Day 52 Mile 724-778

The Number Hill Grill is a drive thru only restaurant that has a huge menu and they hooked me up with five great wraps that would be my food for the next several days. I packed up my pack with water and food and did some Yoga before pushing out for the big push to Idaho Falls. On my way out of town I stopped at Dave’s Travel Plaza and chatted with Dave about the road ahead. A few miles out of Arco I came upon Butte City in which the only establishment is the 4 Winds Tavern. I stopped in and fill up my water and had a coke. The folks filled me in on the next leg of my journey which was through the Idaho National Laboratory. They let me know that I would not be permitted to stay in the area over-night and that security there is very touchy. Of course I decided to give it a try and pushed on to the INL land. I got ten miles in and stopped at EBR-1 historical site. EBR-1 (Experimental Breeder Reactor 1) was the first nuclear reactor to provide electricity for civilian use and went online to power the city of Arco. INL land has the worlds greatest concentration of nuclear reactors with more than 50 being built there since the 50’s. It was great to see the actual facility for nuclear power generation as it really brought to life my Studies from Mr. Greisler’s Chemistry class. I anticipated the facility to be much more complex, but the workings of the plant were very straightforward. “The Idaho National Laboratory is committed to providing international nuclear leadership for the 21st Century, developing and demonstrating compelling national security technologies, and delivering excellence in science and technology as one of the Department of Energy's multiprogram national laboratories”.

As I got back on the road, INL security pulled up and asked me who I was, what I was doing on INL land, and for my ID. The Security Gentleman was wearing Army Camo, and was certainly prepared to deal with anyone that may wish to cause problems on INL land. Anyways he informed me that I could not stay the night and that I must be off the INL. I still had nearly 30 miles of INL land ahead of me and thus I was required to get a lift off the premises. I asked the officer if he could take me to the boundary but was not within his pervue as security officer. I put up my thumb and got a ride with a very kind gentleman who worked for the INL and was a project manager on the clean-up operations. His name was Bob Knighten and he rides motorcycles across country and takes photographs. He will soon retire from the INL which is his third career. He has been a stay at home Dad, a school teacher, a geologist and project manager with the INL clean-up. He dropped me off at the edge of the INL land and I walked the rest of the way into Idaho Falls. Of the 54 miles between Arco and Idaho Falls I walked half of them.

I got into Idaho Falls pretty late, and I was on my way to the park on the Snake river when I came across a very unique building which was the Destinations Inn. I went in to check it out and I was so taken with this beautiful World Class resort. Each room was a different country and the attention to detail was astounding. You would walk into a room and the music playing would be ethnic music from the region depicted, the scents were even chosen to match the decor. The rooms all had Jacuzzi tubs, big screen projection entertainment systems, and either a sauna or steam room shower. The murals on the wall were just gorgeous and were so well incorporated into the arches and architecture that you felt like these were the real scenes out the window or through the passageway and it was all very real and exotic. The gal working this evening was a very spiritually keen and inquisitive girl named Kate and we discussed for nearly two hours the formation of beliefs and what we do with them once we form them in our consciousness. How can we let go of the Ego and fear which hold us back from truly living and giving of ourselves?

Kate called the manager Nick and explained what I was doing and they so kindly offered to put me up for the evening and I was so psyched! This is the coolest place I have ever stayed:-) And oh so comfortable. Sparkling cider is waiting in the room for you chilled on ice next to the jacuzzi. Cheesecake awaits you in the refrigerator, and breakfast is brought to your door in the mornings! Things always work out so well. I am so fortunate to have come across such wonderful people and such a beautiful establishment.

I also want to wish a happy anniversary to Meighan and Jim.