Where We’ve Been: Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state’s largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called “Idahoans.” Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890 as the 43rd state.
Idaho is a mostly mountainous state, with an area larger than all of New England. It is landlocked, surrounded by the states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and the Canadian Province of British Columbia. However, the network of dams and locks on the Columbia River and Snake River make the city of Lewiston the farthest inland seaport on the west coast of the continental United States.
According to the US Census Bureau, in 2009 the population for Idaho was estimated to be 1,545,801.The state’s postal abbreviation is ID. Idaho’s nickname is the Gem State because nearly every known gem has been found there. In addition, Idaho is one of only two places in the world where star garnets can be found (the other is the Himalaya Mountains, in India), and is the only place six pointed star garnets have been found. The state motto is Esto Perpetua (Latin for “Let it be forever”).
Idaho is the 14th largest state by land area. — Wkipedia

Idaho was beautiful.  I wish we’d had more time to explore the area around Twin Falls — the gorge there was amazing.

Lessons Learned

Have kitties, will travel.

1. Today, we traveled about 400 miles. Castor and Pollux would like you to know that they are done after slightly less than 300 miles.
2. Check the contents of your MP3 player before just letting it shuffle songs, lest NIN’s “Closer” come on.  Oh, the lyrics you never want to have to explain to a five year old.
3. The Thomas Condon Paleontology Center is an amazing rest stop to take while traveling across Oregon.  Clean restrooms, with changing tables, are just the beginning.  We managed time watching the paleontologists at work through windows in the center, plus a walk through the museum exhibits of fossils they have found.  Moon even scored some coloring pages from a friendly Park Ranger (“Look mom!  Bunnies used to have long tails!“).  Outside, you have sweeping views of the Painted Hills, and birds have built small mud-nests into the sides of the building itself.  The Center is only open 9am – 5pm, and the fossils are almost all mammals — kids looking for T-Rex will be disappointed.  The only complications for our group were the lack of crawling space (9 month olds do not seem to be their target audience), and making sure the kitties stayed cool in the parking lot (we lucked out with the overcast day).
4. Remember when your hotel was a place to relax and unwind after a long day of travel? Yeah, that was before you were spending your time trying to keep infant twins who have been cooped up in car seats all day quiet for the sake of your neighbors.  Please get sleepy soon, little guys!
5. Hey look!  Time change! We just lost an hour.  I have to get up earlier tomorrow morning?

12 hours or so later, we made it to Idaho.  Next stop, Utah!