Pocatello Idaho

Craig says we are "sneaking up on Yellowstone".

I made reservations to cover June, but when we decided to deal with our overheating problem, I cancelled some of them and rescheduled others so that we ended up with a block of days "open". One thing I did need to get was a mail delivery before the first of the month, and looking at the map a week ago, I choose a small town called Shelley for that.  It seems there is a small county park there that is convenient and inexpensive. I was once told that for USPS general delivery, the smaller the town the better. With this in mind, as well as the World Cup games, we are slowly making our way north. 

Wednesday and Thursday found us at a funky little mobile home park called Sullivan's in Pocatello Idaho, where we are in one of  two, possibly three RV spots available for short stays. The rest of the place is full of very old mobile homes and RVs that are encased in collections of old wood and unfinished particle board. I called ahead and when we arrived both the owner and his wife were there to welcome us and guide us into our site. The husband helped Craig get plugged in and dumped. (Downata Hot Springs did not have a dump station). Later I met a couple of the residents and they seemed like decent folk. Price? $16 per night with Passport America.

Pocatello ... Pocatello... What is there to do in Pocatello? Craig checked Trip Advisor and found a "Must See" museum.

Yes! the Museum of Clean, 74,000 square feet (much of which is not yet filled) of wonderful exhibits and collections of cleaning materials and equipment. My grandson would have loved this place ten years ago when he was a four-year-old obsessed with vacuum cleaners.

The best part of our experience there was the personal tour led by the 80 year old collector/founder, Don Aslett. He has written 40 books and appeared on many TV programs doing spots about organization and cleaning.  His knowledge, humor and enthusiasm were fun.

We saw lots of antique cleaning machines, products, and  advertisements.  

Throughout the museum there were many humorous constructions made from cleaning tools, or in this case clutter.  

If you find yourself driving through Idaho and have a few hours to spare, The Museum of Clean is well worth the $4 (senior) admission price. Open Tuesdays - Saturdays and there is parking for your motorhome or camper.

After a snack at a little eatery around the corner (fried pickles for Craig, and a cup of tortilla soup for me) we sought another small museum listed on Trip Advisor. The Idaho Museum of Natural History located on the campus of Idaho State University.

Giant Bison

Although the overall museum was small (two large halls), there were some great skeletons of prehistoric creatures and a comprehensive special exhibit and timeline, starting with the formation of the earth and showing the evolution of life. Man has been here for a very, very short time!

We like small museums, be they historical, product-oriented, or industrial, and we try to visit them whenever we find them. I guess "sneaking up" is more fun than just blasting our way across the state. I will have to try to remember this when I feel insecure about not having reservations weeks in advance.

After all, you have to be somewhere every day, it might as well be some place you never imagined visiting and off the beaten path!