You've Got to See this Place!

Even Martians land here!

Just a hop skip and a jump this side of Coeur d'Alene is a little town called Wallace, Idaho. Every downtown building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Emily said she had been here once for the best huckleberry ice cream ever!

This place was open and advertised huckleberry ice cream.

It was an old auto garage turned restaurant and...

...antique shop.

Every item on the walls, ceiling, and floor was FOR SALE.

While waiting for our food we perused "Bathroom Books" that adorned our booth.

Quote for the day (yes, this came from one of the books):

If you're going to act like a turd,

Go outside and lay in the yard!

Hmmm. I guess this used to be Idaho's "red light district" for local miners. Regardless of its sordid past, it has been added to my list of places I would love to visit again. My huckleberry milkshake was out of this world!

Home Again, Home Again via Spokane

Randy made a business trip to Spokane while Emily and I were in Seattle. So I got this harebrained idea that Emily and I could drive the four hours to Spokane on Thursday, Randy could cancel his Friday flight home, and drive home with us instead! (I mean DRIVE us home instead. tee hee.)

Besides, I love Spokane, and the drive through Idaho and Montana is longer, yes, but SO much prettier! It didn't take much to sell him on the idea - or maybe he was just being nice, as usual.

So Emily and I set off to meet him in Spokane. The four-hour trip became close to five due to bad traffic and we became pretty giddy towards the end. We decided to make up names for her future children using road signs. (What do YOU do to keep your mind occupied on road trips?) Her daughters? Beta Theta, and Puget. Her sons? Steptoe Edwall and Tyler Cheney (oh, that's just too normal.)

We called Randy the last hour and stated, "We're in the mood for Chinese; can you find a good restaurant in Spokane?"

Happily reunited, Randy, Emily and I checked out this highly recommended spot.

A delicious and somewhat high-priced Benihana kind of restaurant, our waitress made it very clear that it was Japanese NOT Chinese; no sweet and sour here. It made no difference to us; we were happy with anything and everything at this point.

The Great Getaway - Day Number Five

We awaken to the smell of Jenni's famous "To Die For Blueberry Muffins." I'm including the recipe just in case you would like it, and believe you me, you would like it!

TO DIE FOR BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

CRUMB TOPPING

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter cubed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.  Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add egg and enough milk to fill the cup.  Mix this with flour mixture.  Fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin cups right to the top (yes, the recipe really says to do this, but I'm warning you, it will really make a mess of your oven! Next time I'm filling mine 2/3 full!)  and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To make Crumb Topping:  Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.  Mix with fork and sprinkle over muffins before baking.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.

I'll tell you what, THIS is the little blueberry I can't get enough of! I could just eat her up!

Our little Sadie Jane

And her big brother, Payton.

It's time to leave now and as always we will miss you and look forward to being with you again. Thanks, Jenni for a wonderful time. There is something very special about your family and the beautiful spirit that resides in your home. We always feel so comfortable and welcome. 

We wish you lived closer, but then, would we appreciate you as much? Of course we would!

P.S. to the world -- These last four photos were taken by my Randy on our last visit to Seattle. Jenni has a collection of them to decorate her new home. 

The Great Getaway - Day Number Four

It was a berry pickin' kind of day, so we headed for the Lazy River U Pick Farm nearby.

A beautiful berry farm with enviable gardens of every type and style.

Blueberries were ripe and ready for the picking.

We probably should have weighed Payton before and after to see how many blueberries ended up inside him!

You haven't lived until you've tasted blueberries straight off the bush.

It was a couple of days past the prime rasberry picking time, but we hunted and found a few of those too.

Emily met up with Andy and Jackie Jaskson, good friends from BYU-I

and Jenni, babes, and I ventured to --

For delectable soup, sandwiches, and peach shortcake at the Boarding House Restaurant.

This place has earned a spot on my "Places to Visit Again and Again."

Another event to note --

Emily's Date with friend, Jeremy.

Will someone PLEASE tell her she isn't suppose to beat the socks off a guy at miniature golf on their first date!

The Great Getaway - Day Number Three

Today was "let's paint the dining room" day. Emily and Jenni transformed it from off-white to blue. As a side note, Emily is a terrific wall painter. She used to work for the professionals and knows the tricks of the trade. We all make good use of her and will owe her big by the time she gets her own place. 

I kept the kids busy doing this and that to keep them out of the cans of blue paint.

I took pictures of Payton.

And he took pictures of Sadie and me. (Not bad, huh.)

We celebrated a day well-spent with a trip to Alki Beach.

For out-of-this-world cinnamon rolls

And a stroll on the beach.

The Boys

The Girls

The Family

The Great Getaway - Day Number Two

Emily dragged me to breakfast first thing. I don't make it a habit of showing my face before I am totally ready for the day, but the Holiday Inn Express has hot biscuits and gravy and warm cinnamon rolls now. A breakfast like this won't wait for a finished hair do and a made-up face; I replaced my PJ pants with shorts (that's more than Emily did) and off we went.

Swam in the indoor pool (which was like swimming across a hot tub, it was so small), while Emily drove the car to see a "guy friend's" family.

Can't visit Boise without eating at my absolute favorite, The Brick Oven Bistro. Ya gotta try this place sometime!

One taste of their pepper parmesan salad dressing and sunflower wheat bread, and I was transported back to the "good ol' days" -- biking the green belt, floating the river, making music at the Morrison Center. Such a great time in history.

Off again for the second leg of our trip through the dry lands of Oregon and the lush forests of Washington.

To the new home of the Seattle area's most adorable family.

The Great Getaway - Day Number One

Promised Emily a road trip to Seattle. Loaded up chairs and tea cups and Jenni's old costumes and such. She has her own home now, so its time for me to give, oh giveaway. Also loaded up Emily and her giant bag of who knows what. When I questioned her about it, she just said, "I have to bring lots of hair stuff." What kind of hair stuff fills a bag THIS big?

Drove the six-hour trip to Boise, in five hours (hmmm), without stopping, on less than one tank of gas. Gotta love this hybrid. Landed at the Holiday Inn Express in time for a good night's rest. Almost got fresh cookies, but when Emily went to grab one it somehow FLEW out of her hand and halfway across the room onto the floor. (Good job, Emily!) By the time we recovered from that circus act, the cookies were all gone. sniff.