Just four miles past Pala Casino, on the south side of the 76 highway, awaits Wilderness Gardens County Preserve, the oldest Parks and Recreation open space preserve in San Diego County. It is part of the San Luis Rey River watershed, a river that enters the ocean 30 miles away, right next to where we …
The sun, moon, and earth were aligned today, making the tides low and the tide pool anticipation high. The tides were especially affected by the sun’s proximity to the earth, which happens each year, peaking January 2. The closer the orbiting bodies are to each other, the more impact they have on the tidal range. …
The San Diego Society of Natural History is the oldest scientific institution in southern California and the third oldest west of the Mississippi. They have been at their current site since 1933, the funds gifted by the philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps. In this large space the society is able to grow their collection. They currently …
The Neon Museum is a boneyard (a term used in the commercial signage industry to refer to a place where retired signs go). There are dozens of boneyards in Las Vegas, but the Neon Museum is the only one open to the public. Since the museum opened in 1996, they have acquired the best retired …
There is more to Beaver, Utah than delicious ice cream and cheese at the Creamery. In the county of Beaver there are 114 listings on the National Registrar of Historic places. The Beaver United States Post Office, with its perfectly laid bricks and copper clad roof was built in 1941. It reflects both Moderne and …
As we start to complete our circuit it means we get to do our favorite things along the route once again, so we are back at the small town of Lava Hot Springs for a soak in their therapeutic springs. These underground hot springs are constantly replenished with fresh sulfur-free mineral water, which means they …
Hero Arena at Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls opened in May of 2021. It is a 48,000 square foot venue that hosts 6,000 fans that range from music artists to monster trucks to the Globetrotters to (in our case) ice hockey. The home team for Idaho Falls is, you guessed it, the Spud Kings, …
Kelly Canyon Resort, located northeast of Idaho Falls, and within the Targhee National Forest, opened in 1957, almost a decade before a snowboard had been invented. At around 6,000 feet elevation, they get approximately 200 inches of annual snowfall. Today we aren’t here for a ski but a sled. On the other side of the …
Ice skating dates back to 3000 BC, and here we are continuing the tradition at Joe Marmo/Wayne Lehto Ice Rink in Tautphaus Park, a brief, chilly, icy walk from my sister’s house. Joe Marmo was a professional hockey player and the creator of the Youth Hockey Association in Idaho Falls. Wayne Lehto was the Idaho …
The great thing about small zoos and aquariums is the up close animal encounters that visitors experience, and the non-profit East Idaho Aquarium is no exception. There are token stations throughout the aquarium allowing you to purchase specific food to feed to various animals, based on that organism’s diet. Today we fed fish, sting rays, …
The Museum of Idaho’s current exhibit, Toytopia, focuses on the science and history of toys and games throughout the 20th century. Although the history and science is interesting, and I totally forgot about some games we played as children like Boardwalk, the best part of this exhibit is that it is interactive. A1 gravitated to …
It was 4°F when we were packing up our stuff this morning so we waited until 10:00 before meeting at Three Bear Lodge to suit up for our snowmobile adventure today. At 10:00am it was 10°F, with the wind chill factor driving 45 mph it means -38.5°F so proper layers are crucial. A1 was wearing …
Thirty minutes from West Yellowstone, right past a frozen Hebgen Lake, is the trailhead for Refuge Point. Refuge Point is the location where survivors of an earthquake in 1959 sought protection and the Forest Service smoke jumpers set up operations as they attempted to rescue campers that were trapped between Hebgen Dam and a massive …