This story will be more complicated as we were having to accompany Valerie on her trip for a year of working with AmeriCorps in Idaho. She would be working for the Magic Valley Steelhead Hatchery in Twin Falls and her job was to teach fishing and hunting skills to the local schools. She had no knowledge of these expectations, but she knew that she would be taught the academics that the Hatchery wanted her to deliver to the students. It would be educational for her and the students with whom she would be teaching.
This trip for Barbara and I was done in two parts with Barbara driving with her to Twin Falls and returning by plane from Boise. At the end of her time, I was to fly to Boise and accompany her home with all of the gear she had taken with her, plus what she had picked up in Idaho.
We have many pictures of Barbara and Valerie’s trip from San Antonio to New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Idaho. It was a three day trip for them, but one that we felt would her that we supported her in her efforts to find a job in Environmental work and hopes of getting a job as a forest ranger or some field closely associated to that
There were lots of rocky mountains and sights along the way and you can share this if you view the pictures I will post.
Many of the rocky formations were outstanding and of great beauty, even if you are not a ‘rock hound’.
It was when they got into the Colorado that things began to change and the snow covered everything, except the highways.
What a wonder feeling for those of us who have not grown up around snow and saw it only occasionally when we lived in the El Paso area.
They made a stop at the Anasazi Heritage Center in Mesa Verde, Colorado where where there many activities for the members to take part in.
They made stops at the stations along the way for gas and rest stops for brief welcome interludes.
It was when they passed through Nevada that they saw part of the Great Salt Lake from a distant and the river connecting to it.
They stopped at a restaurant for a meal and for remembering the cat we loved that we named Millie.
When they got into Utah, they stopped at Black Dragon Canyon to see the rock formations,
Black Dragon Canyon is a popular hiking trail and is near to St Rafael Swell where there are lots of pictographs and drawings on the walls of the canyons.
They were tired, but relieved when we finally got to the Hatchery and found our where Val would be staying.
At the end of Valerie’s time at the hatchery, I made the trip to help in bringing her home. I flew into Boise and was picked up by Valerie and her friend, who then drove us back to Twin Falls for getting ready for departure.
It took three or four days as I had to get new tires on her car and to have it checked to make sure it would be safe for getting us back to San Antonio. Valerie had picked up so many items, in addition to her clothes and other items she had taken to Idaho with her, and we found that there was absolutely no extra room in the Camry, but for the two of us.
On our way home, we went into Utah but stopped before we got to Salt Lake City as we felt it would be interesting to see Arches National Park. We used my National Parks Pass to get in and to go down the main street, Arches Scenic Drive where we passed the beautiful Courthouse towers on the more arches.
We saw two to three of the other arches, but left earlier than we wished because of the long drive ahead.
The drive home took three days of driving with stops at motels along the way. We did get to see some sites in Salt Lake City, but rather hurriedly.
We would have enjoyed seeing the Canyon lands National Park, but did not get to do so. We spent three days coming back through Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and back to I-10 at Fort Stockton and back to San Antonio.