Trip to Utah. 

Teresa and I are off to Utah.  We decided to skip the Tuscon Gem Show this year and head for the National Parks instead since they offer enticing off-season rates.  We are headed to Zion National Park and then if weather permits to scenic points in eastern Utah.

Day 1 - Bend to Twin Falls.

Jim and I arrived yesterday in time to see Marlow after his first hair cut.  He looks good and is a very friendly puppy.  This morning when I got up and looked at the forecast it said Bend was "clear and snowing."  Looking out the window we saw snowflakes falling on and off but fortunately not sticking.  We headed out about 9 a.m. and headed east on highway 20 into the Oregon Badlands.

It is very desolate country high and dry with a dusting of snow and fog.  Sage brush and Juniper --  resembling the Mojave with Juniper instead of Joshua Trees.. The first town on the map was "Brothers" which consisted of an old building called the "Brothers Stage Stop."  Then nothing.

As we got closer to Burns, we saw a sign announcing "Welcome to Public Lands."  By this time the Juniper had disappeared and it was definitely ranch country.  Burns is really out in the middle of nowhere.  Closest civilization is 70-100 miles in any direction you go.  We finally came to Hines which might be called suburban Burns (they run together).  Fortunately, the recent occupation events are over.  Burns must have really been overrun with news reporters, FBI, etc.  

After Burns we passed over "Stinking Water Creek."  After a while riding through ranch country with some rolling hills we passed a sign telling us we had entered Mountain Time Zone.  The time zone snakes through the southeastern corner of Oregon before sliding far to the east at the state line.

The country became hilly as we entered the "Painted Hills."  This is very scenic country around the small town of Juntura.  Lots of different colors and the clouds added some dramatic lighting.  It was very windy and we tried to dodge numerous kamikaze tumbleweeds blowing across the road. 

As we approached Ontario we saw a sign announcing we were in "Onion Country." and the hills were replaced by flat farmland. We stopped for gas and a diet Dr. Pepper at Ontario and then got onto the Interstate (84) heading toward Boise.  As we hit the Idaho state line we saw that the speed limit was 80 mph.  Going from Oregon's 55 mph speed that was quite a change and gave us hope we could make it to Twin Falls before dark.

Dodging trucks (many of them doubles and triples) and scattered rain showers (heavy at times) we did make it to Twin Falls (exit 173).  I made Teresa stop at Walmart in Jerome just outside Twin Falls so I could get an SD card reader (I forgot mine) to download pictures to the computer.  Turns out they did not carry cameras at all.  Maybe they don't take pictures here?  But they directed us to Best Buy just over the bridge to Twin Falls where I found one.  Only problem was that I was taking pictures in RAW only...So no pictures today, hopefully tomorrow.

We are settled in at the Fairfield in Twin Falls.  We did not want to get back in the car so we walked over to the local Culvers.  Teresa had their special "Butter Burger" and I tried their Wisconsin Cheese Curds.  They deep fried the curds but Teresa showed me how to peel off the breading (similar to peeling a hard-boiled egg) and those were better.    We walked over to Walgreens and Teresa picked up a "black box" (wine) which we will use as a sleeping aid.

On to Nevada and Utah tomorrow.