STAYCATION pt. 3: Cleo's Ferry Museum + Nature Trail

For the final part of our staycation, we headed south on Highway 78 and turned off onto Highway 45 as they met at the Snake River, just between Murphy and Melba. We turned into Dan's Ferry Service gas station and headed down the hill, with old metal equipment, toys, tricycles and planters leading the way. A hand painted billboard announces the entry into Cleo's Ferry Museum and Nature Trail. It was our first time there and although the weather had turned a sunny and warm 60 degrees, we were the only visitors. From what I understand of the history, Cleo Swaye and her husband, Dr. Swayne, built the eclectic vernacular art environment on this idyllic section of the Snake River in the 1970s. Dr. Swayne's medical office was there, as well as their home. The couple built a variety of other rock structures to house their eccentric collections of oddities, including unusual medical supplies, clocks, religious artifacts and other antiquities. Dr. Swayne died in the late 1970s and his wife, Cleo, operated the facilities until she died last spring. There are caretakers who live on the site and manage the Nature Trail portion but sadly, the museum buildings have not been open to the public since Cleo's death (the board of trustees, which consists of family members, is trying to decide what is best for the property and collections).
We got out the stroller and headed up the paved Nature Trail, signing in at the kiosk and dropping a donation in the box (entry is free, but donations are welcome). Handcrafted birdhouses line the trail, as well as a plethora of religious signage, asking you to "believe in Jesus" and "tame your troubles." The trail offers sweet little respites, like the pond and meditative area Lucy discovered (above) as well as a replica tomb of Jesus. The God is Love Chapel has hosted over 140 weddings and a charming little family cemetery is also on the site.
There are an insane amount of bronze sculptures along the trail, depicting the Virgin Mary, children at play, and even a life size tribute to Albert Einstein. Our favorite part of the Nature Trail, however, was the Enchanted Forest.
It included all the things fairytales are made of: twisted trees, gnomes, fairies, mushrooms, frogs, and children. The girls loved it.
The trail wanders around in a circle, leading you back to the cluster of museum buildings and the home. The caretakers, a lovely couple, greeted us, told us a little about the history of the place, and even let the girls feed the peacocks on the property.

Cleo's Ferry Museum + Nature Trail is truly a hidden Idaho gem. We spent about 1.5 hours out there, and it was time well spent. We plan to head back out there in December, if not sooner, for their annual holiday lights display. I couldn't recommend this place more. There is a lovely picnic spot, so bring your lunch and make an afternoon of it. Or at least grab some CornNuts and sodas like we did up at the gas station. And don't forget to check out the handcrafted public outhouse while you're at it. It's worth it.

STAYCATION pt. 2: Givens Hot Springs

After lunch at The Orchard House, we headed south on Highway 55 through the darling little town of Marsing, where we got onto Highway 78 for an afternoon of leisurely swimming at Givens Hot Springs. Founded 127 years ago, the site was settled by the Givens family, who were Oregon Trail pioneers. They created some private pools that became so popular, especially with miners who looked for the miracle waters to soothe their ailments, that the Givens' built a hotel in 1903. Unfortunately, the hotel burned down in 1939, but there is still a campground and the current poolhouse was built on the site in 1952.



We got to the pool around 1pm and paid the $19 for admission ($7 per adult, $5 per child, and babies swim free). The caretaker, who is a descendant of the Givens family, was very kind, and gave Lucy a quarter from the register and kept calling her "Two Bit." The poolhouse seems to be pretty much in its original 1950s condition (with a working telephone booth still out front, which was a pleasant surprise for me). The dressing rooms (complete with showers) and the pool were both clean and spacious. The pool water was warm and lovely, and there is a separate wading pool for little ones (you can see Eric, Lucy and Alice in it above). Fun floaty devices can be rented for minimal fees (we brought our own). There were only a few families with young children, so the atmosphere was pretty calm. After about 2 hours we decided to move on to our next adventure, and finished up our stay at Givens Hot Springs with 25cent Popsicles that we ate outside in their picnic area. A great time was had by all, and we felt like we were celebrating summer early!

STAYCATION pt. 1: The Orchard House

I thought it would be fun to post a series on this blog called "staycations," which is like a vacation, but without traveling too far away. For my purposes, I'm using the term staycation to represent short trips we take around Idaho, either for the day or the weekend. It's become a popular promotional tool for the tourist industry in these difficult economic times, trying to get people to explore leisure in their own backyard, so to speak. Staycations are always something my family has enjoyed - finding the quirky, unusual, and cheap adventures locally. This has become more imperative to us given our new financial situation. I really needed a change of scenery last week, so did some research. We had a great day trip staycation over the weekend, all within about an hour of our home, and I'll be posting about it in three parts this week.

We loaded up the Jeep Saturday morning around 11am and headed towards Nampa, where we got off on Hwy 55. It was a beautiful, sunny but chilly day, and we enjoyed driving through beautiful orchards and wine country. Soon after we passed Chicken Dinner Road (which Lucy thought was HILARIOUS), we ended up on Sunnyslope Road, in what is technically still Caldwell, Idaho, to have lunch at The Orchard House.

My dad had sent me an email about The Orchard House's cooking classes, and we'd heard they had recently been filmed for an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on The Food Network. Known best for their handmade finger steaks and onion rings, we were excited about having lunch there. Not only did they both live up to their reputation (the rings were gargantuan and yummy), but they were also inexpensive. The fingers and rings dinner was only $8.25. I had the BLT, which was also delicious, and was only $6.50.
The kids menu, however, was a highlight for us. They offered several kid friendly options, all which came with a fancy drink. Kids can choose from Jurassic Juice or the Teddy Bear Pool Party, which Lucy can't stop talking about. It consists of strawberry and vanilla soda, complete with gummi bears "swimming" around and basking on the lid. Overall, the location was lovely (we have to go back to sit outside on their bucolic patio once the weather warms up), the service friendly and quick, and the food excellent. If you're looking for an nice, locally-owned place to have lunch or dinner that's a bit off the beaten track, I recommend taking a drive to The Orchard House.

STYLE: Nature Babycare diapers

I love these diapers. Seriously. When Lucy was born five years ago, we only had the usual suspects to pick from (Huggies, Luvs, etc.) as far as disposables. I felt bad about all the waste, but as a new mom in grad school trying to raise a baby, work as a curator, and write my thesis late at night, I had no desire to attempt the not yet vogue again cloth diapers. When Alice was born a year ago, I wasn't so self-centered and really wanted to do the cloth option, but the full time daycare situation didn't allow for it. Luckily, there were several earth-friendly options for disposable diapers to pick from.

My research indicated, however, that only Nature Babycare, created by a super smart Swedish mother, was both organic and biodegradable. They are hard to find here in Idaho, but some Target stores carry them (although, in my experience, none in the Boise area) and you can order them from Target online. I order my diapers and wipes in bulk from diapers.com. They are only around $44 for a case of 4 packages and when you spend $49 you get free shipping and they arrive in 3 days at your doorstep (Target's price is about the same and they, too, offer free shipping when you spend over $50). That's only a couple of dollars more than the better known disposable brands that are neither green nor cute.

We have also been pleased with their durability and feel. They are comfortable, keep Alice dry, and hold lots-o-urine. Plus, who doesn't like that darling leaf design on a tiny tush? A few tips: they do run a bit small and since there are no synthetic materials in the diapers, the rolling up the dirty business and tossing thing takes a bit of practice. If you're looking around for disposable diaper options, I highly recommend them. Give them a try.

FOODIE: Bulk Breakfast Burritos

My husband and I are self-proclaimed "foodies on a budget." In our past lives as childless lovers in great food cities like Portland, Oregon, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, we explored every diner and dive and nook and cranny of suburban strip malls in search of good eats (The Food Network references intentional). Our eating out habits lessened when we had kids, as we began to cook at home more, which became even more imperative when our income dramatically decreased a few weeks back. We still explore new joints on occasion, and I'll be blogging about them here (check back to see my review of Boise's new Idaho Fry Co. coming soon). Also, I'm not the world's best chef, but I do enjoy the challenge of creating somewhat healthy, affordable food for my family, so I'll be blogging about that and sharing recipes here, too.

As I was doing research for this blog, I came across some other sites of laid off bloggers that were inspirational, creative, and therapeutic. One site I stumbled across is The Simple Dollar, written by Trent, who found himself in "financial Armageddon" and thus decided to start his blog, offering sound financial advice for the rest of us. My favorite find, however, was his recipe for bulk breakfast burritos made on the cheap. My husband, who has been known to stop at a McDonald's or Maverick for a breakfast burrito from time to time, was all over me trying out this healthier, cheaper option.

Click here for the complete recipe:

I've actually made them twice now, the first time with the black beans like the recipe indicates and the second time (photo above) with shredded ham instead of the beans. We both agree the bean option is better and probably healthier for you. Also, we added a bit of shredded cheddar cheese and a few shakes of Tapatio for spiciness. I halved the recipe, since the recipe actually makes 32 burritos (a bit much for my small family), so while I should've been able to make around 16 burritos, I only wound up with 10. I think I may be putting too much egg mixture into the shell, but, damn, it's worth it.

LAID OFF AND LOSING MY BLOGGING VIRGINITY: The Inaugural Post

Over the past few weeks, my whole world has been turned upside down. I was laid off from my dream job turned nightmare, resulting in a what could've been a major career setback and a loss of almost 1/2 of our income. In this short amount of time, my persona has morphed from a chain smoking cigarettes in my pajamas all day lush into a stay at home mom with a fresh, albeit sometimes cynical, perspective. I've got a lot to share about life, Idaho style, so I decided to start a blog. Stay tuned.