August 15, 2025 (Fri.) - Lynn's Travel to Idaho Falls
The day began painfully early—Lynn was up at 4:00 AM to get ready for her 8:30 AM flight to Salt Lake City (SLC), where she was set to meet up with her sisters, Jill and Trish. The plan was perfect: both flights were scheduled to land within three minutes of each other, making it easy to meet up, grab the rental car, and drive the three+ hour stretch to Idaho Falls. Lynn flew out of Minneapolis/St. Paul, while her sisters departed from Orange County (SNA aka JWA).
Lynn’s flight was smooth and uneventful—which is always a win. Her sisters, however, weren’t so lucky. Their flight was delayed by two hours, and Lynn actually landed in SLC before they had even taken off. The delay stemmed from their plane being rerouted to LAX the night before, missing its landing window at Orange County (OC). The next morning, it had to wait in line at LAX to re-enter the flight rotation and fly back to OC. A frustrating start for them, but Lynn made the most of her wait—coffee, lunch, and some quiet time in the terminal.
Once reunited (after three months apart), the sisters hopped on a shuttle to the rental car, which was located far off-site. And wouldn’t you know it—California plates on the rental. Based on past experience, out-of-state plates, especially from CA, tend to attract extra attention from local highway patrol. The rental car (Nissan Rogue) was nice however it took forever to figure out how to put it in Reverse! We had to resort to the manual! Fingers crossed for smooth travels.
While there is a direct flight to Idaho Falls Regional Airport, Lynn prefers to avoid small ‘puddle-jumper’ planes, opting instead for the scenic drive. Normally it takes about three-four hours with stops, but this time they drove straight through and made a quick stop at their favorite local spot in Idaho Falls —Smitty’s—before checking into the hotel.
The evening was spent with family at cousin Ted Yamasaki’s viewing. Ted was Lynn’s second cousin, and she spent many summers on the farm growing up. He taught her how to water ski, wakeboard, and ride ATVs, creating memories that shaped her childhood. More about Ted = Obituary for Ted Frank Yamasaki | Wood Funeral Home & Crematory
Though the circumstances were sad, it was heartwarming to reconnect with family from all over—Idaho, Wyoming, Washington, Colorado, California, Oregon, and more. A day filled with travel, delays, and emotion, but also love, memories, and reunion.
Weather in Idaho Falls, ID – Hot, in the 80-90*s. But not humid!
Traffic – None.
Food – Smitty’s.
Notable – Back in Idaho Falls. Seeing family again.
August 15, 2025 (Fri.) - Kirk's Day
Kirk dropped Lynn off at the airport around 5:45 AM, then swung by Mickey’s Diner, a landmark diner in a vintage train car we’d noticed on the way. It had that classic nostalgic atmosphere with great food, but the interior left a bit to be desired.
With Lynn now in Idaho, Kirk was solo in Wisconsin for the rest of Indian Bike Week. Today’s event was the celebrity group ride, following the same scenic route we’d already done on Sunday. With gloomy skies overhead, Kirk decided to skip it and focus on RV maintenance instead.
He tackled a few key tasks:
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Applied Flex Seal to the awnings to patch holes and reinforce them
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Checked bolts and screws around the RV
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Discovered a loose screw on the ladder—thankfully, not while climbing it!
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Found that there is a leak in the roof near the shower’s sunroof (Lynn found on 8/5/25)
As evening rolled in, so did the rain and thunderstorms. The lightning and thunder were intense, loud enough to shake the RV and send Otis straight to the couch for comfort. It felt like the strikes were landing right next to the RV—booming and relentless, and by far the loudest storm experienced yet.
Weather in New Richmond, WI – Rain. Hot, humid.
Traffic – None.
Food – Mikey’s Diner – very good.
Notable – Loudest thunderstorms thus far. RV maintenance.
Screen time – Justified.
