Blog Archives
Take Me Down to Idaho City
Being “new to town” hasn’t gotten old yet. It’s still a continual summer vacation, even though I’m technically home. Every single weekend is an opportunity to explore somewhere new. The Pacific Northwest to the Big Sky is so diverse, ranging from farmland to forests to waterfalls. It feels like we’ve already seen so much but we’ve barely made a dent in the Idaho bucket list. Which is okay. Because we plan on being here for a while. :)
How many times do you go on vacation thinking, “wouldn’t it be nice to live here?” Some day this vacation mentality will wear off but I’m soaking it in while it’s here. I’m so proud of the fact that my family and I take full advantage of our free time to venture out to new-to-us places and explore constantly. We definitely won’t be able to look back and call ourselves couch potatoes!
This weekend’s adventure took us to Idaho City.
Idaho City is somewhat of a “ghost town” about an hour outside of Boise, but it’s a very scenic drive following the Boise River past a giant reservoir through the foothills and up into the mountains. We reached about 6,500 ft. elevation and it’s crazy how drastically the scenery changes in just 60 miles or so.
Idaho City is a tiny western town…as in population 468. The ghost town was historically the largest city in the Pacific Northwest during the gold rush. It’s civil war-era charm is preserved with original buildings like the court, city hall and homes along Main St.
You can’t miss the eclectic antique shop. It’s a pretty picturesque pile of junk.
We walked the entire town…..in about 20 minutes :) I can’t imagine living where everyone literally knows everyone else but it’s fun to think about. We couldn’t leave without iced coffees from Sarsaparilla’s Ice Cream Parlor, complete with a vintage Barbie fridge and huckleberry flavor everything. We stuck to the usual: iced americano’s with sugar-free caramel and even though we all eyed the amazing ice cream, we seriously tested our willpower and fueled ourselves with grapes and apples instead.
We had grand intentions of hiking 6 miles along a creek but A.) My mom and I are terrified of bears….or really any wildlife in general. And B.) We discovered we didn’t have the right parking permit. But we enjoyed the gorgeous views driving along the mountains and creeks listening to country music and sipping iced coffees so no complaints :)
My all-time favorite TV show Gilmore Girls is like that. Their town, Stars Hollow, is that charming New England town with the town square and town hall meetings, one diner and one church. That simple lifestyle is so attractive when nowadays cities are so big and we are so small. The more advanced we get with technology, the more detached we become and it’s refreshing to see actual communities. I know that everyone wants what they don’t have. People from small towns probably dream of living in the big city just like I dream of downsizing. Still, day vacations like these are so fun to see how dramatically different other people live.
We weren’t ready to call it a day yet, so we had a spontaneous detour to Lucky Peak resevoir….the closest thing to a “beach” we’ve got 1,000 miles away from the ocean. :) Next on the bucket list: wake-boarding and paddle-boarding. Time to meet some friends with boats…
Our weekend also included watching Track & Field Olympic Trials (FOUR of my old college teammates competed and THREE are moving onto finals…..GOOO Lumberjacks!). I also had a Pinterest Win with some American flag chocolate-dipped pretzels that I took to a new friend’s BBQ on the 4th of July. (I don’t always nail my Pinterest crafts – but when I do, I forget to take a picture. #bloggerfail.)
Hope you had a fantastic 4th of July weekend celebrating America!
The Last Week of Summer Break
It has been 105 days of Summer Vacation.
As much as I love my family, I am beyond ready to return to college life for SENIOR YEAR. My car is packed, my apartment is ready, and I’m cruising down the highway as we speak! The past 7 days have been the busiest and craziest days…here are some highlight:
The Green Goods:
Last week at work, our receptionist asked if anyone would like to “adopt” some of the office plants. I have a brand new unfurnished apartment…something green sounded nice! I got some funky flowered plants (don’t ask me what they are). Well….they needed pots. And planting soil. And metal stakes. My “free” plant babies cost $30. These damn things better not die. ;)
The Book List:
I stocked myself up with PLENTY of reading material for the school year too! One day after work, I had some time to kill while I waited for the temperatures to cool off enough for an evening run. The selection at the used bookstore in the mall this week? JACK POT. As I browsed the store, the stack of books in my arms grew taller and taller. The cashier actually came to me TWICE to hold my books at the counter.
“That looks very heavy.” You underestimate my muscles, mister.
But thank you ;)
My favorite find of the day = Someday, Someday, Maybe because of the author. Lauren Graham AKA Lorelai Gilmore from Gilmore Girls AKA my favorite show ever and ever. I’m three chapters in and already hoping she writes a sequel.
The Last Home Long-Run:
On Sunday morning, I tackled a 12-mile long run before the 7 o’ clock hour. The route was different than usual because 3 miles in I took a sharp left turn that led to some greener views. Sightings: 1 coyote, 2 scruffy mutts, and 5 hungry ducks.
A Jittery Habit:
I’ve picked up a habit of running to the deli next door for an afternoon Iced Americano with 3 pumps of sugar-free cinnamon dolce and a splash on non-fat. I have this “treat yourself” mentality going on right now. I’ve had 4 this week. Starbuck’s is capitalizing on my cold cravings and I’m okay with that.
Baseball Oreos:
Our office hosted a Bake Sale fundraiser for one of the employees. Instead of buying goodies, I will be participating by contributing something to sell. Pinterest is my go-to for crafty-crafts and I was immediately attracted to “Baseball Pops” AKA white chocolate-covered Oreos.
Popsicle sticks + Oreos + White Melting Chocolate + Red candy melts
Interning as Usual:
All summer long, I have worked in the corporate office of a major national manufacturing company. This has been an eye-opening experience since so much of my projects are directly related to my business courses. I’ve really enjoyed working in an office-setting….mainly because I get to dress up in heels and blazers and pencil skirts. Playing dress up is never a bad thing.
Lot’s of “goodbye” meals.
First, the department at work planned a mid-week lunch. It was my choice of restaurant. Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar & Grill :) No shop-talk allowed! I got a salad with shrimp skewers, avocado, mango salsa and light balsamic vinegrette on the side. (It reminded me of the version I made two years ago…)
We also met up for a last summer dinner with my mom’s BFF and her daughter. We were too busy girl-chatting for pictures on that one ;) Yesterday some girlies from work all went out for lunch at my favorite: Panera. Garden Veggie Soup with a Thai Chicken Salad:
Friday morning I walked into the office for the LAST day of my summer internship. Outside of my office was a breakfast spread that was noticeably different from previous company potlucks: It was healthy! Our office enjoys celebrating birthdays and special occasions with potlucks, most of which include donuts and streudals. They themed this one “healthy” in honor of moi and covered the table in fruits, nuts, granolas, yogurt, hummus and crackers. So sweet!
Plus an awesome last dinner at a sushi bar, Ooka. This week was full of some hilarious, ridiculous moments. It included lots of packing and cleaning and errands. But it also became a little overwhelming at time, and by Friday night I wanted a drink! I wanted to sip, relax, laugh and have a great last night. It was a success :)
Sending me off to school fat & happy and ready to take advantage of our amazing recreation center!
My summer was a long one. Two trips to New York and two medical procedures. Two trips to Flagstaff. One spectacular concert. Working full-time. Running morning and evening. Baking and cooking. Trips to San Diego and Newport. The only thing I didn’t get to was a baseball game. But the Dbacks are just a two-hour drive away, so maybe I’ll catch an AZ game pretty soon. ;)
BRING ON THE NEW SEMESTER.
