The title says it all….we had visitors this week. Not just any visitors either, Granny and Grandpa! They arrived last Friday and we were so excited to see them that the whole family met them in Boise and took them to Zoo Boise. The kids had a good time showing Granny and Grandpa all their favorite parts of the Zoo. Emilie had a great time feeding the goats in the petting Zoo, and as usual it was all about Spider Monkeys for Jack.
Once we got back to Twin and got the Grandparents settled we laid low for a day, then we headed out to the fair. The fair was the motivation for my folks’ trip in the first place. Their local fair is quite large, they work it every year, and it has lost touch with much of its ‘Ag’ roots over the years. Our fair is reminiscent of what theirs used to be so they planned their trip to coincide with it.
Emilie loved the animals. The horses seemed to be her favorite. She spent a great deal of time laughing and kissing the noses of any horse that would let her. Jack pretty much rolled his eyes at all the critters. He flat out refused to get out of the strolled until we got to the part with the tractors. It was a toss up as to what he liked better, Tractors or the model train room.
The morning after the fair we loaded up the car and headed north. I’ve been wanting to take my parents to Stanley since we first moved to Idaho so that’s just what we did. We hit the Elk Mountain RV Park for a BBQ dinner (the best) and took in many of the gorgeous lakes and scenery that surround the area. The Halstead fire prevented us from seeing the Yankee Fork dredge and Sunbeam, but we got a great view of a burnout on the fire. We also went to the national fish hatchery, Galena Overlook (where Grandpa tried to feed Emilie to a chipmunk) Stanley Lake, Redfish Lake, and Alturas Lake. The kids had a great time playing in the dirt and rocks.
We stayed for the night at Jerry’s Country Motel & Cabins in Lower Stanley. I totally recommend them. The cabin we stayed in was clean and cozy. It had two double beds and a loft, plus a small kitchen and bathroom. The best part was that is was right on the Salmon river and you can’t beat waking up to a view of the river backed by the Sawtooth Mountains. Plus, fire helicopters were flying up and down the river from the Halstead fire to the airport and Jack was in heaven. He spent the evening literally screaming about helicopters every time one flew past.
It was a great trip. I think Mom & Dad are already ready to come back and spend more time in Stanley…I know I am.
