Idaho potatoes

Have you ever been to a museum devoted entirely to the potato?  I have.  Several months ago I was driving through eastern Idaho when I noticed a billboard along the side of the road that was advertising the Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot, ID.  It is located in a former Union Pacific Railway depot.  Everything you want to know about the potato is answered here by reading the display boards.  There is even a child's hands-on science and experiment center.

The craziest presentation was provided by the talking potato family.  This took me by surprise.  I was walking through this short hallway from one display area to the next (the hall was sort of dark) when all of a sudden I heard someone talking to me.  I turned around to see who it was and as I did so I happened to look down through this glass wall to a room in the basement.  The room was pitch black except for the potato sacks with faces on them that were looking right at me and talking to me, too.  Talking potatoes!!  The potato family talked about all things potato and cracked a bunch of jokes along the way.  It was hilarious.  I must have activated the projection system and awakened the potatoes when I passed through the short dark hallway.  I was completely surprised by this.  What a great surprise for everyone that visits the museum.  I had a lot of fun there.   It pays to read those billboards along the roadside and when you see something special--just stop and enjoy.

Ellensburg sunrise

This picture was actually taken during the early winter months of this year but for some reason I never posted it.  Sunsets are beautiful.  The satisfying comfort of the approaching nighttime offers peaceful rest for the weary.  But, there is something quite exhilarating about a sunrise.  Perhaps it's the new hope that accompanies the approaching day or maybe it is the colors of the sky mixed with the refreshing air that makes it so special.  The early morning hour is my favorite.  That hour deserves a beautiful sunrise.

Mrs. Nixon's gowns

On display at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum were several gowns worn by the First Lady for various formal occasions.  All of the gowns were very beautiful.  The blue gown was among her favorites and she had her official portrait painted while wearing this dress.

the gardens at the library

The gardens and landscaping at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum are quite beautiful.  Mrs. Nixon loved roses and there is a lovely rose garden near where she and her husband are buried.  The white gazebo was used during the wedding of their oldest daughter when she was married at the white house.  It was later placed here on the grounds of the library.

This boot print in cement is located in the Buzz Aldrin Moonwalk Plaza in the courtyard area of the gardens.  Buzz Aldrin made this imprint while wearing a copy of the actual boot made from the original mold on the thirtieth anniversary (1999) of the first NASA moonwalk.  All six moonwalks were done during the Nixon presidency.

This fountain and these flags welcome visitors to the grounds of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.

R N Presidential Library and Museum

I read that there were going to be a bunch of fun things to do on the Fourth of July at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California.   I decided to go and have some patriotic fun on our nation's birthday celebration so...I did.

The original house, built by Richard Nixon's father, was still located on the property.  The land was farmed by the Nixon family and this is the house where Richard Nixon was born.

The interior of the cottage style house was simple but very cozy.  The original furnishings are still found in the house.  It served the family well.

The presidential helicopter is parked on the property and is open for tours.  Interesting.

The President and First Lady are buried next to the rose garden near the courtyard.

During the day of the Fourth of July festivities I was able to see and hear costumed characters such as Ben Franklin and George Washington talk about declaring our country's independence and what went on to bring us to this decision.  There was a band concert comprised of patriotic music given in the onsite replica of the East Room of the White House.  And, of course, there was a very stirring reading of the Declaration of Independence.  The museum is filled with informative displays and took me quite a while to observe it all.  I thought it was a great day to be at the museum and a fun way to spend the Fourth of July.

Coachella Valley Historical Museum

I really like visiting county museums because I get a better picture of what the history and local life of an area was like.  I recently visited the Coachella Valley Historical Museum in Indio, California.  The museum was headquartered in the former home of an early practicing doctor who settled in this area.  The original kitchen serves as one of the display rooms.

Anything to do with clothing and apparel intrigues me.  The current display features garments worn by pioneering women in various fields from medicine to aviation.  The woman who came up with the idea of painting a center stripe in the middle of the road was a doctor here.  She was tired of getting run off the road on her way to visit patients by people who drove all over the road.

No county museum would be complete without old farm machinery on display.  Nice tractors!!

This is the woodshed in back of the doctor's home.  In addition to practicing medicine, he also built furniture and cabinets for the house.

Located on the property was the original two room schoolhouse for the area..The main entrance opened into a small foyer with two interior doors.  One side housed the lower school and, of course, the other door led to the classroom for the upper grades.

In the center of the museum property stands the old water tower like a guardian protecting the site.  I had a nice visit here and would recommend this museum to anyone interested in local history.

Pioneertown

Located near Yucca Valley, California is a small town called Pioneertown.  The town was developed in 1946 for use as a western style movie set.  The buildings actually housed small businesses and served the needs of the movie production workers.

The wide main street hosts re-enactments of western gunslinger showdowns and other public events.  It's a fun place to let your imagination go while picturing what life in the old west must have been like in the 1800's.

Joshua Tree National Park

Oh, wow!!  If you ever get a chance to drive through Joshua Tree National Park in southeastern California, you will be so happy that you did.  The park sits in the desert and the temperature on the day I visited (July) was 113 degrees.  The terrain changes as you pass from the lower Colorado Desert in the south to the higher elevation Mojave Desert in the north.

Here are pictures taken in the area called the cactus garden.  There is a quarter mile walking path passing through the natural garden.  Avoid touching the cactus.  The may look soft and fluffy but they are sharp and painful to remove if they poke you.

This group of rocks looks like the head of a sleeping man.  It is a naturally formed rock hill with a short hiking trail winding beneath it.

The vegetation looks very scrubby but each plant grows exactly where it should within the desert it is located in and is an important part of the desert ecosystem.  There is a huge wash area running through the lower park and a sudden storm can cause immediate flooding.  The water just rolls off of the rock mountains and flows freely in this area.

Joshua Tree NP is operated by the National Park Service.  Please, go!  See the beauty for yourself.  Bring lots of drinking water and be sure your car is gassed up.  It takes a couple of hours to drive through the park--longer if you stop and enjoy the scenery.