We have to go every year or it just wouldn't be fall.

The Farmstead is our fall family tradition.  We go every year.  People ask me all the time which I like better, Linder Farms or the Farmstead.  We have been to both Linder Farms and the Farmstead and the Farmstead is our clear favorite.  For the amount of things there is to do, the Farmstead has a lot more to offer.  Not that you won't enjoy yourself at Linder Farms, we did, but we just enjoy the Farmstead more.  

Like I said, the Farmstead has a lot to offer.  There's the corn maze, of course, the straw maze, the jumping pillow, the corn cannon, the pig races, the corn box, the slides,  Bunnyville, the kids' corn maze, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, Straw Palace, the cow train,  the pony rides, and the Field of Screams.  There's also a large courtyard filled with food choices.  If you go on game day you'll see the guy at the corn dog stand with his flatscreen set up and tuned in.  Besides having all these things to do you don't have to worry about paying for anything once you get in.  With the exception of the pony rides, pumpkins, and the food everything else is paid for with your admittance.  There's no hassling with tickets or anything like that.

I love how the Farmstead was the first to come up with the idea of the corn maze 14 years ago.  What, you didn't know they were the original corn maze?  I also love how they try and improve upon what they do year after year.  Corn Cannons?  I mean who would have thought of that?  And the girl just loved them!  I'm impressed with the efforts they make to keep it new and exciting year after year.  They even built a bigger platform for the slides since it often got crowded with all those kiddos at the top.  Also new this year is the Straw Palace .  It's big enough to hide in and small enough not to get lost in.  The new additions helped the boy who has a vivid memory get over the fact that they didn't have the peddle carts or the duck races this year.  

Being the smart adventure seekers that we are, we planned our trip to the Farmstead when we thought it would be the least crowded.  We ventured out on opening weekend and Game Day. Yes, Game Day, with a capital GD, the day all of Boise is at the stadium and the rest of us are out having fun.  Hee, hee.  It was a smart move on our part as we had the whole place to ourselves.  

We arrived around 6:30 and stayed until 9:30 pm.  And we didn't even go through the corn maze which would have kept us there another 45 - 60 minutes.  I'll admit it took us a while to get adjusted to the new location.  (Did I mention they have a new location off Overland and Eagle Rds?)  Once we got our bearings and the boy got over the fact that they didn't have the peddle carts this year or the duck races, we were able to really enjoy ourselves.  We checked out the jumping pillow first and then the corn cannon, then over to the pony rides which only cost a dollar a person.  After the pony rides, the kids played in the corn box.  I don't know if you are familiar with Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, but I couldn't help thinking of the chapter "How Corn Took Over America" as the kids played in a box of corn  kernels.  My goodness, corn has a lot of uses in our society and the Farmstead is no exception.  Let's hear it for King Corn.

After picking the corn kernels out of their ears, we ventured over to the Straw Palace to play hide and seek.  The cow train was next and the kids loved riding over the bumps that are also new this year.  Next up the pumpkin patch and then a relaxing ride on the hayride.  The girl can't understand why I love the hayride so much.  I told her it's because it's the only time I ever just sit.  I know all you moms are sighing right now at the thought of sitting and doing nothing.  Ahhhh.  Doesn't happen enough, does it?

After the hayride we wandered over to the pig race that started at 8 pm.  At the beginning of every pig race they ask for volunteers to cheer on a pig and every year the girl jumps up and down with her hand in the air hoping to be picked.  This year since there were so few people there that night the girl actually got picked to cheer on a pig.  To top it off, her pig, Boarbra Walters won the pig race!  She won a free dessert from Dutch Oven Creations.  We found our way over to Dutch Oven Creations in the courtyard and gorged ourselves on the most delicious scone topped with cinnamon and sugar and icecream.   This was an extra special treat for my kids who aren't given anything unhealthy to eat in our home.  They indulged in every bite.  Lastly, we didn't walk through the corn maze like we usually do because, frankly, I don't trust myself not to get lost in mazes and there wasn't anybody going through that we could  follow.  That's okay though because we'd been there for three hours and it was time for bed.  

Just when we thought the night couldn't get any better, we ran into Hilary, the co-owner of the Farmstead who gave us four free tickets to raffle off on this blog.  Awesome!  

Things to remember:

Wear shoes and socks if you want to be most comfortable.  Bring or wear appropriate clothing such as coats, jackets, hats and gloves because it gets cool at night.  If the weather is warm bring sunscreen and lots of water.  Allow yourself plenty of time to spend there.  The corn maze takes about an hour and all the other activities combined take at least one or two hours.  Don't forget your camera for all those photo ops.  Bring dollars for the pony rides, pumpkins, and money for the food court.  Remember their location has changed to Overland and Eagle Rd.  Enter on Overland just east of Eagle Rd where the carpool place is.  Have fun!

Check out their website for hours of operation and directions.  They open at noon on Thursday and Friday, October 7 and 8 for teacher inservice .  

Glowing balloons provide family fun and cool photo op

Who doesn't love hot air balloons?  I remember one year my neighbor's uncle landed his hot air balloon right in our neighborhood park.  It was so spectacular that I ran home and grabbed my camera and by the time I got back the girl and my neighbor's uncle were in the basket and 50 feet in the air.  Now I was really glad I had my camera.

If you love looking at hot air balloons check out Boise's hot air balloon festival this weekend.  A community pancake breakfast will be held on Saturday morning at 7 am at Ann Morrison park so you can eat and watch the balloons lift off at the same time.  And don't be late because there's no point in getting there at 9.  The balloons and the pancakes will be gone.

After the morning lift off on Saturday you can return that evening at 6:30 pm for food vendors, live music, and glowing balloons.  Some say that the glowing balloons are "one of the coolest photo opportunities of all time."

If you can't make it on Saturday they will lift off again at Ann Morrison park on Sunday at 7:10 am.   Here's a link for more info on what's being called the 2010 Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic.    

Hee Haw'n at the Western Idaho Fair

The Western Idaho Fair is a great place to see lots of farm animals.  

And if you're used to that sort of thing you might enjoy yourself.   However, for some of us, (especially us who live in the suburbs miles from the smells of nature) we may not fully appreciate the barns full of goats, sheep, pigs, horses, llamas, donkeys, straw, feed, and manure.  We may, however, enjoy looking at the rabbits, chickens, roosters, chicks, doves, and ducklings, as long as they're far enough away from the barns full of smellier animals.  This was our experience last year at the Western Idaho Fair as the boy held onto his nose like this the entire time.   It wouldn't have been a big deal (I personally thought it was cute and couldn't help but smiling every time I looked down at him) had my cowboy-father-in-law not paid for our admittance and anticipated showing his grandkids all the farm animals.  He didn't say anything but I was embarrassed that my kid, his grandson, was not only plugging his nose but asking over and over when he could go home.  We aren't much for fair rides since you have to wait in line in the hot sun and it costs a ridiculous amount of money and it's really not that fun anyway.  I'm not much for fair food since it's loaded with trans fats and laden with chemicals so basically we just look at the animals.  

Aren't they cute?  The girl took all those pictures with her camera.

Carnival.  If you want to take your family to the carnival, I recommend going on KTVB Family Day which is Monday, August 23.  It's the best deal for the money ($25 for a wrist band good for admission and carnival rides all day per person) and it's the only day that no smoking is allowed and no alcohol is served.  But beware----it's very crowded.  

Ground Acts including Lego Experience Tour, Days of the Dinosaur, Aussie Kingdom, Ham Bone Racing Pigs, hypnotists, and more.

New this year--DemoStation.  Activites, classes, contests etc.  Ceramics, baking, photography, bee keeping, floral bingo, you get the idea. 

Concerts--There are five free-with-fair-admission concerts including The Doobie Brothers, Uncle Kracker, Luke Bryan, .38 Special, Clint Black, and Kevin Rudolf.  

August 20 - 29th, 2010 at the Western Idaho Fairgrounds 

Remember to wear close-toed shoes and pack sunscreen, water, stroller, hand sanitizer, camera, and cash.  They will check your bags at the door so leave your rifle at home.  Cowboy hat is okay.   Have fun!

Tired of dinner and a movie? Try the Shakespeare Festival

Did you know that Boise Idaho has a fantastic Shakespeare Company?  

Yes, we do. This nationally recognized theater company draws the most outstanding actors in the region and even some as far as Ohio. Indeed, the folks at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival have been voted the best performing arts group by the Idaho Statesman this year and in many years past. (They've been doing this since 1977). 

Their mission is to "produce great theater, entertain, and educate." 

I am thrilled that we have such amazing talent right here in Idaho giving of their time and talents to entertain and educate our community.  I know that we are better because of the arts. And if I had loads of money I would donate to their cause, but alas, I am poor......

In high school, I recall going to the Idaho Shakespeare Festival on a field trip. From what I can remember it was very hot outside and my classmates wouldn't stop talking. I hardly heard a word. Although my first outing wasn't ideal, the Idaho Shakespeare Festival planted in me a love for the outdoor theater and I vowed to go back. So why have I not been back? I was an English major for crying out loud. I took a literature class all about Shakespeare and it was one of my favorites. I guess because seeing a production instead of a movie is a little on the pricey side and we've never had a lot of money.  

Imagine my delight when my friend, Emi, who was visiting from Hawaii, invited me to see 'A Midsummer's Nights Dream' with her on July 10th. It was a warm Thursday evening and the show started at 8:00 pm. We had seats on the hillside ($23.00 ea) and arrived a bit early (7:00) to get a good spot on the lawn. We brought our own lawn chairs (which are acceptable, no higher than 6 inches off the ground is okay) and found a great place in the front of the back. 
  

After we saved our seats we went over to Cafe Shakespeare and ordered gourmet boxed dinners. Let me tell you we were not disappointed.  The menu was superb (we had a hard time deciding what to get) and the food we ordered was delicious. Emi drooled over her sandwich and I devoured my chicken-summer-corn-and-cilantro salad with the lime-cilantro vinaigrette. Yummy! See a pdf of the menu here.  

The Greenshow started at 7:30 and was put on by the Fools Squad (a couple of guys that told a lot of jokes). Personally I didn't think it was that funny but my daughter has often told me that I have "no sense of humor" so maybe I'm not the one to judge. The show began at 8 :00 and it was fabulous. 

Being in a landscaped amphitheater is a unique experience—especially one in the Barber Park Reserve. You can hear the sounds of nature, see eagles fly over head, and even see little creatures make an appearance in front of the stage like we did. The actors didn't skip a beat when suddenly a skunk scurried over to the stage before hurrying on its way. Some members of the audience held up blankets to ward off a possible skunk spray. I personally don't think the blanket would have done much good, but I guess it's instinctive to want to protect yourself. Not only did we spy birds and creatures, we also saw and felt many mosquitoes. I think we got at least five bites after the sun went down. The temperature also cooled down so we were glad we had brought our jackets. 

The show ended around 11 pm to a standing ovation. The actors were simply superb. After the show was over it took us about 15 minutes to get our car out of the crowded parking lot. I would suggest going to the bathroom before getting in your car. Overall, a fantastic experience worth every penny. Thank you Emi!

****Four out of four stars

Things You Should Know

• You can bring your own food!  Lots of people do it.  
• Even if it's hot outside make sure and bring a jacket and maybe a blanket for your legs because after the sun goes down it's going to cool way down.  
• Bring bug spray and cover up once it gets dark.  Those mosquitoes were fierce.
• If you are sitting hillside or on the lawn you can bring your own lawn chair. Or blanket if you prefer. Be an hour early to get a good spot. 
• Park far away from the entrance to avoid the traffic jam afterwards.
• Try the food at Cafe Shakespeare. It's so good.  
• Family Nights are on Sunday evenings.  The show begins at 7pm rather than 8 pm and young children are welcome.  
• If you have a group of ten or more you can get a discount on admission tickets.
• They have other plays besides Shakespeare. Click here to check out their lineup.  
• The season runs through September 26, 2010.
• They offer summer acting camps for kids.
• Get your tickets from their website box office.  
• If you need more information you may call (208) 336-9221 or check out their FAQs.  

How to get there. Don't get lost like we did.  

The Idaho Shakespeare Festival Amphitheater & Reserve is located at 5657 Warm Springs Avenue. Following I-84, take the Highway 21 exit (same as the Micron/Gowen Field exit) and proceed toward Idaho City. Once you cross the bridge at the Boise River, take an immediate left onto Warm Springs Avenue, heading west. The theater is two miles on the left behind the Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation offices. - OR –
Take the Connector into downtown Boise, staying on Myrtle Street and Parkcenter Boulevard. After approximately six miles, you’ll see the Amphitheater on the right, behind the Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation office building.

Geocaching

I can remember where I was when I first heard the word geocaching.  We were in the middle of selling our house and I was standing in the entry with our realtor who had come by to drop something off.  I asked her what her families' plans were for the weekend and she said they were going geocaching.  What the heck is geocaching? I thought.  If you are thinking the same thing, click here to watch a one minute video explanation.


I thought it sounded really fun so I mentioned it to the husband who didn't get that excited about it. "Oh that's great honey."  He says that to me a lot since I throw random ideas/thoughts/suggestions/rants at him all the time.  He's pretty good at humoring me.

That was three years ago and we finally went geocaching for the first time last month.  We borrowed a handheld GPS from the husband's father and we were on our way.  First we checked out all the caches closest to us.  We registered at  www.geocaching.com   that showed six caches just in and around our neighborhood.  We rode our bikes to them and the kids loves looking for, finding, and opening the cache.  It was like finding buried treasure.  Before we left, they packed a little Ziploc bag full of "treasure" from Wahooz.  They each took one thing out of the cache and put one of their Wahooz pieces in its place for the next person.  I signed and dated the log book with my username and afterwards reported online at www.geocaching.com on what we had found and how it went.  After the neighborhood caches, we went to the Swan Falls area to find one out there where we found one hidden in a small cave.  Tricky but fun!

*Tip:  Only go to geocaches that have current records on them.  We have spent time looking for caches that simply weren't there anymore.  They may have been there at one point in time, but for whatever reason, they were gone.  So make sure you go to the website and only go to caches that have current reports on the caches.  As a courtesy, go online yourself after you are back from geocaching and report how your search went, especially if the cache was no longer there.  You may save the next family a lot of time and disappointment.  

Give geocaching a try this year and let me know what you think.  

www.Geocaching.com

We can't all have backyard swimming pools...

that's why there's city pools.  Going to a city pool is a great way to cool off and have fun with your family and friends this summer.

In Meridian, there is a pool owned and operated by the Western Ada Recreation District. It is located off Meridian and Franklin Rds behind Storey Park. I have been swimming there with my kids and it is a great pool. It is reasonably priced and they have recently added a splash pad and shade umbrellas. There's a high dive and a low dive, but no slide that I can remember. See their website for entrance fees, operating hours, and information on swim lessons, private parties, open swim hours, lap hours, and free swim day.

Boise has many city pools.  Borah Pool, Fairmont Pool, Ivywild Pool, Lowell Pool, South Pool, and The Natatorium Pool and Hydrotube. My sister was on a swim team and we got to spend a lot of time at these pools. This summer I plan on taking the kids to the Hydrotube. I've heard great things about it and I think they would love it. Click on the pools above to find their location and more information about what each pool offers. The City of Boise also has this fantastic website that tells you all about swim lessons, swim team, parent and child swim time, pool events, pool parties, and it has a map that shows you where all of the pools are located. If you are new to town you might want to check out the map to see which pool is closest to you.

Also, if you think you'll be doing a lot of swimming at city pools this summer, I recommend buying a season pass which is good for all the outdoor city pools. There is a resident price and non-resident price.  See the list of admission prices here for all the Boise city pools. (The Hydrotube is not included in the season pass).

Nampa has a fun waterpark you might want to try. My sister-in-law has taken her kids here for years and she loves it. It's Lakeview Waterpark located near Lakeview Park off Garrity Blvd. I've been to Lakeview Park a few times but never knew that there was a fantastic waterpark right there. It has a zero-entry beach (great for small kids who want to enter the water), a gigantic water slide, spraying water toys, and a nice pool house with restrooms and showers. And it's very affordable. Only $1.00 for kids under five, and $2.00 for kids 6-17, and adults 18 and up are $3.00. We'll have to check that out this summer too.

Nampa also has a city pool called Lincoln Pool in Lions Park along Davis Ave. It has a diving board, a splash pad, a toddler area and a slide. They also have great indoor pools at the Nampa Rec Center.

Caldwell has Caldwell Municipal Pool at 512 Harrison. It has two slides and two diving boards and goes from 2 ft deep to 12 ft deep.  

The YMCA also has three indoor pools in the area.  One in downtown Boise, one in West Boise off Cloverdale and Chinden, and one in Caldwell off of Indiana Ave. We've been to all three Y pools and the one in Caldwell is our favorite. (Although I am still upset at the lifeguards for making me take water wings OFF my two-year-old). Certified life jackets only, apparently. 

If city pools aren't your thing, you can always try and befriend someone with a backyard pool or a neighborhood pool. Or if you are more of an introvert like me, then I suggest doing what we did and buy an Intex pool for $149.00. We have one that is 12 feet in diameter and 39 inches deep and the kids and I swim, or in my case sit, in it almost everyday in the summer. Even my husband jumps in with us after he gets home from work. We absolutely love it!

McCall Winter Carnival and the Activity Barn

Friday, January 29th begins the Winter Carnival in McCall. This wonderful winter carnival begins with a night of fireworks, boasts a mardi gras parade, a bingo night, and many other events. However, people don't go to the Winter Carnival to see a parade or watch fireworks. They go to see the dozens of amazing snow sculptures. Artists come from all over the West to participate in this time-honored competition and tradition.

The carnival runs through February 7th. Check out their website for more information.

If you can't make it to the Winter Carnival, but would still like to enjoy a weekend in McCall, we recommend tubing at the Activity Barn as a fun family activity. It even has a toe lift so you don't have to hike to the top.

It's really fun on days like this when the sky is blue and it's not snowing.

www.activitybarn.com

****We highly recommend this place.