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 …
The roads through Yellowstone National Park are closed to road traffic during winter except for two little sections. Today we took a drive on Gallatin Road which takes you through a northwestern portion of Yellowstone National Park. The day we arrived in West Yellowstone a semi-truck driver hit and killed thirteen bison and so there …
Parking on Boundary Street in town immediately guides you into Yellowstone National Park. The roads into the park are closed during winter unless you have a guided tour in a snow vehicle but anyone can access the park by foot. There was a break in the weather so Raya and I donned snowshoes and pulled …
The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center is a non-profit organization in West Yellowstone, Montana. It opened three decades ago and was accredited with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums a decade later. All of the bears at the Discovery Center were acquired after becoming nuisance bears or cubs of nuisance bears. The wolves are all …
There is no more appropriate name for a town known for its hot springs (albeit not very creative) than Lava Hot Springs. Lava Hot Springs are a system of geothermal mineral springs that have been popular for so long, it was a stop along the Oregon Trail. Because we are in a Subaru and not …
Tracy Aviary is the largest and oldest of only two free standing aviaries in the entire United States. Because it is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, as is the Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert, we get half off the entrance cost. The beautifully maintained aviary and botanic garden has 135 bird …
The tradition on Temple Square Christmas lights dates back to 1965 when 15,000 people gathered to watch as 40,000 colorful Christmas lights became illuminated. Over the years it has grown to over a million Christmas lights. I think this year there are a little less due to the renovation of the gargantuan Salt Lake Temple. …
One of the best things about Salt Lake City is how family friendly it is. For more than 50 years Clark Planetarium has entertained and educated kids of all ages about space and science. The free 10,000 square foot three story interactive museum covers topics from inside to outside our solar system (so pretty much …