Memory Lane

 A couple weeks ago we made the trip to Idaho Falls for a movie, lunch, museum visit and grocery shopping.  My parents moved to Idaho Falls when my dad retired from the Forest Service.

We always drive by my parent's house.  Why? I don't really know.  It's gone downhill since my dad sold it.  He always had a lawn maintenance guy who keep the lawn green and healthy, not so much anymore.

My dad has been gone for four years now and I miss him every single day.  I'll always be grateful to both my parents for allowing me and my brothers to just be their kids all the way up until the end.  

My dad was heavily involved in the Bonneville County Historical Society which is now the Museum of Idaho.  His legacy there is the Eagle Rock display in the lower level.  After his passing my brothers and I purchased a paver in my dad's honor which is outside the entrance doors.

The museum is now a world class place with great traveling exhibits.  Currently, Body Works: Inside and Out is on display.

It was quite interesting, how the heck do they preserve the muscles and tissues like that?

What I was really there to see though was Eagle Rock.  It is so cool that the hall is named after my dad and his friend Lois Nickum who where both instrumental in the creation of Eagle Rock.

I didn't know really know what to expect, but was delighted to see the exhibit remains virtually the same.

They added these interactive screens outside each window that you can touch to find out what an item is in the display and what it is used for.  I always had my dad to tell me that information.

My dad knew where every single item in these displays came from.

Then there was an emotional moment for me.  This bedroll used to be inside one of the displays, but it's been moved outside onto a porch.  That's my dad's bedroll that he used during his Forest Service years.  My brothers also used it for their scouting trips and I used it at camps I went to.  I remember it being quite heavy because it's wrapped in canvas, but it was sure warm.

The tag on the bedroll is in my dad's handwriting.  He put it on there all those years ago when he donated it to the museum.  I just wanted to reach over and take the whole thing home with me just to feel closer to my dad, but it has a much better home in the museum.

The General Store was always my favorite.  Many of the items here came from my aunt and uncle's ranch in Dubois, ID.

Photography shop.

It's certainly not the same to visit there without my dad.

It made my heart happy to know my dad has this legacy he left behind that will be enjoyed by thousands of visitors over the years (until the next renovation anyway).

Afterwards we when down to the greenbelt along the Snake River.  

I can't even tell you how many miles I've put in on this greenbelt.  I used to go walk it every morning when visiting my dad.

I love the topiaries.

I'm not a Mormon, but I do appreciate the beautiful setting of the temple alongside the river.

At Christmas we always had a tradition of walking along the river on Christmas Eve in the freezing cold.  I really miss those evening walks...we don't have anything to replace it.  This was our last walk in 2016.

A wonderful trip down memory lane.