First Contact- Idaho

The weather in Idaho Falls couldn't be more perfect, ideal for a bike ride.

We rode along the Snake river, through a Farmers Market, by people kissing a duck (the city's Duck Drop, which raises money for the greenbelt, is today), and by lots of new artwork.

Eric learned everything he knows from watching me ride a camel.  Obviously.

We deserve a beer, or two.

And lunch.

And some chocolate milk and ice cream!

Reed's is so good there is usually a line out the door.  We were fortunate today, the line just went to the door.

It is Idaho, of course there are potato flakes in the chocolate milk...

Phil, how is the ice cream?

Phil?

Piggy.

Reed's has a little petting zoo attached to the dairy.

But we didn't see enough animals there.

Raya and Josh live in the perfect location.  

In the park attached to their neighborhood is a zoo!  

And it welcomes us!

💚 Idaho Falls!

Idaho Arrival

 Phil (Eric's dad), Eric, and I are taking a road trip to Idaho to experience the total solar eclipse and Phil's birthday, simultaneously. 

The length of the earth is 7,898 miles (from pole to pole).  The distance of the umbra, where the sun is completely blocked out by the moon, will cover just 70 miles, and it is going right over Raya's house.  There is no way we weren't going to be there.

With plenty of pit stops, unique restaurants, and gorgeous views, the drive (14 hours without any stops) went by quickly.

This book watched us eat our lunch.

It is a sign.  

Total solar eclipse 2017!

Our planet is amazing.

We passed countless digital sigalerts in Utah and in Idaho, warning us about our fate for the return home on Monday.

It is best not to worry... maybe the drive home won't be as bad as they are predicting!

Ignorance is bliss. 

Before we knew it we were in Raya and Josh's backyard/ future eclipse viewing area having dinner and drinks, and playing with lasers without eye protection.  

Just another day in Idaho Falls!

Day 28- Oceanside

After twenty something hours of travel we arrived home to funny messages and living plants.

Hmmm, looks like things were handled just fine around here.  

So where to next?!

Día 27- Gran Canaria a Málaga

We are about to head to Málaga (the seventh flight of the trip), and our last stop before our flights home.

LPG (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria airport) is an amazing airport. 

Standing on Spanish soil, with Africa in the not-so-distance behind us, I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone.  What an incredible trip it has been.

I drank frascati wine with dinner at Frascati Pizzaria in Málaga. 

Ironically, I was drinking frascati in the city of Frascati on the last night of my European trip last year.  

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”- Mark Twain.

Día 26- Gran Canaria (el norte)

We drank coffee at a cafe in Cruz de Tejeda, waiting for Rafa and his family, who volunteered to show us the north side of the island.

The topography on Gran Canaria is incredible considering there are no rivers on the island.  

All of the cliffs and valleys are formed when it rains, and they don't get much of it.

 Tejeda (population 2,000) is famous for their local candy and blossoming almond trees in February.  

It has a population of 2,000 (and I rounded up), what did you expect?

Dulcería Nublo es fabulosa.

Cave houses in the Canaries are a bit more sophisticated than the ones in Morocco, they are actually houses, carved into cliffs.  The idea did come from north Africa, the first inhabitants of the island were Berber.

Artenara has numerous cave homes (look beyond the museum to see inhabited cave homes), as well as a cave museum.  The cave was acquired and restored in 1962, maintaining the traditional village style cave and typical furnishings. 

Sandstone is a natural water purifier. 

The bodega would be my favorite room, if it weren't so dry...

Artenara is funky; a great place to visit to see the real Gran Canaria.

We drove the extremely windy and seemingly one-way road to Agaete for lunch.

Unlike Puerto Mogán, although just as busy, it was not built for tourists.  The crowds are local and the food is authentic.

Next (but not last) we went to Arucas, where Rafa and Begoña are from, and currently live.

Iglesia de San Juan Bautista is a recent endeavor, resembling Gaudi's Sagrada Familia.

Lidia and Darío walked home through the park while we continued our tour.

The day wouldn't be complete without stopping to sip coffee on a sidewalk in the center of town.

Arucas is super cute, and clean.

Alright, this is the last stop, peaceful, tourist-free, Teror.

Begoña and Rafa took us here because the route does not show on the GPS and they felt like it was quicker than us driving around the island to return to our hotel.

Appearing to be straight out of a movie set, we said our goodbyes.