25.06B - Utah & Idaho | from rscottjones
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from rscottjones

25.06B - Utah & Idaho

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    Wendover historic airfield

    One of the unexpected surprises of our Utah-Idaho trip, we toured the historic airfield at Wendover, Utah. At one time, it was among the busiest air bases in the country.

    We stopped by because it became home to the secret squadron tasked with training to drop the atomic bomb—an important objective in our quest to see the major sites of the Manhattan Project.

    The museum was worth a visit, but not a must-do. Instead, I’d recommend the “behind the scenes tour,” which is the same price but loads more interesting. I won’t get into all the details here, but the base was responsible for a number of important facets of the last phase of the Manhattan Project: successfully preparing to actually drop the bomb.

    The museum

    A spacious hall with wooden flooring and a large American flag hanging in the center, surrounded by industrial-style architecture.

    An informational display discusses the Manhattan Project at Wendover Airfield, featuring historical photos and text about the 509th Composite Group's role.

    A bomb is displayed in a glass case within a hall featuring an American flag and various informational plaques.

    A set of white buildings with a tall, red and white observation tower stands under a clear blue sky.

    A sign encourages visitors to keep what they hear and see at the location private, emphasizing discretion.

    A framed newspaper front page titled Salt Tablet features headlines about atomic bomb crew training at Wendover.

    The airfield tour

    This tour was a bus tour to various important buildings on the edge of the tarmac. We toured a large hanger, a fire station that had once been the bombardier training facility, and the vault building where the all-important Norden Bombsights were securely stored.

    The best part of the tour was that each of the participants was given a “role.” Jen, for instance, was the navigator and I was the bombardier; others were the pilot, co-pilot, gunner, etc. Then throughout the tour, the docent would explain each of our roles and even have us role-play particular aspects of the mission.

    A large industrial building with weathered white walls, multiple rows of windows, and a number 2 displayed above the entrance stands against a clear blue sky.

    A vintage U.S. Air Force jet is displayed in a large hangar.

    The Enola Gay Hanger

    Of course the highlight of tour, for us, was the Enola Gay hanger, which was being used by some young cadets at the time of our visit. Tibbet’s office was on the second floor on the south side of the building; they’re currently renovating it. We also visited the bomb pits where they loaded the bombs onto the B-29s (we saw the corresponding ones in Tinian).

    A white and blue bus is parked in front of a large, green industrial warehouse under a clear blue sky.

    A group of people, some in uniform, are gathered in a large aircraft hangar with several planes inside.

    A long, green industrial building with numerous windows stands under a clear blue sky on a barren, expansive lot.

    A concrete pit with a metal ladder and pipe is situated in a barren, flat landscape with mountains in the distance.

    🏷️25.06B

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    A few shots from Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. We needed to get into the primitive BLM-managed portion for Jen’s Treasured Places quest, then boogied on up to Yellowstone, so none of the classic shots from the NPS side of things. 🏷️25.06B

    A rugged landscape features scattered rocks and sparse vegetation under a cloudy sky, with distant mountains on the horizon.A deep fissure runs through a rocky arid landscape with sparse vegetation and distant mountains under a partly cloudy sky.A dry landscape features rocky terrain with sparse shrubs and a visible animal jawbone.A rocky, volcanic landscape is set against a backdrop of sparse vegetation under a clear sky.

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    I finally stopped by the Parowan Gap petroglyphs on my drive yesterday. Pretty interesting site, significantly enhanced by the gap itself. Worth a short visit if you’re driving I-15 in southern Utah. 🏷️25.06B

    Petroglyphs are carved into a large rock surface among desert vegetation. Petroglyphs are carved into the surface of a large brown rock, displaying intricate prehistoric patterns and figures. Ancient rock carvings with various intricate designs and symbols are etched into a large stone surface. Rock formations display ancient petroglyphs surrounded by desert vegetation. Ancient petroglyphs are etched into a rocky cliff face surrounded by sparse vegetation. Ancient petroglyphs are carved into a rugged rock face surrounded by desert vegetation. Ancient petroglyphs are etched into a rugged rock surface under a clear blue sky. A large boulder features intricate ancient petroglyphs amid a rocky landscape. Ancient petroglyphs featuring intricate designs are etched into a rocky cliff face, surrounded by rugged terrain and sparse vegetation. Ancient petroglyphs depicting animal footprints and intricate geometric patterns are carved into a rugged rock face surrounded by sparse vegetation. Graffiti etched into a rock face includes initials, dates, and a cross symbol.

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    Here’s the final map of the trip (dark green are new counties visited, light green are repeats). Still surprised we ended up in Yellowstone and Grand Teton while getting everything else done but Golden Spike NHS. 🏷️25.06B

    A map of the western United States shows regions colored in blue, green, and orange within outlined state boundaries.
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    Here’s 20 seconds of zen watching the Colorado River relentlessly tumble towards the Grand Canyon.

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    Decided that I needed to dip my toes in the Colorado River before heading home. 🏷️25.06B

    A curving road winds through a desert landscape with towering red rock formations under a clear blue sky.A sign at the riverside of Grand Canyon National Park indicates that a permit is required for overnight use and no fires are allowed.A serene river flows beneath towering red rock cliffs under a clear blue sky.

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    A scenic drive through the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway—one of the best in the National Parks System. 🏷️25.06B

    A winding road bordered by pine trees leads towards a rugged, sandstone mountain under a clear blue sky.

    A scenic road curves through a canyon with towering red rock formations under a clear blue sky.

    A towering, striated rock formation rises against a clear blue sky, framed by a few scattered trees.

    A winding road passes through a scenic landscape of red rock cliffs and desert vegetation under a clear blue sky.

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    Is this a gorilla? 🏷️25.06B

    Yes, it’s a gorilla. But AI says it’s a rugged cliff with irregular rock formations towers against a backdrop of a blue sky with scattered clouds.
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    Tonight’s night sky on the Kaibab Plateau. 🏷️25.06B

    Lots of stars! The celestial kind, not the ego-filled ones.

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    Kind surprised it’s taken me so long to stop at Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon, but finally made it happen. 🏷️25.06B

    Waterfall in tall canyon
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    My morning bumping around the Wasatch Range.
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    A serene dirt path winds through a lush forest of tall, leafy trees under a clear blue sky.A mountainous landscape features a rocky peak, patches of snow, scattered trees, and a lift system running up the slope.A serene lake is surrounded by green hills and distant mountains under a partly cloudy sky.A majestic mountainous landscape is covered with dense green forest under a partly cloudy sky.

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    Always make sure to apply your sunscreen evenly. 🏷️25.06B

    Lizard with red blotches
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    I also managed to visit two unvisited counties I had “orphaned” in Utah—Sanpete and Rich—officially completing the state. I’ve now finished 11 states and sit at 2110/3144 total counties on my quest.

    (Dark green: newly completed; light green: revisits on this trip; blue: previously visited) 🏷️25.06B

    A color-coded map of Utah's counties, with northern and most central counties in green and southern counties in blue.
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    Marked off Utah on my State Capitol Building quest. Now at 46/50. 🏷️25.06B

    A large neoclassical building with a domed roof, identified as the Utah State Capitol, stands behind a State of Utah sign under a clear blue sky.A beehive sculpture labeled INDUSTRY sits in front of a large, classical-style building with columns and a dome.A tall statue of a standing soldier is set against a monumental stone relief featuring an engraved figure, with flowers and plants in the foreground.

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    We enjoyed our unexpected scenic drives through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks yesterday. A short visit, for sure, but always worth stopping in whenever and for however long you can. 🏷️25.06B

    Steam rises from a colorful geothermal hot spring surrounded by forest.A serene landscape features a winding river surrounded by lush trees and a backdrop of towering, snow-capped mountains.A vast green meadow stretches toward a mountain range under a partly cloudy sky. ​A herd of bison grazes in a vast, green meadow with a forest and mountain backdrop under a partly cloudy sky.

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    And we also got to visit with some of our ASU football tailgating friends and check out their amazing new house in the Teton Valley, featuring great views of the western side of the Tetons. 🏷️25.06B

    Four people are standing together and smiling in front of a painted backdrop with sky and landscape.
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    We got to visit some of our favorite parkchat friends, which was really great. 🏷️25.06B

    Four people and a dog are posing in front of the Yellowstone National Park sign.
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    It’s time for Jen to fly home, but first a celebratory beverage for an excellent and productive four day weekend away. After dropping her off at the airport in a few minutes, I’ll start making my way home, camping a couple times along the way. Really enjoyed this trip! 🏷️25.06B

    Two glasses of beer and two cans with colorful designs are displayed on a table in a brewery setting.
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    Watch your step 🏷️25.06B

    A person is standing over a transparent floor panel, labeled with a sign indicating they're on top of a nuclear reactor, surrounded by caution signs.
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    📍 Lemmon Falls, ID 🏷️ 25.06B

    A waterfall cascades down a moss-covered rocky cliff surrounded by lush greenery and flowing water.A majestic waterfall cascades down a rocky, moss-covered cliff surrounded by lush greenery.A multi-tiered waterfall cascades over a rocky cliff surrounded by greenery under a blue sky.

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