Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve, Carey, Idaho

I'm sure they thought I was crazy as we drove for hours from Montana into Idaho, with no town in sight. They'd ask, "Where are we going?" And I would reply, "For a walk on the Moon!" Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is one of those places that's truly hard to believe is real. In the middle of literally NOWHERE, this eerie, beautiful place emerges... wow! We arrived later than I would have liked and so the visitor center was closed, but the park pamphlet was very thorough and we were able to drive the entire loop with stops to explore, before watching the most colorful and WIDE sunset I've ever seen. Craters of the Moon is a vast ocean of lava flows with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush. We climbed a volcano and explored lave tube caves filled with bats (oh my!) and felt transported to another world. The kids loved it so much they begged to go back and camp there for a week! This is an unforgettable experience that will leave you and your kids pondering the universe and curious about the past and future in ways you never imagined!