Homeward Bound

I thoroughly enjoyed the drive home from Eugene.  The scenery is beautiful.  We stopped to check out Shalie Falls which are right off the highway in between Eugene and Sisters.  If I we weren't in a hurry and I wasn't still in my skirt, we could have taken our pick of several short hikes.  I hope we have another opportunity.

We took a different route on the way back, through Burns.  It's more of a straight shot and pretty desolate, but we saw hawks, eagles, ground squirrels, and antelope.  It was good to talk to Terry and good not to talk, but just day dream.  There weren't very many cars on the road and we made good time.  Originally we thought we'd drive straight through and get home around 11:00, but opted instead to stay in Burns.

The next day was Terry's birthday.  We planned on getting back by 11:00 AM, which would be 12:00 MST, so Terry could go into work for 1/2 a day, but we didn't make it.  Instead, we went shopping together for his birthday and Father's Day.  I fixed a complete dinner that evening.  That was something to celebrate since we've been living on healthy snacks every three hours.  By the way, he's a very young 64.  That's kind of a scary number, but we'll get use to it.

SLC

Tabernacle where I graduated from Seminary.

I'm hitting all the hotspots this summer.  This was a three day trip to Utah for some family history research.  Leaving at 8:00 put us in Brigham City at just about lunch time.  We drove through town so I could see the new temple on main street.  The open house starts in a couple weeks.  I'll wait and see the inside, but right now, I still think the tabernacle across the street is prettier.  It sure makes an impressive center of town.

Right across the street

The best part was that it was lunch time and we were down the street from Maddox's!  I had what I always have, turkey steak, salad, and fruit instead of a potato.  The rolls with raspberry butter cannot be beat.  I savored every bite and enjoyed the fresh well water.

It's been remodeled.  Just make sure you never pass up that Maddox reddish, orangish crown thing.

After lunch we drove straight to IKEA.  I hadn't ever been to the one in Salt Lake.  It was a pretty fun shopping experience.  I bought some little dishes, scrub brushes, a mirror, and the best cheese grater ever!  I never buy cheese already grated, so I really appreciated the whole clever thing.  The little bowl that you grate in is rubber and grabs the counter.  It has a lid so you can store it in the fridge.  I want to order more for all my favorite people.

 

 After the big shop we went to check out everything downtown.  We found the Family History Center and parking, wandered through Temple Square, did a walk through of the new City Creek Center, and grabbed a little bit to eat before checking into our hotel.  We were out by the airport because every place was full of Outdoor Recreation Convention goers.

The next morning we made it to the Family History Center by 8:00 and stayed until 6:30.  My friend who is going to Ireland next month wanted to check out her husband's Irish ancestors.  She doesn't want to be in a little village and not know that she should be taking a picture of the church.  We had great help from everyone.  If you don't know which way is up, there's at least four people ready to head you in the right direction.  

We found a lot of the information we were looking for, and a few surprises.  My friend found an ancestor on the New York 1930 census, and realized that he was in Sing Sing Prison (mob connection after coming over from southern Italy).  I found an entry about James Livingston joining Porter Rockwell in sabotaging Johnson's army as they entered Utah.  They did such a good job that Brigham Young changed his orders and told them to help the army with food and supplies so that they would be able to survive the winter.  We also found great pictures and images of documents like marriage certificates.  The whole day was fascinating and fun.

We loved City Creek and had enough time to do a little shopping and enjoy lunch there.  It happened to be Wednesday, when people were rallying to show support to Chic-fil-A.  We didn't know what was going on, but we didn't want to have anything to do with the long line that wound all around the food court.

Each evening we gathered Pepsi and some junk food to eat in bed while we watched the Olympics.  On Wednesday we had to stay up until almost 1:00 so that we could see coverage of Kristen Armstrong's gold medal ride.  We're proud of our Boise girl.

The ride home was fast and plenty entertaining.  After stopping at Maddox's on the way down, I had to share the Garden of Eden truck stop with my friend on our way back.  We didn't buy any souvenirs there, but did get one last Pepsi and a Krispy Kreme doughnut.  Now I need to get back into Weight Watchers mode.  It will be good to have Terry's healthy influence.

Hike

Just down in the Meadow we found a trail head leading to Ousel Falls.  It was only .8 miles, but we knew that hiking down would mean hiking back up.  It ended up being more than .8 miles - just more fun and beauty to enjoy.  There were grizzly warnings posted and moose territory signs.  When I move here I'll have to carry around bear spray.  My hundreds of visits to Yellowstone instilled in me a love of bears, but they are SCARY - especially grizzlies.

This area is a community treasure.  Everything is very well maintained.  The switchbacks lead down to the west fork of the south fork of the Gallatin River.  When we arrived at the mini-falls above, we thought we had been hiking for at least .8 miles.  It was pretty, but I'm glad we kept going to the real falls.

 These are the real Ousel Falls.  There were paths to the top and the bottom.  The funny kid about to dive in is standing at the same place Terry was at the top.  It was so cool in the mist.  Every thing you looked out was beautiful.  We wished we had brought our lunch.  There was a little picnic table in an alcove at the base of the falls.  Great hike!  And it was easy hiking back up too. 

Modern Hotel

We checked into the best hotel in Rexburg while we attended Education Week at BYU-I.  That's not saying a lot because there aren't a lot of hotels, and in our experience, only the Marriot Springhill Suites is nice.  At the desk they asked if we wanted a room with a view.  Terry almost laughed, thinking there wasn't really a good view of Rexburg.  As it turns out, we were able to look across farm fields to the temple.  At night the temple is lit, and the view was beautiful.

Our hotel had fun, happy, decor.  I haven't been in the Modern Hotel in Boise, but I think it might look like this hotel.

I loved the carpet down the hall - my favorite green.  I want the little sectional to be my next couch.  They had a great desk with sliding windows so that you could close so as not to disturb someone sleeping.  The bathroom was two separate rooms with sliding doors - toilet and sink, shower and sink.  My favorite part was the bathroom mirror - inside the frosted circle was magnified.  The desk lamp had little USB connections at the base.  Terry had to figure out the i-home to set our morning alarm. 

The whole place was very modern/European.  It was a great place to come back to.  There's not much to do in Rexburg, so we loved getting in early, firing up our laptops, checking e-mail, and watching the Olympics!

All the Way from Alice Springs, Australia

A co-worker, our counselor at Trail Wind, has spent the last year teaching 3rd graders in the Northern Territory of Australia.   Her husband took a two year contract to work there, and she found something to do too.  Alice Springs is a town in the middle of nowhere with about 29,000 people.  They are having a big adventure. 

Connie is in Boise visiting for a couple weeks, so we had a little get-together in the school nurse's back yard.  It was interesting hearing about her class.  The Aborigine children have no rules at home, so they're a little hard to fit in the system.  They're also horrible at math.  I guess their culture has no need for math.  They count, "one, two, three, a lot" (except they have a different word for a lot). 

It's hard work and a lonely place, but Connie and her husband are meeting people from all over the world, learning about the culture, enjoying the beauty, and working hard.  If they were LDS, it would be like a mission, except with vacation time.

Kuna Adventure

Entrance to the Kuna Cave, formed by a big lava tube.

It’s just a small town south of Boise.  You wouldn’t think there was much to see except farmland.  But my brother and sister-in-law moved out there with friends, who have explored the country for decades.  They invited us out for a picnic and grand tour.  It was fun seeing the sites with enthusiastic guides.  I hadn’t been four-wheeling since high school.  We went in two rigs – women in one, guys in the other.  It really is beautiful country – plateaus, the Snake River, the Owyhees.

We had to four-wheel up to Initial Point.  This is the point where they surveyed the whole valley.  You can see everything from on top of this hill.  There are medallions embedded in the rock that mark true north.  You can see all the way up Meridian Road, which cuts up the middle of the valley.

Last time Zella, our guide, came up here, she brought a bunch of cub scouts and a couple moms along.  She killed a rattle snake with a rock.  Pretty entertaining.  It was big too.

Overlooking the Snake River at the Birds of Prey Center.

Beautiful.  The Snake River just below Swan Falls power plant.  I wish I had a picture of the dam and the plant.  It brought back a lot of memories of the power plants where my Grandpa Cowley worked most of his life.  His family lived in the houses provided and we visited him "at the office" and saw all the big loud machinery.

Bill spotted an owl in the tree by our picnic spot.  We were at the Swan Fall dam.  He spent quite a bit of time getting pictures.

I did not spend much time, but I also didn't get a very good picture.  I think owls are cool.  It's pretty special to see one.

Terr, Blair, and Jo picnicing

First Annual Family Camp

It started out as an experiment to see if we could do it, if anyone wanted to do it, and if anyone had fun.  As a whole, we weren’t very experienced.  Terry has done several backpacking trips with the boys in the wilderness, but that’s different than camping with girls and kids.  I have camped a few times with my dad, who did everything, and I’ve been to Girls Camp many times.  Again, that’s different.  We have a picture of Bry, Brent, and Stace, when they were grade school age, camping.  That was the only time they went as a family.  Mike was a boy scout, but that’s not the same.  Thank goodness Amee joined the family.  She was the only one with real experience. 
Amee suggested a beautiful spot, Pine Flats, up by Lowman.  It’s a small, shady campground above the river.  There’s an easy trail, about 1/2 a mile, to some hot springs.  The campground also had 2 hand pumps for good well water and 2 outhouses that didn’t smell bad at all.  That’s a good thing because Hadley needed to make many trips a day to the potty.
We did it up right; three tents and three coolers, chats around the camp fire, tin foil dinners, s’mores, dutch oven dinners and cobbler, hot chocolate in the mornings, hikes, and the hot springs.  We came back with funny stories about our camp neighbors, ideas for next time, and good memories.  The only thing we need to improve is better shoes for the McClure kids.

 
 Mike in his GQ camping clothes, Our fire crew, Kids help with tents, and Bry with 4 tinfoil dinners

Hudson’s first roasted marshmallow was a burn-up dud.

Bry lost his wedding ring down by the pump.  It was found, and they’re still honeymooning.

Omelets in a bag, Sticks were big, Water boys, Hadley’s hangout

Entertaining the troops, Cars in the dirt, Amee’s magic bag that held everything for kids, Group crossword puzzles

Hiking to the hot springs, Haddie soaking it up, Haddie drinking it up, Bry’s fam reaches one of the upper pools

Dutch oven cooking

Tent clean-up

Last one out - He didn't want to leave.

Getting There is the Hard Part

We decided to experiment with a family camping trip.  I use to laugh at the hunters in my family that take weeks running around getting ready for their trip.  Now I understand.  Finding a spot, organizing the food, checking the tents, borrowing the gear, packing, doing food prep before, going over lists, and trying to remember everything….takes a lot of time and effort. 

Around the Town of Nampa

I’ve lived in Boise for 19 years, but I can’t find my way around Nampa.  I have family that lives there, but I only visit once or twice a year usually.  (We really are a close and loving family.)  Anyway, I ventured over to Nampa and had quite a drive about. 

First stop was at All That Jazz, a little house on the corner of 16th and Roosevelt, where Kierra is now a professional hair stylist!  She gave me a back-to-school haircut, so I won’t have to return shaggy.  We talked all about Cole and Santanna’s wedding and romance.  Santanna is Kierra’s sister, Cole is my nephew, and Kierra’s married to Cole’s brother.  Confusing?  Weird?  I think it’s going to be fun for all.

My second stop was at Idaho Bag Lady where they sell Switch-Flops.  I bought a silver pair (40% off), and two straps that were on sale.  I’d been to the shop before, but this time I had a hard time finding Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard.  It’s a big street.  I never saw the sign, but I did drive fairly directly to the shop.

I met my sister for lunch close to the school where she works.  I overshot the parking lot of Chapalas and had to turn around, but I think I could have driven right to her school.  I also found the hospital.  I’m feeling more confident about navigating Nampa.  It would still do me well to look at a map.  And it will be best if I visit in the daylight.

Makes You Wonder

I neglected to mention a few weird things from our trip.  Here’s a list:

• These construction vehicles parked along with other cars in visitor parking spaces.

• We saw a dead beaver in the middle of the road up by Big Sky.  Why would a beaver cross the road?
• I’ve seen watch for livestock or deer crossing signs before, but never a bighorn sheep crossing sign.  I kept my eyes peeled, but I didn’t see any sheep.  I would have liked to.
• We were behind this big F 150 on the way to Bozeman.  Why would you buy one in New York and drive it out West?  Just ‘pick-up’ one when you get here.
• There were only 2 or 3 exits in Bozeman, but as we were leaving town, we couldn’t find a gas station to save our lives.  We drove from the U of M campus out to the middle exit, through all kinds of shopping centers, including a Costco, but couldn’t see a gas station.  Finally on the far side of the exit there was a little mini-mart with pumps.  This is a business opportunity for somebody.
• In a ranch outside of Livingston, Montana, we saw a pasture full of llamas.  I’ve see farms where a few are living.  They’re a nice hobby or FFA project.  There must have been 75-100 of them in this field.  It made me happy.  They (along with quail) always make me think of Dr. Suess characters.

Long Way Home

We didn’t take our longest option, just a longer one.  We went north from Big Sky and then east (home is southwest) so that we could see the towns of Bozeman and Livingston, then enter Yellowstone at Gardiner, up by Mammoth.  It’s the only Yellowstone entrance I have never used.  There’s a big stone arch there in honor of Teddy Roosevelt.  It was so worth the extra miles.  Terry actually didn’t enjoy the corner of Yellowstone.  It’s slow going, with some traffic and crowds around attractions.  He was in get home mode.  Here’s a picture of him by the Madison River.

He cheered up when I started driving and we exited at West Yellowstone.  We stopped in Rexburg for a frozen custard at Nielson’s.  When we came out the car wouldn’t start!  The nice BYU-I coeds that worked inside gave us a jump.  It ended up that we didn’t need a new battery, just a new starter. We can take care of that in Boise.  The rest of the way was freeway driving.  At least half of that was orange cones, one lane, and construction, but we made it.   

Sunday Speakers

I didn’t want to miss church on the last Sunday of July because the month has been filled with the best speakers.  Brother Rockwood has been rocking the sacrament program.  But the branch in Big Sky did not disappoint.
First of all, they only have a two hour block, sacrament meeting, gospel doctrine, and a primary or YM/YW meeting.  I told Terry I want to move there.  We hit a missionary homecoming.  The branch president’s son had just returned from Las Vegas.  He was outstanding.  When announcing the program, they said that he would take the remaining time, but he could take as little or as much time as he wanted.  “This is Big Sky.  We’re pretty casual up here.”  I told Terry I wanted move there again.  I’m pretty casual.  At the end of that meeting we all turned our chairs toward a blackboard for Sunday School.  There were 32 people in the room, and only 1 was from Big Sky.  The branch presidency comes 55 miles from Bozeman each week.  They need us in the Big Sky Branch.  I want to move there. 
Oh, and they fed us chocolate cake that had thick icing like fudge right after the meetings.  It was left over from a Friday night social.  I really want to move there.

Big Sky, Montana

When we left Rexburg, Terry and I decided to take a couple more days to just relax.  I had been skiing at Big Sky back in the mid-seventies and early eighties.  Chet Huntley, the newscaster, had built a lodge there and developed a little resort with a tram and I think two other lifts.  You follow the Gallatin River through a corner of Yellowstone and the beautiful Gallatin National Forest.  It’s an wide valley with mountains climbing over 11,000 feet.  The ski lifts go pretty close to the top.  Now there are 16 lifts that cover several mountains.  You couldn’t ride all the lifts in a single day!  Condos and cabins are all over the place, but the developments are spread out and each has their own nook.  There’s a golf course, rafting and kayaking, horseback trips, hiking and fishing.  It’s a huge resort with a very friendly, small town feel.  I like it so much more than Park City, Tamarak, or Sun Valley.  I didn’t want to leave.

Here’s the original Huntley Lodge and a ski run where they do zip-lining in the summer.  We found the oxygen bar in the corner of a mini-mart in a mall right by the lodge.

This rainbow was stunning.  It was actually a double rainbow that stretched from one side of the canyon to another.  I know there’s more treasure in Big Sky than could be found at the end of the rainbow.  I’ve spent quite a bit of time since our return just day dreaming about retiring up there.  I might open a little yarn shop.  I’d sell hats, scarves, slippers, and maybe have a counter with fudge right up by the front window.

Education Week – BYU-I

I’ve been to Education Week in Rexburg several times.  I’ve never been to Education Week in Provo, but I know I like BYU-I much better.  It is not crowded.  You don’t have to rush or worry about finding room in a class.  There have been a few times that we didn’t get in to a class that we were thinking about, but there’s always another class not far away, and they’re all good.  The schedule is much smaller than in Provo, but the instructors are every bit as good, and there’s a wide range of topics including things for moms, relationships, health, music, family history, and gospel topics.  The buildings and the campus at BYU-I are so clean.  Our classes were held in four buildings which were close together.  The weather was perfect and when we moved from place to place, we would stroll through a beautiful park-like garden.  Again, it was not crowded – not the classrooms, not the gardens, not the eating establishments, not the book store.  It was a relaxing and uplifting three days.

Staying in Rexburg

We’ve been to Education Week at BYU-I a few times.  A wide variety of classes are offered and the presenters are exceptional.  It’s not very crowded, the campus is beautiful, and you can just relax and soak in the spirit. 
The only problem with attending Education Week is finding a place to stay.  One year we stayed in a Quality Inn that we call The Low Quality Inn.  Another year we stayed in a Best Western that has an indoor pool right off the lobby and it makes the whole place damp and smelly.  This year we booked early and found a good price at a new place in town, the Magneson.  It sounded good, but when we pulled around the corner this is what we found:

The Best Western has been sold and renamed.  The pool is still just off the lobby, but they have done something about the smell.  They are on a tight budget though and it showed.  Our key didn’t work, so on the third attempt the girl came to make sure it wasn’t operator error.  Then she gave us another room, but the key still didn’t work.  She finally brought a remote kind of thing with her to our original room and got us in, but the air conditioner wasn’t working.  She tried to get us in another room across the way, but couldn’t get the key to work.  We finally ended up in the second room she offered us, with a key that worked, and an air conditioner that just worked marginally.  We will be going back to Education Week, but not to the Magneson.  As we were driving out of town we spotted a Spring Hill Suites by Marriot.  If that doesn’t work, we’ll be in Idaho Falls.

Playground of the Rich and Famous

Mike had to pick up some law credits and signed-up for classes in Sun Valley.  Who wouldn't want to go along for a few days?  (Maybe a 2 and 4 year old.)  We picked the week after Oprah and Bill Gates left.  The weather was perfect and the resort was immaculate and we managed to keep the two kids from falling in the pond. 

We weren't able to browse through the shops and check out the fashions, but there was a toy store and a candy store that held their attention.

Haddie trying a hip Sun Valley look.

Gondola going nowhere

Instead of lunch at the lodge, we opted for Wiseguy Pizza Pie in town.  It was a great pick!  Salads, pizza, and garlic knots were scrumptious.  I could have taken every meal there.

  

 Forget the playground of the rich and famous.  The second day there we found a real playground in Hailey.  That was the best part for Huds and Hads.

 Huds followed a new friend, Decker, up a tree.  Not bad climbing considering it was a pocky pine tree.

Hadley and I found a picture of a kitten in a magazine.  She was obsessed with cupping her hand and pretending to pet the "itty, bitty, kitty, kitty".  We were lobbying her dad for a kitten until she found a new friend at the park.  Their hair matched.  Now she wants a big red dog.