Playmill Theatre in West Yellowtone. Before we go-Pedra on the left, Chatfield on the right and Doug in the middle-decided to have their pictures taken.
The Foreigner is a comedy. You can read more about it at The Playmill website at http://www.playmill.com/.

The Playmill fills up on most nights, so reservations are highly recommended. The other shows for this summer are Disney's Beauty and the Beast and the classic Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

To be continued...

Big Springs

Big Springs, located in Island Park, Idaho, produces 12 million gallons of water a day and forms the headwaters of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River.

On the other side of the river sits a cabin built in the 1930's by Johnny Sacks, a German immigrant. In 1981, it became a National Landmark.

We were there after-hours so the cabin was closed for the day.

A water-wheel built by Johnny provides electricity and water to the cabin.

Doug stands at the mouth of the Snake River.

The diagram below shows you the area.

There are a lot of these birds around the area.

We walked about 4 miles on a trail and old abandoned railroad tracks.

These flowers won't have long to bloom as winter comes quickly around here.

Doug demonstrates the internet is available almost everywhere.

In the distance, the bridge to Big Springs.

The bridge has vending machines for food for fish and other scavengers who wait patiently along the bridge.

After a day of sightseeing, it was time to visit Big Jud's in Ashton, Idaho. If you are hungry, you won't be after you eat here.

Here's why: The Big Jud 1 Pound Burger with everything, especially an old fashioned milkshake with extra milkshake served on the side in the tin milkshake cup.

For more pictures, click here .

To be continued...

Fire and Rescue Cookout Fundraiser

Before we headed to work today, we stopped by the fire department's cookout. It was $5 for a hamburger, chips and a drink.

West Yellowstone had several things going on for the 4th of July. A community garage sale was followed by a town parade in the afternoon. The evening included entertainment in the city park and concluded with fireworks at 10pm.

The fireworks began just as we left work.

Believe it or not, these are all the pictures.

To see last year's parade and fireworks, click here .

To be continued...