Swan Valley, Idaho and More

Growing up in rural Idaho, I took so much for granted.  I didn't realize the beauty that surrounded me each day.  I thought every kid got to swim in canals, ride bikes with your friends until the sun went down, sleep outside on summer nights, see calves and colts romp in open fields, eat trout your dad caught, eat freshly picked peas, and see the Milky Way from your front porch.

We always had some place beautiful to drive too.  Wolverine Canyon, Kellys Canyon, West Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Lava Hot Springs, and Swan Valley.

We would eat in greasy cafes where the best hamburgers and french fries were served.  We could get square ice cream cones, and many times we pack a picnic, so we could eat anytime and any where.

Recently our family took a drive to Swan Valley.  We continued on to Targhee Ski Resort, driving through Driggs, Idaho.  The day was partly sunny, and the inside of the car stayed warm from the sun, although the outside temperatures were in the single digits.

Many years ago my Aunt Carol owned a restaurant and small motel in Swan Valley.   It was called Shangans Lodge.   I used to wash dishes for her restaurant to earn a little money.  I ate my first open faced sandwich in her restaurant.  Tucked under the lettuce leaf was my earnings for the day.  It was a $5.00 bill.  I remember the feeling of getting paid SO MUCH  money, for just washing dishes.

My cousins, they were all boys, had caught a badger that summer.  Badgers have a reputation for being very nasty and mean!  But, my cousins, with perseverance, tamed that Badger.  I know every one in the State Of Idaho feared that badger, and I was no different.  I didn't trust a wild animal to become tame.  But, those boys played with it all the time.  I don't know what happened to it.....

 
On our recent drive through Swan Valley, I had a flood of memories of my childhood. What a wonderful day I spent with my family.  We stopped for snacks, stopped to take several hundred pictures, and for potty breaks.  My DH and I shared many of our memories with our two daughters and grandson of "how it used to be".....where our favorite ski runs were, where our car almost slid off the road and down a ravine, etc.  I know they were spell bound hearing all the stories of our splendid youth and our early  years of marriage.   

We ate Buffalo Burgers in Driggs, and got hot cocoa in Swan Valley, and added another wonderful day to our memory bank.  By the time we got home, it was very dark, late, cold and our memory cards were as full as our hearts were. 

Thanks family, for a special spontaneous day!