Summer Adventures {Fall Creek}

July 10, 2013.
Destination:  Fall Creek

Ashlee couldn't wait to go to Fall Creek after I described it to her earlier in the summer.   But, I will admit, after my nephews accident just a few weeks ago where he fell off Thunderbird Falls in Alaska, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, I wasn't as excited to go to Fall Creek as I once was.  My heart pretty much pounded the whole time and even the girls were a little afraid to get very close to the edge and were constantly asking how far he fell and what happened that day.  So Drew, this one is for you.

After we left Fall Creek, we drove a few miles up the road to West Piney Girls Camp where the girls were attending girls camp the next (this) week.  Ashlee had a million questions about what it looked like and what would happen while she was there, where she would camp, etc.  I hoped that stopping by (though we didn't go any further than the gate because another stake was there) would alleviate some of those fears.  

On the way home, we stopped by this old house just off the road on Pine Creek pass.  I dared the girls to go sit on the front porch and I would take their picture. Arilee will do anything and ran right up and plopped down.  Ashlee put on her bravest face and followed suit, but she didn't sit for long  I didn't blame her - she got closer than I would of.  As much as I love photographing old houses like this - it's one of my favorite things to capture - the thought of going near one or inside gives me the heebie jeebies.

 Snake River from the rest stop between Ririe and Swan Valley on Highway 26.

And finally, it would be a sin to drive through Swan Valley and not stop for a square icecream cone.  

Huckelberry, PLEASE!  

Miles driven:  90

Next destination:  Salmon, Idaho.  

Summer adventures {Yellowstone - again}

The husband had to go back to Yellowstone.  This time, we didn't invite the children, we went just the two of us.  It was not a sightseeing trip, this was a work trip.  I didn't even take my camera, and I'm still kicking myself for it!  Thus all pictures were taken with my iPhone.

Instead of hitting any of the popular sites, we hit a few I'd never been to before...

The continental divide (we crossed it six times)... has the cutest little water lilly pond...

Firehole springs drive...

This is called the "Great Fountain Geyser".   Unlike Old Faithful, which erupts every 70 minutes give or take ten minutes, this one gives you about a six hour window when it may or may not erupt.  We called it "Old Unfaithful."

A HUGE elk just outside of West Thumb... there were several of them actually.   This was taken with my cell phone - and no zoom.  That is how close they were.

When the husband stopped at the Lake Clinic, I was going to walk across the street to the location the kids and I sat and played while waiting for him last time.  I got halfway there and looked up to see this....

Yeah, I moved on down the lake a bit.  Last thing I wanted to do was be trampled by a bull buffalo.

Old Faithful an amazing thing to watch, but once a summer was good enough for me.  So the Old Faithful clinic was as close as we came.

The wildflowers were SO beautiful...

Only in Yellowstone...

Left home at 6:50 a.m.

Entered the park at 8:45 a.m. 

Quick stops at the Old Faithful and Lake Clinics

Left the park at 1:30 p.m.

Had lunch at the Grizzly Paw (not recommended).

Quick stops at West Yellowstone and Island Park Clinics

Returned the rental car.

Home at 5:30 p.m.

Miles travelled:  350

Summer Adventures {the greenbelt and snake river landing}

june 28.  

the hottest day of the year thus far.  

we were dying.  

the kids wanted to go to the zoo.  

too hot.  

i talked them into going to the greenbelt and snake river landing instead.  

bad idea.  

after half an hour, we had to take a break and go to walmart for some air conditioning.  

another half an hour outside and we headed home to play in the sprinkler instead.  

BUT... as an explanation...  The greenbelt is the land around the river in downtown Idaho Falls.  The temple, the water falls, the geese... it's a beautiful spot to take pictures.  

Snake River Landing is a development just down the river from the greenbelt.  It is filled with fancy business buildings, a couple of restaurants, and a cute little park.  

My pictures are completely out of order, and I'm too lazy to fix that...

The boardwalk at Snake River Landing

 On the greenbelt across from the temple.

 There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of geese on the greenbelt, mostly in this one small area.  People come and feed the geese (bread) and they have got to where they won't migrate south in the winter, and eating nothing but a diet of bread is really bad for them.  Plus, they poop everywhere and it's really stinky and gross.  So, their plan now is to haul the geese a hundred miles away, and ban people from feeding any geese that find their way back in the hopes of controlling the geese and poop population.  It used to be fun to go hang out on the greenbelt, now you spend so much time dodging geese and poop, which is hard to do with your nose plugged from the smell, you can't enjoy it any longer.

 The falls on the river

 The bridge at Pedersons Park, across Broadway from the greenbelt.

 It's all landscaped with lots of cute little water features.  And the best part is... no geese!

 Just a few ducks here or there.

 Snake River landing again...

 My two photographers in training...

 Pedersons Park.

Summer Adventures {To Bone and Back}

Don't let the title mislead you.  

"To Bone and Back" is a 40 mile relay race.  

I did not participate.  

This week, Ashlee wanted to drive up to see the windmills.  There were almost as many porta potties along the road as there were windmills.  I couldn't figure out why until the next day when I read about my brother in law running in the "To Bone and Back" relay race.  

I also went to Bone and back.  

In a car.  

With two squabbling girls.  

It was almost as painful as running it would have been.  

Our journey began on a most beautiful misleading Friday afternoon,  big white puffy clouds, the bluest sky, but that slight breeze and 65 degree temperatures made the day almost frigid.  

Well, to me, anyway.  

First stop, we drove to the foothills that can be seen from the end of my drivway.  

My husband tells me this little man with the hatchet can be found just about anywhere, although I've never seen him anywhere but on the back of this stop sign on the corner.  

 

 Just over the railroad tracks that are out in the middle of nowhere...

Amongst the potato and grain fields to the south of me (right next to a massive pile of potato dirt that smelled worse than death - note, we did not stay long.  *shudder*)...

 The Snake River Valley from the foothills.

Just in case the smell didn't deter you from getting any closer, perhaps this lovely guy would.

Step away from the windmills...

And finally, through Idaho Falls, a quick stop at Old Navy, up Sunnyside road over the hill to the other side of the mountain to some of the most beautiful country this state has to offer, with rolling hills as far as the eye can see.   Nobody lives there, and I can't figure out why.  It's not that far from town, 10 minutes maybe, but the weather can be quite severe up there all year long, so that must be the deterrent?

Oh, and there are windmills EVERYWHERE.

 I mean... everywhere.  I tried to get Arilee to count them - she gave up after seven.

 "It's summer break, mom, don't ask me to do math.  Eww."

 We drove to the Bone Store, where the entire population of Bone (all three of them) were congregating on the front porch in their rockers.  They told me no pictures were allowed (ha) and invited me in, but we needed to be on our way so we turned around and headed back down the Bone road.

 If you stay on the Bone road past the turn off to Idaho Falls, you can make a right and go to Blacktail.  This is part of the reservoir from the Ririe Dam.  It's pretty much the only boat access for miles and miles on the reservoir and I hear it gets quite busy in the summer.  I'm guessing the handful of boaters out there were freezing to death.  I didn't even want to get out of my car to take pictures, let alone get in that water!  

 My girls.  At least one was happy to be there.  The other one was mad about the time we hit the end of the driveway and never did get over it.  By this time, she was a tad carsick and ticked off that there really wasn't much to see other than windmills.  We're still debating if she is even invited on our next adventure.

 The new car drove like a dream...

 Just in case you are wondering, there is a $3 fee to get into the Blacktail recreation area.  But, if you are there less than 15 minutes, they will refund you.

The road back out, goes on and on forever.  I kept imagining my brother and his new Mustang Boss driving this road 120 MPH (like he had done down my road the night before) and I was glad he wasn't there.  Back down the Bone road, into Iona, where it's a short jaunt back home.

Home again, home again, riggity jig jig.  This is the view from the end of my driveway.  

To read more about these particular turbines (which does not include the hundreds of windmills on the other side of the hill), read this news story:  Link  (I especially like the line that it says they aren't seen from population centers - I guess my "hood" doesn't count as population?)

The windmills don't really bother me, I think they are kind of neat, but I do much prefer the view I had before they came along and I haven't paid much attention to the advantage/disadvantages of windmills.  I leave that to the politicians and the haters.  

I heard a rumor once of how much these farmers were receiving for having a turbine on their land and decided they were more than welcome to put one on my property for that kind of cash.  Or not.  They are kind of loud.

Distance traveled: 80 miles

Next up:  TBD

Summer Adventures {Lost River Valley}

That girl of mine did it... she passed her driving test somehow AND the written test - good thing I taught her that a blinking red light does not mean to stop, turn around and find some other route to drive, because that question was on the test and had she missed one more...   

Anyway, this meant the girl needed something to drive.  Not that she couldn't drive my car, but I didn't want to be stranded.  We shopped around... do we get a car for her or a car for me and give her my car or a car for the husband and give me his truck and the girl my car?  What to do???  

Then we test drove cars and I found just the one I wanted... a 2013 Buick Lacrosse with 14K miles on it in black - the color I wanted the least, but... it was that or something that didn't ride like a dream!   I haven't yet managed to take a picture of it - soon.  And no, that girl of mine doesn't get to drive it.   

Like, ever.  

BUT... the next day, the husband had to drive to the dinky land of the Lost River Valley for work.  At least I think that's what it's called.  So, the new car and I tagged along while the girls headed next door to babysit their cousin.  

One of the worlds most boring drives has to be across the desert from Idaho Falls to Arco.  It's nothing but sagebrush .  I pity the hundreds of people travel this route every day to work at the INL.   Once you reach the other side though, the Lost River Valley is rather beautiful, dotted with cute little towns such as Arco, Moore, and Mackay.   

I could live there - except I'd quickly tire of that long drive to civilization, I'm afraid. 

First stop - the clinic in Mackay.  We were there all of 15 minutes, just long enough to take a picture of this here street light.  It is by far, the most interesting thing in Mackay.    

 Just what every new car needs to experience on their first road trip with me - driving through a cattle drive.  So much for that wash job the dealership had done.

 Second stop was the hospital back in Arco, at the base of number hill.

I'm not really sure what these numbers represent... graduation years or perhaps sports numbers.  The lowest number I saw was 23, and it looked like it had been painted recently, not in 1923.  But... the hill is full of numbers.

 The valley to the south of the hospital.

 Really, there wasn't much to see on our little drive, although, I know there is a LOT more to see in the Lost River Valley - besides Aunt Karen, who he ran into at the hospital.  Perhaps sometime when the husband isn't going there for work, he can take us out there to some of the beautiful country he grew up hunting on.

On the LONG drive home, the husband had to do a little work on his iPad, so he actually let me drive.  I never get (or want) to drive.  He quickly discovered one reason he likes to drive... riding is boring and he just doesn't have the attention span for it.  So he took pictures of my  new ride and pestered the driver.

Miles traveled:  215

Next up:  Windmills