Idaho

After leaving Utah we headed up to Idaho or spud country to stay at Aspen Acres Golf Club & RV Park near Ashton, ID which is owned by Billy and Katherine Stronks.  They also own FIVE11MAIN which is an Old Fashioned Soda Fountain Pizzeria restaurant in Ashton.

The RV park was very peaceful with the aspen trees and fairways.  To the east you can also see the Grand Tetons which are only about 30 miles away as the crow flies, but close to 100 miles if you drive there.

View of the fairway.

Aspen trees in the RV park.

Our RV spot at Aspen Acres Golf Course & RV Park.

The Grand Tetons view from the RV park about 30 miles away as the crow flies.

You can also check out their Facebook page for FIVE11MAIN to see who all has been stopping by, like Ponch, (Erik Estrada), who we did not meet, but would have loved to have.

The first time we went there to eat, we were told to try THE DARTH TATOR pizza which is considered the "Father" of all pizzas and is true to the Idaho potato theme.  It is a white sauce pizza with Idaho baked potatoes, Canadian bacon, bacon, cheddar cheese, and red onions.  It is very delicious and if you are ever there, you need to try one.

Both the RV park and restaurant are kid friendly and you could not ask for two better individuals to own them.  We felt very welcome at both places. 

They also had a bunch of wood cut up ready by each campsite for campfires and S'mores making which we took full advantage of.

Sitting by the campfire enjoying the heat and making S'mores.

While there we drove to the Grand Teton National Park to visit which is a good two hour drive over the mountains, but worth it.  You get to drive through Idaho in to Wyoming over Taylor Mountain through Jackson and Moose, WY.

We had planned on driving through Grand Teton north up to Yellowstone, but the road was still closed for the season, so had to turn around and come back to the RV park the way we came in.

Snow was still visible while driving over Taylor Mountain.

More snow drifts.

Once we made it to Grand Teton the views were spectacular.  It was well worth the one way 100 mile drive to see them.

Grand Teton.

To see all of the park you really need a couple of days, but we saw the majority of it in one.  It is one of those places you just have to see to get the full effect.

Another view of the mountain.

Sage was growing everywhere which you could smell in the air.

Tia, Ian, Ethan, Chloe, Courtney, and Avery at Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park.

Jenny Lake.

Avery, Ethan, Ian, and Tia at Jenny Lake.

View from Signal Mountain.

Another beautiful view from Signal Mountain.

Close up to the mountain.

Just a short distance from the RV park in Idaho is the Targhee National Forest which is accessible via the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway.  It runs along the Henrys Fork of the Snake River.

On the drive are two falls, the Upper and Lower Mesa Falls which were created from the river cutting through the canyon that was created during the last time Yellowstone's volcano erupted which was 2500 times more powerful than Mt St Helens in 1980.

You can still see in the canyon's walls the volcanic drama that created it all.

You can see the volcanic column like structures that formed over 25000 years ago.

Upper Mesa Falls.

The kids and I also measured ourselves against the Snow Pole.

Avery at the snow pole.

Ethan at the snow pole.

Ian at the snow pole.

Chloe at the snow pole.

Courtney at the snow pole.

Tia at the snow pole.

Daddy at the snow pole.

Lower Mesa Falls.

A closer picture of the Lower Mesa Falls.

More of the canyon and its walls that were formed by a volcano eruption.

A closer look at the canyon walls.

Ethan, Courtney, Tia, Chloe, Ian, and Avery at the Lower Mesa Falls overlook.

So before we go you have to see at least one field were the potatoes are grown when in Idaho.  Some places that is all you see for miles and miles.  

An Idaho field ready to grow potatoes.

So that was some of our adventures while in Idaho for the short week we were there.  We also made it to Yellowstone, but will leave that for the next blog.

We hope you like our blog and got something good from it like maybe sparking your interest to come and visit Idaho, stay at a friendly RV park, and eat at a really good soda shop and pizzeria.

If you follow us, we would really appreciate it, but it is not required.  You can also sign up to receive our blog in your email every time we publish a new one.  You can also like our LivelyRV Facebook page by using the link on the right of this blog.

We are blessed to be able to travel like this and meet all of the wonderful people while we travel.  God has blessed us and watches over us and we pray that He also watches over you and your families.

Lord knows that America is headed for some hard times and if we do not turn to God, we are not going to make it.

Thanks!
Don, Misty, and Kids...

Twenty Three States Visited So Far.

More Stuff We Did In Utah

This is our second blog on what we did while visiting Utah because we did so much it would not fit into one.  Actually every blog is usually only a glimpse of what we really do in an area, because either we feel it is too boring to blog about or just does not make the "I want to blog about this." list.

One thing we did was ride the UTA FrontRunner down to Salt Lake City, Utah to visit Temple Square which was Salt Lake's city center when settled by Brigham Young and pioneers who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The temple at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.

It is a very beautiful place to visit with lovely flowers, fountains, and architecture.  Everyone we met there were very friendly and answered any questions we had about any of the buildings or anything.

Ian, Avery, Ethan, Chloe, Tia, and Courtney in front of the temple.



The kids at one of the fountains in Temple Square.

Another place we had to visit while in Utah was the Young Living Whispering Springs Farm where they claim it to be the largest herb farm and distillery in the world.  The main crop here is lavender which they have over 1400 acres to grow it on.

Mount Nebo across from the Young Living farm in Mona, UT.

Since we use and sell Young Living Essential Oils, we really wanted to go see where and how the oils are made.  Even though Lavender is the main crop here, they also grow and distill Clary Sage, Goldenrod, Hyssop, Juniper, and Peppermint.

We took a buggy ride around the farm and then a tour of the distillery, which was very interesting.  To see where your oils come from makes them even more special when you use them. 

Oh, by-the-way, if you are a Young Living Distributor with Essential Reward points, you can use your points to pay for anything while visiting the farm.


Young Living Lavender Farm.

We would love to participate during the harvest so we could be a part of the distillation process, but it was not that time of the season when we were there.

The grounds were beautiful and seemed very peaceful with the scent of essential oils in the air.

Young Living Farm at Mona, Utah.

More of the Young Living Farm at Mona, Utah.

Kids playing at the Young Living Farm.

Small lavender field where the plants are used to demonstrate how they are grown and harvested.

After they harvest the plants they take them to the distillery plant and use purified steam to get the oils out.  The plants are dried out, then put into the stainless steel vats where steam is applied which releases the essential oils from the plant.  The steam is piped down stairs where it condenses into oil infused water.  The water goes into a separator where the oil floats to the top and is gathered, filtered, tested, and sent to the packaging facility.

During all of this the oil is constantly tested to ensure it is of the highest quality.  If it is not of the required quality, then it will not be sold as Young Living Essential Oil.

The stainless steel vats where the plants are steamed.

The condenser where the steam condenses back into oil infused water.



The separators where the oil is separated from the water and collected.

Here you can see the Juniper oil in the separator.

After it is taken out of the separators the oil is taken to the lab to be filtered and tested.  During the entire distillation process, every step is monitored to ensure you are getting the highest quality of essential oil possible.

The distillation process being monitored.

The oils being filtered into stainless steel containers.

A stainless steel container of Juniper oil.

Below is a reminder for all who enter the distiller of the Seed to Seal process.  This is what makes Young Living Essential Oils such high quality.

Seed to Seal.

We love using essential oils in our everyday life and have not had to use any over the counter or prescription drugs at all since we introduce essential oils into our lives over two years ago. 

God gave us everything in nature to address any and all illnesses.  Since essential oils are natural, how can you go wrong? 

"Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." Ezekiel 47:12 NIV

We are very happy we went to visit the Young Living farm and hope to go to their others farms in the United States and visit.  It was very interesting and informative.

So that was some of the things we did while in Utah.  We are always thankful that God has given us the ability to travel America and see all of its wonders.  God is good and we are blessed.  May God also bless you.

Thanks!
Don, Misty, and Kids...

Twenty Three States Visited So Far