Don't let the title mislead you.
"To Bone and Back" is a 40 mile relay race.
I did not participate.
This week, Ashlee wanted to drive up to see the windmills. There were almost as many porta potties along the road as there were windmills. I couldn't figure out why until the next day when I read about my brother in law running in the "To Bone and Back" relay race.
I also went to Bone and back.
In a car.
With two squabbling girls.
It was almost as painful as running it would have been.
Our journey began on a most beautiful misleading Friday afternoon, big white puffy clouds, the bluest sky, but that slight breeze and 65 degree temperatures made the day almost frigid.
Well, to me, anyway.
First stop, we drove to the foothills that can be seen from the end of my drivway.
My husband tells me this little man with the hatchet can be found just about anywhere, although I've never seen him anywhere but on the back of this stop sign on the corner.
Just over the railroad tracks that are out in the middle of nowhere...
Amongst the potato and grain fields to the south of me (right next to a massive pile of potato dirt that smelled worse than death - note, we did not stay long. *shudder*)...
The Snake River Valley from the foothills.
Just in case the smell didn't deter you from getting any closer, perhaps this lovely guy would.
Step away from the windmills...
And finally, through Idaho Falls, a quick stop at Old Navy, up Sunnyside road over the hill to the other side of the mountain to some of the most beautiful country this state has to offer, with rolling hills as far as the eye can see. Nobody lives there, and I can't figure out why. It's not that far from town, 10 minutes maybe, but the weather can be quite severe up there all year long, so that must be the deterrent?
Oh, and there are windmills EVERYWHERE.
I mean... everywhere. I tried to get Arilee to count them - she gave up after seven.
"It's summer break, mom, don't ask me to do math. Eww."
We drove to the Bone Store, where the entire population of Bone (all three of them) were congregating on the front porch in their rockers. They told me no pictures were allowed (ha) and invited me in, but we needed to be on our way so we turned around and headed back down the Bone road.
If you stay on the Bone road past the turn off to Idaho Falls, you can make a right and go to Blacktail. This is part of the reservoir from the Ririe Dam. It's pretty much the only boat access for miles and miles on the reservoir and I hear it gets quite busy in the summer. I'm guessing the handful of boaters out there were freezing to death. I didn't even want to get out of my car to take pictures, let alone get in that water!
My girls. At least one was happy to be there. The other one was mad about the time we hit the end of the driveway and never did get over it. By this time, she was a tad carsick and ticked off that there really wasn't much to see other than windmills. We're still debating if she is even invited on our next adventure.
The new car drove like a dream...
Just in case you are wondering, there is a $3 fee to get into the Blacktail recreation area. But, if you are there less than 15 minutes, they will refund you.
The road back out, goes on and on forever. I kept imagining my brother and his new Mustang Boss driving this road 120 MPH (like he had done down my road the night before) and I was glad he wasn't there. Back down the Bone road, into Iona, where it's a short jaunt back home.
Home again, home again, riggity jig jig. This is the view from the end of my driveway.
To read more about these particular turbines (which does not include the hundreds of windmills on the other side of the hill), read this news story:
Link (I especially like the line that it says they aren't seen from population centers - I guess my "hood" doesn't count as population?)
The windmills don't really bother me, I think they are kind of neat, but I do much prefer the view I had before they came along and I haven't paid much attention to the advantage/disadvantages of windmills. I leave that to the politicians and the haters.
I heard a rumor once of how much these farmers were receiving for having a turbine on their land and decided they were more than welcome to put one on my property for that kind of cash. Or not. They are kind of loud.
Distance traveled: 80 miles
Next up: TBD
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