Travel Diary

Today, we would head to Idaho City. So around 11am, we got in the car and headed east to Boise and then north. The destination allowed several places to stop and take photos of the big valleys and hills and a gorge or two. And the weather was perfect for that. Not too cold for November, though still cold enough to need a coat. Yeah, definitely coat weather still.

Idaho City being reached, we drove through “downtown.” It’s a very small town that had its heyday way back in the 19th century for about four years during its gold rush era. And I guess some people just stuck around. Many of the roads are not paved and the weather is relentless against it. It was fun to see the old buildings and a lot of the town is preserved to some degree. After driving through a few streets, we headed over to the Boot Hill cemetery. It was up into the woods on an unpaved road.

The cemetery is unusual as that everything is scattered amongst the forest. Graves went back to the 19th century and are still be filled today. Some people pre-purchased them as well. It’s really worth visiting as the sereneness of the place makes you see why people choose it for their final resting place. Plus, it covers a fair amount of ground and the graves are fairly randomly placed.

After that, we headed into town. Mom and Dad got a little food and I went down the main street some. We then headed homeward, stopping near Duck Lake to photograph a large water spout. This was the same area we had gone paddle boarding in the summertime. Then back home for dinner with Tanner and Merit coming over. Andy would have but he was ill.

This would be our Thanksgiving for 2025. Well, mine with my family at least. Perhaps they will have another one later in the month. We had a wonderful meal and I went large on the beef and broccoli since very few carbs in those items. I did consume a quarter potato since it was prepared nicely. Alas, had to skip the rolls of course, and the potato or macaroni salad. No wine due to the sober year, so just diet soda.

After dinner we all played a round of Camel Races. This game is fun. We’ve been playing it over a year now and it’s certainly an enjoyable one. I prefer it over Yahtzee as more skill is involved. Plus, it’s just fun to race and bet on the colorful camels. I did far more betting than usual and I wasn’t sure it would pay off, but luckily it did and I was the victor. I was truly able to call myself the Camel King. Tanner and Merit then left, so we watch an old black and white movie called Johnny Eager. Fun film noir.

Normally, I would have crashed early for my flight, but the flight had been changed to 6pm instead of 8am as originally booked. A week before, Alaska Airlines offered $45 if I changed flights and that worked out great. More time to spend with my parents, plus got to meet up with Mimi and Greg, and finally, well, $45. Wins all around.