Roadtrip – Journeys with Eileen Diane

Boise Rose Garden, Boise, Idaho ~ Photos ~ May 2023

July 23, 2023July 22, 2023Journeys with EileenDiane

It is the time you have spent on your rose that makes her so important ~ Antoine De Saint-Exupery

Truths and roses have thorns about them ~ Henry David Thoreau

The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change: Yet at each state, at each moment, it is perfectly all right as it is ~ Paulo Coelho

If the rose puzzled its mind over the question of how it grew, it would not have been the miracle that it is ~ J. B. Yeats

Boise River Greenbelt ~ Boise, Idaho ~ Photos ~ May 2023

July 16, 2023July 15, 2023Journeys with EileenDiane

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Savor your journeys… real, imagined or virtual, near or far

The Falls at Idaho Falls, Idaho ~ Photos ~ May 2023

July 4, 2023July 3, 2023Journeys with EileenDiane

Waterfalls are exciting because they have power, they have rainbows, they have songs, and they have boldness and craziness! ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan

Japanese Friendship Garden ~ Idaho Falls, Idaho ~ Photos ~ May 2023

June 28, 2023June 27, 2023Journeys with EileenDiane

The art of stone in a Japanese garden is that of placement. Its ideal does not deviate from that of nature. ~ Isamu Noguchi

In order to comprehend the beauty of a Japanese garden, it is necessary to understand – or at least to learn to understand ~ the beauty of stone. ~ Lafcadio Hearn

No one will understand a Japanese garden until you’ve walked through one, and you hear the crunch underfoot, and you smell it, and you experience it over time. Now there’s no photograph or any movie that can give you that experience ~ J. Carter Brown

The beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden, located on the Snake River, has a traditional Japanese garden gate, a viewing platform, a “Dragon Path” across a pond and a deck plus many water features. It was developed to celebrate thirty years association with their sister city in Japan, Tokai-Mura. It’s a marvelous place to spend time with nature prior to walking further to explore the Green Belt and the falls of Idaho Falls.

Road Trip ~ Yellowstone National Park ~ Photos ~ Restaurants ~ May 2023

June 18, 2023June 17, 2023Journeys with EileenDiane

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” ~ John Muir

Yellowstone is spectacular, especially the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and seeing the bison and geysers were incredible. I only covered part of the Park and will definitely return to explore the northern area.

If you plan a trip to Yellowstone, definitely get a tour book and also use the National Park information online and decide which areas you want to explore. I chose to stay in West Yellowstone (and use the west entrance) as it is next to the Park, has many hotels and restaurants plus the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, West Yellowstone, MT ~ May 2023 ~ Photos

By going in May, I avoided the summer crowds however, some parts of the Park were still closed and at the higher altitudes, there was snow on the ground. Also, even in May, there were traffic backups, sometimes caused by drivers stopping to see the bison while other times, a mystery.

Favorite Restaurants ~ West Yellowstone

Madison Crossing Lounge I had dinner twice at this fabulous restaurant. The bison meat loaf was excellent and the desserts were Have a superb (blueberry bread pudding and tiramisu). The restaurant has a varied menu plus an extensive wine and cocktail list.
Ernie’s Bakery & Deli Terrific place open for breakfast and lunch or perhaps buying a picnic lunch to enjoy in the Park. The croissant sandwiches are delicious, as are the French pastries.

Would I go back to Yellowstone? Most definitely … it is a treasure and should be on everyone’s travel list!

Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined

Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, West Yellowstone, MT ~ May 2023 ~ Photos

June 12, 2023June 11, 2023Journeys with EileenDiane

This not for profit wildlife park is marvelously informative about bears and wolves. There are exhibits to browse prior to walking through the wolf and bear habitats. I was lucky to be there when the animals are fed: staff hide the food and the animals hunt about for their meal (as do the birds!). Staff are helpful and knowledgeable.

At one of the buildings in the wolf habitat area, there is a statue of a wolf. Several times, I saw a wolf come to the glass enclosure and stare at the statue. I found that fascinating and wondered what he was thinking or sensing. Another enclosure is open with the wolves at more of a distance.

The Center is a marvelous place, as within Yellowstone, I saw bison, but did not see wolves or bears. I purposely stayed in West Yellowstone to use the west entrance to the Park because a town is convenient to that entrance plus I’d read about the Discovery Center. You can easily spend several hours at the Center and it is definitely worthwhile to explore.

Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined

Road Trip to Yellowstone National Park ~ Overview ~ Photos ~ May 2023

June 5, 2023June 4, 2023Journeys with EileenDiane

I’ve always wanted to visit Yellowstone National Park and finally got there. It is spectacular and I understand why people make more than one visit and/or stay for longer than a few days. I planned to travel prior to Memorial Weekend and waited until the snow season was over (though there was snow on the ground in the higher elevations).

My route from western Washington started with the I-90, stopping in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I had time to visit a favorite book store (“The Well Read Moose”) before heading to Butte, Montana to break up the drive. Leaving Butte, I went over Homestake Pass (6,329 feet, the Continental Divide) and then local Montana highways to West Yellowstone.

Yellowstone National Park has 5 entrances. I chose the West Entrance as the town is very close to the park. My favorite part was the Canyon area. And I mentally made a note to return to see more of the northern part of the park. Should you travel to this area, definitely check online or guide books for valuable information.

West Yellowstone has a fabulous Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. And while I saw magnificent bison in the park, I am glad I visited the Discovery Center to see the wolves and bears.

Leaving the park, I traveled via the South Exit, noting that the restaurant at Grant Village was closed but would open Memorial Weekend. The South Exit took me to the gorgeous Grand Teton National Park. It was an easy drive to Jackson, then over the Teton Pass (connecting Wyoming and Idaho, 8,432 feet; very steep, 10% grade but very beautiful) towards Idaho Falls.

I stopped in Idaho Falls to break up my trip as I headed to Boise. The falls and the Japanese garden are quite stunning and there is a nice green belt to walk along.

It was terrific revisiting Boise as I love the Rose Garden, Green Belt and the downtown area.

My last stop was Hood River, on the Columbia. Beautiful, windy area.

Below are some favorite photos. I will have additional posts with information about the areas, including favorite restaurants, and more photos.

Would I go back to Yellowstone? Most definitely … it is a treasure and should be on everyone’s travel list!

Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined

Beautiful Fall Day ~ Leavenworth, WA ~ Photos

October 3, 2022October 2, 2022Journeys with EileenDiane

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page ~ St. Augustine

Nestled in the Cascades is the beautiful “German Bavarian” town of Leavenworth. German Bavarian is in quotes because the town is modeled on a Bavarian village as part of a civic initiative begun in the 1960s.

About a 2.5 hour drive from western Washington, Leavenworth has become a year round destination with festivals and numerous events, including the annual Oktoberfest celebration and the December Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

The hotels all have many maps of the town to make it easy as you browse the many fascinating shops or decide where to eat.

When traveling this time of year, you have to be aware of any fires in the area. There was one in the Skykomish area, about 50 miles North West of Leavenworth. While there was some haze and slight smell of smoke, it did not affect travel.

On previous visits, I’ve enjoyed dining at several German restaurants (Mozart very good) but this time I decided to try something different and am very glad I did.

Favorite Restaurant:

Visconti’s Italian Restaurant ~ Terrific customer service; very good wine list and menu, including marvelous appetizers and cheese boards. The lasagna was marvelous. Highly recommend. As an aside, I asked if they made their own (delicious) bread and was told it’s from New Jersey! They said it’s frozen for them. I laughed and said, of course, the water! (Which is why NY pizza is the best!)

Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined

Road Trip ~ Western Washington to Boise ~ Photos

May 25, 2021July 10, 2022Journeys with EileenDiane

I last visited Boise in September 2019 and it was fabulous to be able to plan a road trip and visit again. This was my first journey since the pandemic. It was very special to be able to visit favorite places (Boise and Meridian) and discover a new area (Eagle).

The beautiful Boise River Greenbelt is a paved path which follows the river through the heart of the city and beyond, along many parks. It is 25 miles long with many bridges to make it easy to loop back.

The walk in Boise takes you past Boise State University, to Julia Davis Park where you can stop and explore the gorgeous Rose Garden. Note to self: plan trip next year in June, as many of the rose bushes were not yet in bloom.

About a 15 minute drive from Boise is the Village at Meridian Mall. I am not a fan of shopping centers, but this one is an exception. Many interesting shops to explore, nicely laid out and all outdoors.

Stop in the locally owned Royal Coffee Company for a terrific latte, cappuccino or fruit smoothie. Enjoy it while sitting outside, deciding whether to browse the shops, walk about, dine or stay in the Fountain Square area and people watch.

My favorite places to dine in the area include:

The Cottonwood Grill (on the Boise Green Belt), Anthony’s (recently opened, downtown, near hotels) and The Yard House at the Village at Meridian Mall.

It’s an easy drive from western Washington to Boise via I-90 to I-82 to I-84, especially when the weather is good. For my return trip I was planning to drive via the I-84 to the Portland area and then north via I-205 and I-5. It is a longer route, going along the Columbia River in Oregon and is quite beautiful. However, as it was raining, I opted for the faster route and did encounter wet snow in the Oregon mountains. Very glad it was wet snow …

Below are some photos from my journey; will be posting more photos of the River Walks (Boise and Eagle), the Rose Garden and Boise Capitol Building.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Savor your journeys… real, imagined or virtual, near or far