Month: July 2022

Good morning from CDA!!! ⛳️🏌️‍♂️

Alan asked when I was planning the trip if we could figure out a way to get to CDA. He had heard about this golf course that had a golf green floating in the lake.

So of course we had to make it happen, so here we are!! I took Alan first thing in the morning to the Coeur de’Alene golf resort!

He was having such a great time…then it started to rain! 12 holes it rained on him, but he didn’t stop!

He made it on the floating green and had a great rest of the game!

Meanwhile, while it was raining the girls and I hung out at the hotel and then went to Cabela’s!

Afterwards we headed to Coeur de’Alene to do some shopping and see the town. We weren’t there long before Alan called and said he was finished!

When we picked up Alan we headed back downtown and did some shopping and sight seeing!

CDA is known for it’s really long floating boardwalk so we also had to go check that out! It was beautiful out and we enjoyed the stroll! We saw beautiful boats and lots of fun happening on the lake.

Then we were headed out to Portland, Oregon for the night!

It was a beautiful drive as we followed the Columbia River. We grabbed pizza to go and enjoyed the fireworks we saw as we came into town…today is the 4th of July!!

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This morning we woke up to overcast rainy skies. We knew there was a chance for this to happen so we were prepared!

Today we are headed over to West Glacier. Our original plan was to take the Going to the Sun road over but with it still closed we had to go around.

We entered at the Lake McDonald entrance. It was so pretty! Even with the clouds and the rain we were still in awe!

We started up the Going to the Sun road on the west side and visited a few waterfalls and lookouts as we headed to the end of the road and the Avalanche Lake trail!

When we reached the parking area for Avalanche Lake we had lunch in the campground and then headed out.

Mom decided she was going to join us on this hike. The ranger said it was a 1.8 mile hike one way…2.5 miles later we realized she was wrong!

We started out strong!! And it was so beautiful! We were able to see an awesome Micro burst area. This is an area where the warm air from the plains and the cool moist air from the Pacific Northwest meet and cause a small tornado like event. It had twisted the trees up the mountain instead of down like an avalanche and made a beautiful area to see the scenery out of the trees!

After a long hike we made it to Avalanche Lake!!! It was so gorgeous!!!

There were so many waterfalls emptying into the Lake! It was so breathtaking!!!

Now, to hike the 2.5 miles back!!

We made it!!! It was such an accomplishment for my mom, I was so proud of her!!!

Unfortunately, it was time to say goodbye. Mom and Dad were going to spend more time in Glacier and we are headed back to Idaho!

After we said goodbye we headed west out of Montana and off to Coeur de’Alene, Idaho.

On our way out of Glacier we grabbed some huckleberry soda and huckleberry pie! An absolute must if you are in Glacier, anything Huckleberry!

Montana gave us a beautiful send off!!

When you leave a beautiful place, you carry it with you wherever you go!

Good morning from Glacier!!!

We woke up early today and got on the road to a part of Glacier called Many Glacier. We had a boat ride across two lakes and then a drop off in the back country!

On the way in we saw a Grizzly bear just walking down the road!

The boat ride was going to take us over Swiftcurrent lake, then a short quarter mile hike over to Lake Josephine. It was so beautiful!

So glad mom and dad could be here to experience this with the girls!

After Swiftcurrent Lake we hiked over to Lake Josephine. Once we boarded the next boat we began to sail across and walking along the side of the lake was a Moose! It was so beautiful!!!

The views in the back country were absolutely breathtaking!! In that last picture you can see Salamander Glacier.

Once we reached the dock at the back of lake we disembarked with Grammy choosing to stay behind and just go back to the lodge and read instead of hike.

The rest of us decided to take the guided hike back to Grinell Lake. The hike we had chosen to do this day was closed because the trail was still covered in snow. It was actually a blessing because it was a 6 mile hike!

While we hiked we saw so much beauty, we were able to see the rainbow rocks of Glacier through the crystal clear water!

We also crossed a one hiker bridge! We all had to cross one at a time!! I guess it was a weak bridge!!! 😬

Right before we crossed the bridge there was a small hike to a hidden waterfall. We had to take it! After a short hike we found it!!

Then we joined back up with the group and finished on to Grinell Lake. After we crossed a few big patches of ice we had made it!!! It was so gorgeous!!!

It was a great hike! So excited we made it!!

On the trip back Bree had to use the pit toilet. A pit toilet is basically an elevated hole, no paper, no electricity, nothing. The first time she used it on the way up a mouse ran in and decided to join her! 🤣 She freaked out! So second time around she made me guard the door from the mouse!

On the way back to the lodge on the boat we saw a huge grizzly bear walking down the shore we weren’t quick enough to get a pic of him or the mama and baby moose we saw too!! But it was just so neat to see the animals!

The day is only half over!!

We ate sandwiches in the car as we headed down to St. Mary. We went in at the St. Mary Lake Entrance on the going to the sun road. The going to the sun road is also closed due to too much snow. So we went as far as we could on this side, which just happened to be the Jackson Glacier overlook. It is the only glacier in the park visible from the road.

St Mary Lake overlook!

Jackson Glacier

End of the road! After doing this we took mom back to the trailer and we headed out to the St. Mary Waterfall trail. On our way back into the park we saw another moose just eating!

St. Mary trail was a little hotter than the others we’ve been on but we enjoyed it! There were so many gorgeous overlooks and valleys to gaze at. I am in awe of this whole place!! Once we reached the falls, we watched people jump off the rocks into the water too! They were crazy!!!

It was a beautiful hike! After we made it to the falls we decided to go a little further on the trail and found another smaller waterfall!

It was a beautiful day, and to make it even better Dad grilled steaks and mom had potatoes baking when we got back to the trailer!

Keep close to nature’s heart…and break clear away once in awhile. Climb a mountain, spend a week in the woods, wash your spirit clean… -John Muir

We woke up bright and early in Butte, Montana!

We are heading to Glacier National Park and meeting up with Grammy and Pappy, but first we had two errands to run!

Alan has decided he needs a scope to see animals! He is convinced that animals are there and he just can’t see him, so off to find a scope we went and a Montana Starbucks cup! One of the few states I don’t have!

We found both!! Thanks to a very kind employee who found the last one for me!

Then it was off to the park! A few hours of travel and we arrived at the East Entrance to Glacier at Two Medicine!

As we were driving to the parking lot 5 bighorn sheep ran up out of the woods and onto the road! Our first wildlife!!

We met mom and dad in the parking lot and enjoyed lunch together on the shore of Two Medicine lake!

It was such a beautiful backdrop to lunch!!

After we ate we set off on our first hike of the trip, the South Shore Trail to Aster Falls! I had read about seeing moose on this trail and mom had talked to a ranger who said it was the place to see them!

We were all on high alert hiking around when a lady came around the corner and said there’s a moose up ahead!

The kids got so excited to see the moose they ran ahead!

Alan was not about to get excited!

We rounded the corner and there it was!!! It was quite a bit in the distance and the minute Alan laid eyes on it it went right into the forest, but he saw it!!

After it walked into the forest, we saw another one in the trees but it was hard to make out so we decided to keep walking to the falls.

It was such a beautiful hike and waterfall! The water was coming off a glacier so it had such a cool breeze!! A perfect place to recharge!

As we sat we realized there was another trail continuing on up to Aster Park, it said it was only another 0.8 miles!

Oh my… 0.8 miles straight up with multiple switchbacks! It was quite the hike. It seemed at one point we wouldn’t make it but Bree was determined to do it. We took lots of breaks and finally made it to the top! Such an accomplishment!! From the top we could see all three Two Medicine Lakes and the entire campground area in East Glacier!

After we were done looking at the sights, we headed back down to the general store! When we finished it was a 4 mile hike!! We still had one more hike that evening, the ranger told us the moose like to come out around 6:30 – 7, so we decided to stick around and walk back to the ponds where we saw the moose at 6:30.

We had ice cream and a few snacks and waited as the sun began to go down and the air got a little cooler!

We headed out at 5:15 with the hopes of being at the ponds by 6:30. When we got to the ponds there were no moose, it seemed like another dead end. We sat for a little while in the beauty and stillness of the area! Then out of the forest a big bull moose just came sauntering out right into the pond! It was unbelievable!!!

It was such an amazing experience!! We were the only ones there and we could hear him eating and hear the water splashing around!

After watching him for almost an hour we headed back down the trail to our car and headed to the trailer!

When we got back to the campground the kids started a fire and dad grilled burgers! It was such a great first day!!

PATIENCE – everything will come to you…in the right moment!

Our original plan for today was to tour Jackson Hole, Wyoming. However, once my mom found out how close we were to the Grand Tetons, she said we had to go because there would definitely be a moose there.

So we woke up early and took the southernmost route into Jackson Hole from Idaho Falls.

We followed the snake river for most of the trip into Jackson Hole. We saw bald eagles in the canyon and some beautiful views.

When we got to Jackson Hole, we parked and walked around town and saw the famous antler arches and then decided we would go into the Grand Tetons to look for moose.

The views of the Tetons were breathtaking! We traveled all the way up to the lodge where we were certain there would be moose, there were not! Then we traveled to the Willow Flats where we were sure there would be moose, there were none.

My art shot of the Tetons!!!!

We saw tons of signs warning us of bear activity in the area, we also saw lots of deer, elk, bison, and moose crossing signs, but we saw nothing! In the place where we were guaranteed to see the most moose in North America, we saw nothing.

After traversing almost the entire road through the Grand Tetons, we had given up, when we finally spotted two or three bison and two prong-horn antelope. We were thankful for what we saw, but we’re now headed out of the Tetons and off to Glacier National Park.

We drove north through the rest of Western Idaho; we passed Henry’s Lake, cross the continental divide, and into Montana where we would spend the night before heading into Glacier.

Tomorrow, our search for a moose continues…

Never stop trying. Never stop believing. Never give up. Your day will come.

Good morning from Twin Falls!

It is windy today, but it should warm up! We headed to our first stop Shoshone Falls! A giant waterfall in Twin Falls. It changes in size due to how much rain they’ve had. They haven’t had a lot so we shall see!

It was pretty impressive!!! From here Alan realized we could hike a trail to our next location Evel Knievel’s jump spot! He tried to jump the Snake River Canyon, but didn’t make it. His parachute opened early and pulled him back to where he started.

So off we went!!

The hike ended up being over 4 miles, but we made it!! It was a lot of fun hiking and just the beginning for this trip!!

The hike gave us gorgeous views of the canyon! And we got to hike to the top of the ramp he jumped off of!

Once we got back to Shoshone Falls we got ourselves some well deserved snacks, then headed off to our next destination!

On our way out of town, we crossed over the Perrine Bridge, we were able to get out and walk across and under it!

Off to Craters of the Moon, we weren’t sure what it would hold but we headed there anyway and it turned out to be such a cool experience!

Our first stop was lunch at Devil’s orchard! Then we hiked the Devil’s orchard trail. Their spring bloom was in full force so there were small cinder plants blooming everywhere!

After that we were off to Inferno cone! A huge cone you can walk to the top of. It was so cool and then we got to the top and there was no telling how hard the wind was blowing it was unbelievable!

There was this one tree at the top that was bent over from the wind, it was so neat to see it standing even after all the wind!

Next up the spatter cones, one had snow in it it was so cold! It was weird to be above ground where it was windy and warm but down in the cones was super cold!

Last on the list to see were the caves in the park. We didn’t get permits to go down so we just walked out and looked in, the cool air coming out was so crazy!!!

Such a neat place to visit, literally out in the middle of nowhere!

After we finished at the park, which included the girls getting their Junior Ranger badges we headed to Idaho Falls for the night.

Once there we found a nice place for dinner! The Idaho Chophouse and they had Idaho baked potatoes!

And wouldn’t you know it they had scooters right outside the restaurant so of course we rented them and jumped on and toured the greenway beside the river and the falls!

It was a very beautiful town! I love exploring with my family!!

Escape and breathe the air of new places!

Welcome to Idaho!!! We made it to Lava Hot Springs late last night and waking up this morning it was beautiful! Arriving at night is sometimes the best because when you wake up it’s such a great surprise!

We were in a cabin last night that was right next to the Portneuf River! When we woke up the sun was shining the river was flowing and it was perfect! Such a beautiful spot!

This is the first spot on Alan’s list in Idaho so we headed off first thing to breakfast, then were headed to the Hot Springs.

We had breakfast at the Chuckwagon Restaurant in town. It took foreeevvvveeerrr! It was crazy, people actually started walking out, but we stuck it out and Alan loved it! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Then we were off to the Hot Springs. They have turned the hot springs into a sitting area in town. The pools range from 102° – 112° what an experience!

Alan and Ry enjoyed the cooler pool, 102° but Bree and I ventured to the hotter ones.

112°🔥 🥵 It made your body parts tingle that were in the water!

It was such a unique experience but we couldn’t really handle too much of it so after we had tried every temp and hung out for a bit we decided to try tubing.

If you know me at all, I hate tubing! It is just not my favorite thing. Once on a family trip before Alan talked me into tubing and Ryanna got away from us and floated down stream and my dad had to run down the stream and coach her to the shore. 🤦🏻‍♀️ So, I was very hesitant but didn’t want to miss the family fun so I became very brave and went for it!

I did it!!! They got me in the raft, I hooted and hollered and hung on for dear life! At one time my feet went up and I almost fell over backwards!! Thankfully my girls grabbed both my legs and kept me in!!!

But once was enough! I decided to hang out on the bridge and take pics as they floated three more times!

What a fun day in Lava Hot Springs!

But we had more places to be!!! We grabbed lunch in the car and off we went to Twin Falls, Idaho!

Welcome to the Snake River!! We drove to Twin Falls where we had a kayak rental reserved. It was a piping hot 95° but we enjoyed it!! Ry and I paddled together, and Bree and Alan rode in the other kayak. When headed up river to get a glimpse of the Perrine Bridge!

We paddled up and got a gorgeous view! It was so neat, we even got directly under the bridge when two base jumpers jumped off the bridge!!

As we turned around and headed back to the dock we saw a boat on fire!!! It was crazy! Two sheriffs boats came shooting up the river to help! They picked up the boaters and towed their boat back to shore! So exciting!!

We were officially exhausted so we opted foe Chic fil a and Crumbl for dinner and dessert!

A perfect first day in Idaho!