Christmas Friends

Pele...

Miso...

Mika...

Where Are We?

Someone should remember where this was taken...

Winter Festivals

My pelican prefers grass to snow for the winter. However, Smarter Travel has recently shared some zany winter festivals. This is one of them...

Fire and Ice Winter Fest (Lava Hot Springs, Idaho)

February 3 to 5, 2012

It takes locals extra doses of both fire and ice to shake the winter blues in Lava Hot Springs, where average February temps typically hover in the 20s. And this festival, no doubt, is one shocking remedy. On Saturday tubers brave the cold and race down the Portneuf River in the Polar Bear Float, hoping for the fastest time or most-original-costume prize. Sunday morning brings the Running of the Bulls event. Even in blizzards, contestants strip down to bikinis and furry boots or Speedos and flip-flops for the annual Main Street run. They're rewarded with a soak in the town's mineral hot springs at a steamy 112 degrees. The fire comes in with the mountainside torch parade and chili cook-off.

By car, Lava Hot Springs is two-and-a-half hours from Twin Falls, Idaho, and Salt Lake City, Utah. SkyWest Airlines has connecting service to nearby Pocatello. You'll find lodging deals at the Lava Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce.

I will pass...and stay with my pelican.

Today's Crop

They taste as good as they look...

After You Arrive...

Your trip is in full swing. You’ve landed. Maybe you are waiting for your bags or catching the bus to the rental car place. Maybe you are already on your way to your hotel. Now what? 

After you pick up your rental car and head to your hotel, think about leaving. Sounds depressing, right? Not really. Actually, the best time to figure out the fastest and easiest way out of town is on your way in. You can avoid some of the stress or lost time by scoping out the airport as you wait for your bags. How far is it from the car rental counter or return area to the terminal? Does the bus come every 10 minutes or every 30 minutes? Check to see where the nearest gas station is located. Ask for a map at the car rental place that shows how to get back to it.

Maybe you are not renting a car and are taking a bus to the hotel. Check with the front desk at the hotel for the bus schedule so you know how much time it will take to get back to the airport. 

Also, when you check in at your hotel be sure to ask about check-out times and see if you can leave without stopping at the front desk. Ask for a map of restaurants in the area. Then check that against sites like TripAdvisor, Urbanspoon, Yelp, and others.

I always set my clock to the new time zone. That helps me adjust. It also helps to get outside to check where your hotel is in relation to the Metro, the parking garage, etc. 

A friend of mine tells me he takes photos of everything when he first arrives in a new place. Things are new to him and fresh in his mind and he has photos of street signs, buildings, architecture, etc. that he might not think to shoot later on in his visit.

Don’t forget to charge up any electronics when you get to your room. Also, check for the best and safest place to store any valuables. Hopefully you did not bring valuable jewelry, but you still may have something that needs to be stored away. Ask the front desk about room safes or if they have a safe for individual guest access.

I let friends and family know where I will be before I leave home. It’s also a good idea to let them know you have arrived.

Happy Traveling…

Florence, Italy

While wrapping Christmas gifts...one reminded me of Florence this past summer.

Thanksgiving Visitors

Mika, a husky puppy who needed a cat nap.

And she kept looking for those cats...they just did not want to play with her.

Miso, the Queen...