#WhereAreTheUbryTerrells ... Leg 16: Idaho (part 2)

Randy and I got up early one morning, leaving Van in bed at Robert and Suzanne's house, and went into the city of Boise. We met up with some former employee's of Randy's and delighted in catching up with them over breakfast. It was exciting to see them making Boise their home -- finding a sense of place where they could become who they were created to be. When they had to head in to work, Randy and I walked downtown Boise, checking out the courthouse, the Basque district, local coffee shops and more. It was fun to be a tourist again and was the momentum we needed for the next leg of our adventure.

Since we'd picked him up, Van regularly asked if we were going to see Niagra Falls. And each time we reminded him that Niagra Falls was on the complete other side of the United States, and that while we were going pretty far east, we weren't going that far. We'd been together for 3 weeks by now, and Van wasn't giving up. Randy and I were starting to wish we had made a beeline for the east coast two weeks ago, if it was that important to him. While looking at the atlas to determine if there was anything fun to do in Idaho, we discovered a hidden gem: Niagra Falls of the West! We obviously had to go!

While it wasn't as big as "the" Niagra Falls, it was far less crowded, far less touristy, and far less out of our way to see. Plus it gave us something fun to laugh about -- Van had finally made it to Niagra Falls!

The next stop on our trip would turn out to be Van's favorite of the entire journey, and it was something we'd never even heard of before: Craters of the Moon National Monument. We camped just outside of the park, on National Forestry land, for the night and entered the park early in the morning. We were able to do nearly every hike on the map. (Note: if you are going to this park, you HAVE to do the hikes. If you only take the driving tour you will be in and out of this park in 20 minutes wondering why you wasted your money.)

The hikes took us up volcanoes and alongside lava beds. Some hikes were easy and others left our calves burning. But then we came to the best part of all: the caves. 

I've been on a few cave tours, but there is nothing like being given the freedom to explore a cave on your own. And that is exactly what happens at Craters of the Moon. There are no Rangers, no tour guides, no "don't touch" signs. You simply find a crack in the ground and you dive in! A kid's dream come true!

Randy and I established ground rules before we ever got below the surface. We know Van well enough by now to know that if we gave him a flashlight and free reign we'd never see him again. So he had to be between Randy and me at all times.

Once we entered our first cave, we immediately had to get down on our bellies and crawl. The ground was so cold it felt wet. We discovered quickly that only one of our flashlights actually worked. Randy had it, leading the way, with Van close behind him. Which left me in the back, in the dark. It wasn't long before I said, "Guys, I don't know if I can do this."

We were laying on the floor, using one elbow to pull us through the cave while the other hand was on the ceiling, mere inches from our heads, so that if the rock ceiling suddenly became more shallow we wouldn't crack our foreheads on it. (No guides also means no required headgear!) Randy assured me that he could see light up ahead, and once I too could see the way out I was fine. We pulled ourselves to safety and Van exclaimed, "That was awesome!" 

Then we were off to the next cave. This one had a huge entrance, and most people immediately turned left. So obviously we went right! We couldn't go far, but Van and I decided to go as deep as possible... where we discovered ice! It was absolutely gorgeous. Our world is incredible. 

We then returned to the entrance and took the path more traveled, where we bumped into a grandmother and grandson. Grandma was in her 70s and using a cane, while Grandson was 4. The path before us was riddled with rocks to climb and jagged edges to avoid. None of us were going to tell Grandma that she and her cane couldn't do it, but it was obvious that she wasn't going to do it alone. And of all the people in that cave, Van was the one to step up to her, take her hand, and guide her for the next painstakingly slow mile. 

He pointed out the path when he thought she could go on her own. And he let her take his arm when he knew she needed extra support. Everyone who entered the cave stopped to watch, and then quickly passed them by when they realized Van had this covered. At one point a young couple said to Grandma, "Your grandson is such a sweet kid!" To which she replied, "He is a sweet kid, but he's not mine. My grandson is up there somewhere with this kid's grandparents!" 

It was true: we'd switched grandkids. I was insanely proud of Van, but also in heaven at getting to hang out with Xander, this rambunctious 4-year-old, who was wearing his grandmother's hat decorated with pineapples.

Like a typical 4-year-old he chatted his way through the cave, taking my hand when he got scared and telling strangers that "My grandma is helping her grandson through the cave, so she is helping me." Ha! I loved that his vision of his grandma was that, even with a cane, she was more likely to be helping others than being the one getting the help. A tough lady indeed!

When we all successfully exited the cave, Van and Xander ran off ahead, while Grandma and I hung back to chat. She told me that she was raising Xander and was grateful to have someone help run off some of his energy. "I'm good until about 4 o'clock," she said, "and then I'm done!" I thought 4 o'clock was admirable! And then she said of Van: "He is a special kid with a kind heart. I've always said I'd rather my kids be good people with good hearts than good in school." 

While I watched the two boys together I told her that Van had a little brother who died in childbirth who would be Xander's age now. When Van and I talked about it later he said, "If Colton were here I would have to watch him close. He'd be trying to run off the path all the time like that little boy. And I'd have to help him with things like heavy doors." Sweetest thing ever. 💖