September Travels: Part 1

State Capitol in Boise.

My travels in September began in Idaho. And ended in Minnesota. Part 1 will share the Road Scholar trip I attended, "Hiking Amid Nature and History on the Snake River Plain", followed by a  few days in Boise visiting a friend. Part 2 will share the Minnesota portion of the trip. 

The Snake River Plain is a flat crescent moon shaped geologic depression that stretches across nearly 400 miles of Southern Idaho from it's south eastern border with Wyoming to the Oregon-Idaho border. It covers about a quarter of Idaho, is home to most of Idaho's major cities and, over time, has been transformed by irrigation into an agricultural area known as "The Magic Valley". 

The Magic Valley

First stop: The Snake River. Beginning in western Wyoming, the Snake River flows 1,078 miles through the Snake River Plain and onto the Hells Canyon area in northeastern Oregon. It then continues into the Palouse Hills of Washington state where it eventually flows into the Columbia River as it's largest tributary. 

The Snake River Gorge at Twin Falls.

North of the Perrine Bridge.

The I. B. Perrine Bridge at Twin Falls is a truss arch bridge approximately 1,500 feet long and 486 feet above the Snake River. The bridge is named for I.B. Perrine who, in 1903, spearheaded the development of a canal irrigation system which transformed the "Magic Valley" into a rich agricultural region. He is also credited with being the founder of  the city of Twin Falls. 

Shoshone Falls is often referred to as the "Niagara of the West". Located northeast of Twin Falls, the falls drop 212 feet to the canyon floor. The water levels in September are probably half or less than those in the Spring when snowmelt creates a more 
dramatic display.

Date of picture: 1874

But a beautiful site nonetheless!

Next stop: Craters of the Moon National Monument

In 1969 NASA astronauts prepared for the Apollo moon mission at Craters of the Moon NM, learning basic volcanic geology. 

No volcano in sight? The volumes of lava that make up Craters of the Moon flowed not from one volcano but from a number of deep fissures, known collectively as the GREAT RIFT, that cross the Snake River Plain. 

As far back as 15,000 years ago Lava welled up from the Great Rift to produce what is today a vast plain of volcanic rock. The most recent eruption of lava was 2,000 years ago. Geologists say it's not over yet!

In the mid-1800's Oregon bound pioneers traveled in wagon trains along the Goodale's Cutoff, a parallel route north of the Oregon Trail. This route took them along and through the northern edge of these lava beds. 

In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge used the 1906 Antiquities Act to preserve Craters of the Moon as a National Monument. It was described as "a weird and scenic landscape, peculiar to itself." An apt description.

Next stop: City of the Rocks National Reserve, located in southeast Idaho near the border with Utah and Nevada.

At City of the Rocks ancient granite is subjected to weathering by wind, freezing and thawing water, salt and other naturally corrosive factors. These forces create a variety of natural granite sculptures. 

Between 1843 and 1882, a mass migration occurred across the American west. First seeking land and later in search of gold, over 200,000 emigrants followed the CALIFORNIA TRAIL through the City of the Rocks. The first travelers followed landmarks described by fur trappers and early explorers. 

City of the Rocks National Reserve was part of the largest overland emigrant route in American history. The 14,407 acre Reserve is a landmark that preserves the most intact and authentic setting of the California Trail.

A few shots from the Ketchum-Sun Valley area.  

September 4th and first snowfall in the Sawtooth Mountains. It was fun while it lasted but soon the sun came out as the storm passed.

I am glad I had the opportunity to visit the Minidoka National Historic Site as part of this trip. Established by the National Park Service as a historic site in 2001, Minidoka is located between Twin Falls and Jerome. The site commemorates the hardships and sacrifices of Japanese Americans interned at Minidoka and other internment camps during World War II.

Minidoka Relocation Center was a 33,000 acre site with over 600 buildings and a total population of about 13,000 internees. Minidoka was in operation from August 1942 until October 1945. 

In the 1800's many Japanese citizens emigrated to America and for many the United States became their new home. Prior to WWII in the early 1900's prejudice and hostility toward the Japanese began to increase. The incident of the attack on Pearl Harbor intensified the hostility and in February of 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066.

Executive Order 9066 initiated the single largest forced relocation in U.S. history. Persons of Japanese ancestry, both American citizens and legal resident aliens, from all western states were ordered to report to designated military holding areas (internment camps). 

Minidoka was still under construction when the internees arrived and living conditions were harsh and discouraging. The internees proved to be creative and hard working. They built baseball diamonds, a swimming "pool" and small parks, a newspaper was published and Japanese gardens were planted. Over time Minidoka evolved into a nearly self sustaining community and the internees became a source of labor for the local agricultural community. Minidoka was closed in October of 1945. Over two thirds of those incarcerated under Executive Order 9066 were American citizens by birth.

In 1988 the Civil Liberties Act acknowledged the injustice of the incarceration of Japanese Americans with a formal apology and restitution to individual internees. The act also provides for a fund to educate the public about one of the worst violations of constitutional rights in American history. For me this historical site was more than just history. Given the current movement of refugees world wide, it seemed most timely and contemporary to consider "Could this happen again?"

Farewell to Road Scholar and on to Boise and a visit with a good friend. I'll share here a few of the places I enjoyed visiting in Boise. 

Boise City Hall. See Public Art on wall upper left.

There is plenty of public art around Boise and a favorite was called Penny Postcard: A Hometown Greeting. This multi-paneled mural presents images from Boise history in historic postcard images. 

Of course, The Boise Art Museum. 

And last but definitely not least:

Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial.

The memorial is an educational park inspired by the universal desire for peace and justice and the ongoing inspiration of Anne Frank. It is located on the Boise River Greenbelt, a 26 mile walking path along the Boise River.

 This memorial park was a favorite discovery as I wandered around downtown Boise on Labor Day. It was definitely a place to linger.

Farewell to Idaho. Next stop: Minnesota. More to come in Part 2. 
Thanks for sharing this adventure!