American Falls, Idaho -
Cricket Slick, Metal Grasshopper

Although I haven't been to Idaho recently, I have fond memories of the giant welded metal grasshopper high on a hill beside I-86 near American Falls. I recall reading a newspaper story about the insect's creator, who was, if I remember correctly, inspired by the biblical locust story and by the occasional plagues of Mormon crickets in Idaho.

The real crickets are large, soft-bodied eating machines up to four inches in length. They sometimes arrive in swarms so great that automobile accidents have been attributed to slicks of squashed crickets on the highway. One such cricket slick occurred in the early 90's near Malad City, in southeastern Idaho. [Kathy Isabell, 03/12/2000]