A Giant Spud!

 Day 5

Salt Lake City was fun but we must travel on! Celeste and I decided that sleep and relaxation are needed on this trip. A lazy morning was a must. Our travels started around 10:30 today. The first stop was to fill up the car with gas. By the way... our car's name this trip is Capitol Carol. 

GPS took us up I-15 North to Idaho! One thing I have always wanted to do is to see the Potato Museum. Well folks, it did not disappoint. Of course we started by taking photos out front with the giant spud! 

Your first stop is to go in the gift shop. They have some wonderful things to buy and then you pay your $6 admission. There is a AAA discount! Also, if you buy something, your bag is a potato sack!! 

In the museum you will learn some cool facts about potatoes, see farming equipment and even race some "potato" cars. To see our video you must be friends with Celeste on Insta or Facebook. Here are some facts that I learned: 

1. The average American eats about 110 pounds of potatoes a year.

2. 94% of potatoes grown in Idaho are Russet potatoes.

3. Potatoes originated in the Andes Mountains of South America

4. French Fries were introduced to the United States when Thomas Jefferson served them in the White House

5. Potato chips are one of the most common snacks in the world with billions of bags being eaten each year. 

Now for the exciting part. We ate a baked potato in the potato cafe attached to the museum! And some potato ice cream. The ice cream is regular ice cream with some kind of potato product added. We didn't get the details. The baked potato was fantastic. 

After lunch it was time to head to our final destination for the day. One last photo op was needed. 

I read on Trip Advisor about a small collectors corner in Idaho Falls. It had great reviews. Of course we needed to check it out. Let me tell you, if you ever are in Idaho Falls, visit this place. The couple that owns it are collectors of so many things! I won't bore you with everything but here are a few pictures from the place. The couple has been married for 60 years. They love to drive around the U.S. looking for treasures at estate sales and little stores. They love to talk about the items in their little museum and give you some great demonstrations. They were so friendly. 

Our last stop for the day was to visit Idaho Falls. It was relaxing to listen to the waterfalls. The weather had cooled off and we were able to walk around a bit. So far, I am loving Idaho! 

The hotel we are staying at looks at the Snake River. There is also a beautiful mural in the lobby. 

Thanks for reading and following along! 

Team USA!

 Day 4

After a full day of driving yesterday we decided to not rush our morning. We enjoyed a hot breakfast from Hampton Inn. It was nice to have some normalcy back. Celeste and I are being very cautious when it comes to our health and safety. We still wear our masks around large groups and in elevators with other people. We are fully vaccinated but who wants to get sick during a 20 day road trip? 

Once we finished the wonderful free breakfast we headed out to the Olympic Park in Park Cities, Utah. Last night we reserved our spot for the 11:00 tour. Our goal was to get there early, look around the museum and enjoy the sights. We arrived around 10:15 and some ski jumpers were practicing their jumps! We could not have planned that any better. 

We started to get hot (it was in the 90s today,) so we ventured inside to explore the museum and gift shop. The museum was pretty cool. They had artifacts from the opening ceremonies, uniforms, and so much more. It was cool to "hold" the olympic torch. 

At 11:00 we met our guide. His name is Carl Roepke. He has been announcing for the Olympics in the areas of bobsled, luge, and skeleton. If you are watching the Winter Olympics listen for his voice. We really did luck out with him because he was able to give us a lot of background information. When we got to the area where the luge begins, there was a Silver Medalist Olympian named Valerie Fleming. She boarded our tour bus and talked to us for a few minutes. It was really cool to meet her. While up on the mountain we saw 2 more future Olympians training for a new sport, the Monosled. It will be a one person bobsled racer. 

After meeting these wonderful ladies we headed to the top of the mountain to see where the ski jumpers start. It was super high and really scary to look down. Carl was very knowledgable and we were really lucky to have him as our guide. 

Once we finished touring the Olympic park we set out to find the site where the flame was lit. Unfortunately it was in an area under construction so we didn't get out of our car. 

Our next stop was the main event - the Utah Capitol. Once we parked we visited the gift shop first. I bought my magnet, some huckleberry yogurt pretzels, and postcards. We headed across the street to start our journey through the capitol. As we crossed the street we came across a lady. She had pants on but she was sitting with her legs spread apart and she was burping... what a way to start the experience. Well, we laughed it off and got our photos of the outside. After taking photos I turned around, saw the view and started tearing up. I so wish that my mom was standing next to me to see the amazing capitol and view. She would have loved it so much. I know, I know... she's always with and is with me. Trust me, it is not the same as having that person next to you in the flesh to be able to hug and talk to. One day, after I'm old and gray, I will see her and we can share the adventures over a chai latte, a white mocha, and the thumbprint cookies from Market Street. 

The next thing to figure out was how to get into the building. Now, remember, this is my 44th capitol. I was prepared for bag checks, handing security my drivers license, and answering standard questions like "Why are you visiting us today?" Well, guys, non of that happened! We walked right in, said hello to security and toured the capitol. 

Celeste and I do have traditions when going inside a capitol. We always ride the elevators. This one was cool as it had glass to see out of. If you see a capitol make sure to find the House of Representatives and the Senate. Need a restroom? Use one in the building! Last, but not least, look at the busts and artwork around. You can tell a lot about a state's history by what they put up in their capitol (that is what my mom always said.) 

From the capitol we went back to our hotel to rest. It had already reached 99 degrees and a heat advisory was issued. After a short rest we walked across the street to Western Nut Company. We are the crazy girls who each spent $40 on nuts! 

For dinner, we decided to order Chinese food to the hotel so that we could relax, do a load of laundry (Celeste,) and pack. We leave this beautiful city tomorrow. 

Follow along tomorrow to see our next destination! 

Just Keep Driving

 Day 3 

Today was our driving day. We started by saying "Good-bye" to Colorado Springs. We stopped for a great breakfast in Castle Rock at IHOP. We tried to go to Village Inn but unfortunately it was permanently closed. 

After filling our tummies we headed off to Utah! Our drive today was mainly in Wyoming. The best part about a road trip is the beautiful scenery. Wyoming is BEAUTIFUL! I saw cows, horses, farms, and mountains. You can even see snow at the tops of the tall mountains. 

The only complaint from today is that there were no Welcome Centers for Wyoming or Utah. We did find a rest stop in Utah and were greeted by tons of rodents. Celeste was looking at the grass from our car and said, "Do you see the ground moving. I think it's a rat or a mouse." Little did we know that these critters would soon come up to us. I was freaked out. Later we looked it up and they are called Belding's Ground Squirrels. They were cute but were not afraid of us. 

After a long drive it is nice to have a hot shower and a comfy bed.