HAPPY TRAILS DIARY

Happy Trails in Idaho

Tue, 27 Dec 2005 12:17:47 GMT

The sole survivor of the deserts of Idaho. Actually, the Bruneau Sands Dunes was an interesting place. The dunes weren't as large as what you might think, but it was fun running up and down the dunes. http://www.idahoparks.org/parks/bruneaudunes.html

We drove around the Snake River and stopped at one of the places that overlooks the Hagerman Fossil Beds area. We didn't find any fossils here because we couldn't get down to the area. One place we could go looking is up the river a bit. The visitor center had several of fossils and displays. The Hagerman Horse is on display in Washington D.C. Luck would have it...no Hagerman Bear. http://hagermanfossilbeds.areaparks.com/ This whole area was once covered by Lake Idaho which was part of Lake Bonneville. Lots of good fishing back then!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Bonneville

Me and the Oregon Trail....well part of it. This is part that goes to the banks of the Snake River. There are segments of the Oregon Trail all over including down Boise Avenue in Boise, but that's all covered with blacktop. Stinky. http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Oregontrail.html

Happy Trails

Halloween in Idaho

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 12:24:48 GMT

Hi Jenna,

This year I went Trick-or-Treating in Boise, Idaho. You won't believe the candy I got. Unfortunately, I ate it all....with help from Harry Potter and Hedwig. I went as a ghost. The weather was great, and we had a lot of fun

Happy, Ethan, Alexander and Diane trick-or-treating in Idaho.

After good night of Trick or Treating. Don't worry, I had help eating the candy. There's only so much chocolate a ghost can go through.

Happy Halloween!

Boys Waiting for Santa to Arrive

Tue, 27 Dec 2005 00:02:54 GMT

After we finished looking at all the Christmas lights we went to visit friends of Jenna's family. There were lots of boys running around all excitedly awaiting a visit from Santa Claus. They finally sat down long enough to have a picture taken with me before running off again to play.

Looks to me like Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner.........and where is Blitzen? and Rudolph?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

More Christmas Lights

Mon, 26 Dec 2005 23:54:47 GMT

We went to see another house where the people obviously really liked Christmas. Look at all the lights on their house!

Here's a creature that I would swear should live in the woods with my bear family, but he was hanging on the garage wall. He even moved back and forth when the music played. How strange! Jenna's Mom had to hold me in place because the creature's head kept moving and this little bear would have fallen.

Can you see me down at the bottom of this picture? The elves here were VERY busy getting ready for a long night of finishing up the toys in the workshop so that Santa could get them delivered.

Happy Holidays!

Wilbur aka Happy Trails

Merry Christmas from Happy Trails and Jenna

Mon, 26 Dec 2005 02:12:16 GMT

I'm back in Rochester spending the holiday season with Jenna at her store. What an exciting time of year in a store full of Christmas trees, lights and music!

In Jenna's family it's a tradition on Christmas Eve to all get together for dinner and then go out looking at Christmas light displays. I never knew you could put so many lights in such a small yard, but here are the pictures to prove it!

There are so many lights in this yard that it's almost too much to take in at once. In the middle there is a toy train that rides around the train tracks. There are things dancing, lights blinking and Christmas music playing. Jenna says she and her family go to see this display every Christmas Eve.

On the side of the house is a room full of wooden soldiers of all shapes and sizes.

See me at the bottom? I fit right in!

Santa and Mrs Claus are there to greet everyone as hundreds of people gather to see the festive displays.

See me?

The snowman and Santa bear are dancing with each other. Heavens! Another bear dressed as Santa Claus? Such nerve!

There is even a sleigh with reindeer flying across the sky:

So many lights! We had to walk around several times to see everything and we probably still didn't see it all.

The front yard is filled with these giant creatures of all shapes and sizes. The way they are lined up, it looks like a choir.

After we left this house, we drove to another display. Those pictures will be coming soon.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Happy Trails

A Letter Arrives!

Thu, 20 Oct 2005 16:58:05 GMT

Dear Sir,

My name is Winifred Wellie and I am writing to you with the hope that you will turn out to be a member of my extended family. My ancestors originate in Scotland with a woman named Laura Grant who has created the Wellie Bear Gang and I recently found your travel blog online where you state that you are also a member of the Wellie Family.

I am a detective of sorts, deeply involved in the tracking and pursuit of my family history. I currently reside in the southeastern USA but would like to make a trip north in the next several months if it turns out we are indeed related. I notice from your journal that you have a young cousin living with you who is also a Wellie Bear. The family resemblence is astounding, especially when you see a picture of me also! I will be sure to send a picture of myself in my next correspondence.

I hope to hear from you soon regarding this very exciting matter.

Sincerely,
Winifred Wellie

Trick-or-Treats?

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 02:37:12 GMT

This week I will be traveling to Idaho to visit Jenna's friends Diane & Dan and their kids. I've been told that I'll get to do something called "Trick-or-Treating" with the kids and then they have a big trip planned where I might get to see my first space ship!

Willie's going to stay home with Jenna and help her decorate the Christmas trees at the store. Seems like a lot of work to me!

Happy Trails

Ron Jon's Original Surf Shop

Mon, 03 Oct 2005 04:35:31 GMT

One of Long Beach Island's claims to fame is that they are the home of the original Ron Jon's Surf Shop. Jenna's Mom says that she remembers when the shop was a little shack with a couple surf boards. Now they are a huge building with all sorts of sports stuff and they have expanded to other parts of the country.

Willie and I got our picture taken with Ron Jon's Surf Shop in the background. Cool colors huh?

Today was our last day on the island :-( We stopped in front of the big sign on our way out as we said goodbye to our vacation. See us down at the bottom of the sign?

Happy & Willie

Surf's Up Dude!

Sat, 24 Sep 2005 06:49:21 GMT

Surf's Up Dude! Today we went to the beach and watched the big boys surf. Jenna's Mom got me this cool surfboard and hat but the waves are way too big for a little bear like me so we had to just watch.

See my new bathing suit? I also have flip-flop sandals on my feet and a visor with sunglasses.

They also gave me a sand pail and fishing pole. See the big fish we caught?

Willie and I...a family portrait!

Willie and I built a sandcastle on the beach and then added a "swimming pool" next to it.

Jenna's Mom gave Willie some tiny toy cars to play with in the sand.

We met a friend on the beach. He didn't tell us what his name was, but he was dressed in a funny plastic coat and hat. He said that he wears that outfit out on his fishing boat when the weather gets bad. He likes to sing songs about boats, fish and the ocean.

Happy & Willie

Willie & I Visit LBI, New Jersey

Sat, 24 Sep 2005 00:45:58 GMT

Greetings from the Jersey Shore!

Willie and I are on vacation with Jenna's family on Long Beach Island off the coast of New Jersey. The island is six miles out in the ocean and it's 18 miles long. There's only one bridge that connects the island to the mainland. Willie and I were a bit nervous going over the big bridge, but it was worth it.

At one end is a lighthouse that Jenna calls "Old Barney" and we got our picture taken with the lighthouse in the background.

We went on a tour of the island and saw lots of cool stuff. Have you ever been chased by a big fish? Look!

Here Willie and I posed with the big fishing boats in the background. See them way in the back behind the tall grasses?

Jenna's Mom put us in this jetski for a ride. Willie was scared, but not me! I was the driver!

Then we took a ride in a motor boat. The steering wheel was bigger than me!

We found this sign but couldn't figure out where the gypsies were. All we saw near the sign was a lot of big fishing boats.

Now, this creature is something I'm not sure about. There were a lot of them on the beach and in the parking lots. They fly around and make a lot of noise.

Does anyone know what this funny looking creature is? Jenna says it's called a "manatee" but I wonder. It stands on the side of the road and people put mail in it. Very Strange!

Tomorrow we will post the pictures of us on the beach. Surf's up Dude!

Happy & Willie