When the time came to leave Bryce Canyon, we pointed our rig North and headed up through Utah. A couple of days later, we found ourselves in Glenn's Ferry, Idaho which is between Twin Falls and Boise.
We stayed at the Three Island Crossing State Park. It overlooks the Snake River and three islands (it's more than just a clever name). This area was on the Oregon Trail. In order to take the shorter Northern route into Oregon, the pioneers had to cross the Snake and chose these particular islands to use as "stepping stones" across the river. They would try to arrive here during the late summer months when the river would be at it's lowest. But it was still a dangerous crossing. It wasn't unusual to lose a wagon, the oxen teams, some supplies, or all of the above. They would enlist the help of the local Indians when they could.
There is a wonderful interpretive center here that is well worth a visit. We got to get up close to replicas of the wagons used for the trip into Oregon. One information kiosk listed the supplies that were recommended to take on the trail. We were amazed that they could get everything listed into the wagons. They aren't as big as you would imagine.
Because I'm a native Idahoan, I did not get the chance to take fourth grade Oregon history. So I learned quite a lot while at the center. To my Idaho friends and family--I learned that the Whitmans and the Spauldings crossed here. I left the center pretty much in awe of the amount of intestinal fortitude it took to undertake the whole trip to Oregon in a wagon. Makes me wonder if we would have had the same inner strength to do it.
The campground is very nice, and after pushing North for a couple of days, it was the perfect place to hang out for an extra day. And for you wine aficionados, there is a lovely winery within walking distance next to the park.
I'm not sure what got into me. Maybe it was the fact that I was tired of store-bought cookies. Or maybe I was just inspired by the pioneer women who had to brave the Oregon Trial and still feed their families. Whatever it was, I decided to try and make chocolate chip cookies without the benefit of an electric mixer and a convection oven.
I had almost all the ingredients on hand but had to substitute maple syrup for vanilla. It took some serious elbow grease to get the sugar and butter creamed together, and a lot of patience to figure out the propane oven when you can only bake eight cookies at a time. But I'm happy to report that we enjoyed homemade cookies for dessert.
There is a wonderful interpretive center here that is well worth a visit. We got to get up close to replicas of the wagons used for the trip into Oregon. One information kiosk listed the supplies that were recommended to take on the trail. We were amazed that they could get everything listed into the wagons. They aren't as big as you would imagine.
Because I'm a native Idahoan, I did not get the chance to take fourth grade Oregon history. So I learned quite a lot while at the center. To my Idaho friends and family--I learned that the Whitmans and the Spauldings crossed here. I left the center pretty much in awe of the amount of intestinal fortitude it took to undertake the whole trip to Oregon in a wagon. Makes me wonder if we would have had the same inner strength to do it.
The campground is very nice, and after pushing North for a couple of days, it was the perfect place to hang out for an extra day. And for you wine aficionados, there is a lovely winery within walking distance next to the park.
I'm not sure what got into me. Maybe it was the fact that I was tired of store-bought cookies. Or maybe I was just inspired by the pioneer women who had to brave the Oregon Trial and still feed their families. Whatever it was, I decided to try and make chocolate chip cookies without the benefit of an electric mixer and a convection oven.
Comments
Impressive!