My Travel Blog-Family Vacation
My Travel Blog-Family Vacation-(Day 1-3)
We usually plan a family vacation yearly to visit our daughter Shelby and her family. This year was no exception, but we just added more of our family to the mix! Our adventure’s first stop takes Us to Middleton, ID. Here, we visit my brother Delfo, his wife Kory, and daughter Stephanie. Now, this would be a short visit but very meaningful, packed with so much fun! The evening we get into Idaho, we meet up for dinner and catch up. Stephanie had just started back to school, her first day back as a matter of fact! Sit back and enjoy “My Travel Blog-Family Vacation.”
The next day, we woke up to breakfast cooking and plans made to visit the Old Idaho Penitentiary. Boy! Were we excited!! The Penitentiary was full of rich history and info regarding the inmates that resided there and a bit paranormal- there was some strange energy there for sure! After exploring the grounds, we followed up with some lunch of Authentic Mexican food.
After lunch, we decided to explore Zoo Boise in Boise, ID. Though it was hot and humid out, we still enjoyed seeing the animals that were still out. I love zoos!
(Days 3-5)
The next day was a travel day headed towards Post Falls, ID. We stayed the night there and met up for dinner with our daughter Shelby Cherie, grandchildren of 6, her ex-husband David, new wife Shelby Lynn, and family from Oregon-Uncle Doug and Aunt Christina. Next would be the big day for the Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, ID – an all-day event for Us. On one side are the roller coasters and other rides available. On the other side is the waterpark rides. With the hot weather, that was sure a treat!
My husband Dana and I rode the train first as we heard the line for this ride was very long if you went later. The rest of the family enjoyed themselves at the waterpark portion. After the train, Dana and I went our separate ways to explore more of the park. I walked back to the waterpark to meet with my daughter and grandkids. We decided to take on the Riptide Racer ride-fun and scary! Dana rode the ride called the Corkscrew by himself. Brave soul! We also rode the Ferris Wheel, which I seemed to have a death grip on! LOL!
As you can see, we had a great time enjoying quality family time with one another. We took our time the next day, had breakfast, and spent our last hours together before we all got back on the road for home. Our daughter and grandkids, former son-in-law, wife, and grandkids were heading back to Montana, the grandkid’s Aunt & Uncle were heading back to Oregon, and we were slowly making our way back to Nevada.
The great thing about our trip was that we were all sober! I’m so proud of those family members, me included, involved in the 12 Step program – from my brother of 30 years to my daughter of 3 years and everyone else in between! We did what we had to do to enjoy the fruits of our labor today. I am grateful for the precious moments spent together, making lasting memories.
The List
We explored quite a few places on our family vacation, such as museums, cultural institutes, art galleries, and more. Here is a list of places we checked out should you find yourself around these areas:
- Skinners Rockhouse Coffee; Jordan Valley, OR
- Old Idaho Penitentiary Museum; Boise, ID
- Zoo Boise; Boise, ID
- Tamastslikt Cultural Institute; Pendleton, OR
- Pendleton Woolen Mill and Retail Store; Pendleton, OR
- Silverwood Theme Park; Athol, ID
- Buck Knives Factory and Retail Store; Post Falls, ID
- Jundt Art & Museum Center; Spokane, WA
- Riverfront Park; Spokane, WA
- Clover Island; Kennewick, WA
- Columbia Park; Kennewick, WA
- Stonehenge Memorial; Maryhill, WA
- Maryhill Museum of Art; Goldendale, WA
- Linkriver Trailhead; Klamath, OR
- Klamath County Museum; Klamath Falls, OR
- Baldwin Hotel Museum; Klamath Falls, OR
(Day 5-7)
After we said our goodbyes, we continued our adventures visiting Buck Knives manufacturing in Post Falls, ID. Then we traveled onward to Spokane, WA, where we spent the day exploring Riverfront Park, had lunch at PF Chang’s, and got lost in the moment. Luckily, we remembered we were on metered parking in time with 20 minutes to spare-phew! We stayed in Kennewick, WA, for the night. We had dinner and even got Dana in the hot tub for a little bit.
As we slowly made our way back home to Reno, NV, we stopped to visit Stonehenge Memorial in Maryhill, WA, and Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, WA, in the middle of nowhere! There was a bridge we went over which divided Oregon from Washington. How fun it was to weave in and out of Oregon and Washington for miles and miles! To avoid having a long haul back home on our last day, we spent the rest of the day driving and ended up in Klamath Falls, OR, where we would spend the night. No plans, just wherever the road took us.
So we spent the morning and early afternoon visiting the Klamath County Museum and the Baldwin Hotel Museum on a two-hour tour. These two museums were full of history and amazing artifacts! A must-see for sure! On our way out of town, we grabbed lunch and headed for home with only four hours to go. Before we reached Nevada, we drove through California towards Susanville. We sure hit a lot of states in our travels!
I’m so glad we took our time and stopped off the beaten path to explore and enjoy ourselves! Going with the flow and living in the moment suits Us well. For an in-depth look at our travel blog and view more photos, please visit our website at dananollsch.com.