I left the hotel in Utah before dawn, and after about 20 miles into Idaho along I-84, I noticed the sky starting to lighten and change color. This time, unlike the start in Santa Fe, I decided to pull off and take a picture. As I exited the car, I looked back, and it was even better than what I saw to my left. Hover over the image to see.
I’m finally back in my home state, and I should be home tomorrow after leaving 38 days ago. Because I am, it was time to go post office hunting. So, instead of taking the direct route, I got off of the Interstate at Hammett and started backroads to skirt around Boise to the south. And in a happy accident of this, I stumbled on the Bruneau Sand Dunes State Park. I had the place pretty much to myself and spent about an hour in the park. Because I’m weird, I even opted to climb to the top of one of the dunes that is about 40-50 feet high. It was a very good workout that shook the dullness out of the legs from sitting in a car.
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- Top of a Dune
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- My, What a Small Car the GTI Is From Up Here
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- Larger Dunes are Across the Lake
How do you turn what was supposed to be a 320-mile drive into one that just clicks past the 500-mile mark? Go get the furthest south post office in the eastern part of the state before turning north to get back where you should have been. That’s how.
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- Arock – This has to be the smallest post office so far; the GTI looks like it’s half the size of the building. (12/7/25)
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- Jordan Valley – Northern Paiute people were the first in the area, but when early settlers arrived, conflict developed over local resources, eventually escalating to the Snake War. (12/7/25)
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- Adrian – The town name was suggested by Reuben McCreary, who platted the townsite. The name was chosen to honor his birthplace, Adrian, Illinois. (12/7/25)
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- Nyssa – During WWII instead of being incarcerated in the Portland area, 400 Japanese were set up near Nyssa in a farm labor camp for the Amalgamated Sugar Company. (12/7/25).
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- Ontario – This is the largest of the day, and it’s fitting, as this is the biggest town of the day. (12/7/25)
