The boys’ priority today was securing a huge breakfast. We heard about Nora’s Fish Creek Inn in nearby Wilson and how their banana bread French toast was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. We were considering that this might fit the bill when Ian discovered that Nora’s has an early bird $10 breakfast deal - this sealed the deal. And so, we were up early again, heading to breakfast. On the way, we stopped to copy Ansel Adams’ famous photograph of the Snake Creek Overlook. I think we got the shot!
 |
| We saw the sunrise. |
Breakfast was delicious and we headed out with very full bellies towards Craters of the Moon. The weather was not in our favour, and it began to pour upon our crossing into Idaho. We swapped the snow capped Tetons for rolling green farmland, complete with massive crop waters going in spite of the rain.
As we drove through the sagebrush seas, the rain made the air smell like sweet herb roasted chicken. No kidding! Can you imagine living in a place that smells like dinner every time it rains?!
On our journey, we stumbled upon the birthplace of nuclear power at the Experimental Breeder Reactor-1 Atomic Museum, a national historic landmark. This was the first nuclear reactor to produce electricity and prove that a nuclear reactor can create more nuclear fuel than it consumes. The main figure responsible for this place was Walter Zinn, who surprisingly (to us) was a Queen’s University math graduate and instructor! Small world. He worked on the Manhattan Project prior to his leadership role at the EBR-1. Our guided tour of the now decommissioned research facility was very cool. We got to see the first ever nuclear reactor and received lessons in nuclear fission and how it was coupled with liquid metal coolant NaK (sodium potassium) to create heat that would power a stream generator. We saw the control room, including the SCRAM button for a rapid, unplanned shut down of the reactor. We saw the actual nuclear reactor, the fuel rods, the washroom for the spent radioactive rods, the rod farm, and the hot cell with its 34 layers of lead glass and manipulator arms so the scientists could study the radioactive rods safely. And no, Dr. Zinn did not die of cancer and, in fact, lived to almost 100.
 |
| The rods that held the uranium pellets. |
 |
| Looking into the nuclear reactor. |
 |
| Unused rods hanging. |
 |
Used radioactive rod graveyard.
|
 |
| Lead window. |
 |
| Prototype nuclear engines for planes. |
Following this, we arrived at Craters of the Moon to sunshine and strong winds - certainly better than rain! We picked up our cave pass (after demonstrating that we were prepared with new clothes and shoes that were white nose fungus-free) and junior ranger activity books. We started our lava fields adventure by exploring two lava tubes - Dewdrop Cave and Indian Cave. Getting to the caves required an incredible walk through an enormous lava field called the Blue Dragon because the lava looks like dragon scales and has a blue tint in the sun. The caves are undeveloped lava tubes so it was really neat to pick our way among the fallen rocks to navigate through the tubes.
Next we hiked up a 160 ft volcanic cinder cone called the Inferno Cone. The 360 view from the top was worth the climb and the false summit.
 |
| The exact point that you realize that what looked like the top is not the summit at all. |
On our tour around the park, we stopped to peer down some splatter cones and did a short walk through the Devil’s Orchard with its dead trees whose branches look like witches’ brooms. There were spring wildflowers in bloom which we were lucky to see.
 |
| Splatter cone. |
 |
| Our campsite is in a lava field! |
After a dinner of pasta and sauce and a knee-scuffing tumble by Ali requiring some minor first aid and a steri-strip and bandage, we are turning in early.
