Reactors and Lava and Babies, oh my!

This past weekend we had some friends stop in from Austin/Seattle to stay with us.  Unfortunately, the temperatures had climbed into the 90s during the day, so we decided to minimize outdoor time during peak heat.  That was just fine with Maria and Owen.

Though they did enjoy outdoor time in the sandbox!

On Saturday, we hiked the lava trails nearby.  This is the guys' pre-hike picture.

We ended up with dinner back in town and a quick tour of the falls.

On Sunday, we headed over to "the site" to see the world's first nuclear power plant.  It's in the middle of nowhere 50 miles away, but it was interesting to tour the museum and imagine the risks those pioneers took to control such powerful reactions.

I like how Owen and Maria are sizing each other up in this picture.  The frame behind John and Amelia protects the original signatures on the wall from those present on the first day of nuclear power in 1951.

The control room, complete with a Reactor Shutdown button.

Owen's trying out the "manipulator", the original of which was used to safely handle radioactive material.

We had a great time with our old buddies on this low-key visit!  Next time, we'll pick better restaurants, including a delicious cupcake shop that we neglected to remember.