Lava Hot Springs

We decided to venture north for a couple of days during our spring break. Despite threats of slush and snow early on, the roads actually improved the further north we went. Lava Hot Springs is a small town to begin with and we were to learn just how small once we got there.

Believe it or not, there is really a sign back there in the shadows that says Lava Hot Springs. Behind the kids you can see what would be really awesome water slides during the summer. Except this isn't summer. The outdoor pool was drained of water. The indoor pool is open year round, but only Friday through Monday in the off-season, which we discovered it was because we were there Wednesday and Thursday.

Downtown Lava. There were two shops (of the souvenir variety. One we explored, and the other, called the Purple Crystal, looked a little weird for taking children into so I didn't) and two restaurants open, plus a small (but very interesting) museum and the town library (but only in the afternoons). There was a grocery store too.

The one place that IS open year round are the hot pools, just behind the kids. There is a natural hot spring that feeds several rock-lined pools. The pools have gravel for bottoms, and as the water flows through various pools it cools a bit. The hottest pool was 112 degrees F. That was rather toasty for me. The three younger kids loved swimming around in the hot water, aided by goggles. O. thought the water too hot for him, so he only got wet up to his knees. It was very relaxing! Also, take a look at L.'s feet (he's the youngest). It wasn't until we got more than half-way up to Idaho that I realized he had on one tennis shoe and one flip-flop. He claimed he was unable to find a matching pair of tennis shoes. Oh well. They're his feet.

Just to my and B.'s right, where you see the deck, was our hotel room. We stayed in the Home Hotel and Motel. The room was nice enough, especially when you realize there aren't any national chain hotels here. They're all locally owned and operated. We liked the sign for the motel painted on the side of their main building, behind us.

Justin took the two younger boys fishing. I think these waders are a little big for E., but he doesn't seem to mind. He also doesn't mind his hairdo. It was a fun little jaunt, and not too far away. Since there wasn't much selection in the way of restaurants (I wasn't interested in taking my children into a dinner/lounge place, especially when the characters walking in looked a little rough to me. Does this make me prejudiced? I suppose so, but when you're a mama bear your job is watch out for your cubs), we drove into Pocatello to find a bookstore (of course!) and somewhere to eat. We finally found a Walden Books waaaaaaaay north, in Chubbuck, in a mall. So the kids each picked out a book and we had dinner at the food court (three food places) at Subway. O. and E. are to the point where they are always ravenous. They each polished off a foot-long sandwich in the time it took me to eat my 6-incher. I'll accept food donations to my food budget!

Between tv, book-reading, and watching The Fifty Greatest Catches on ESPN, it was a relaxing trip. The only stressful thing was buying a new car. But that's another story for another day.