Boise

[dgever]

Girlfriend and I are flying out to Boise on Saturday 4/7 and are looking for suggestions on what to do before the Rendezvous gets started on Thursday.

We would like to see as much as possible and the Girlfriend isn’t super outdoorsy, so I was thinking of doing two separate road trips. One day making a big loop up to Stanley and another for the Owyhee Uplands Backcountry Byway.

 

[T Bone]

Check out the Basque Block downtown. Interesting slice of culture and some great food.

 

[Sawtooth]

Take loop from Boise to Banks on Hwy 55. Take Banks/ Lowman road through Garden Valley. From Lowman take hwy 21 to Stanley. Have lunch in Stanley. Take hwy 75 and drive to Ketchum for the night. Get up and eat breakfast at the Kneadery, walk around town and the Sun Valley Lodge. Leave town around 3pm and return to Boise via Fairfield and Mt. Home on hwy 20. Take hwy 84 back to Boise. Great country and a good combination of outdoors and the comforts of a resort town.

 

[Josh Kuntz]

Shed hunting, mountain biking, hot springs, fishing, Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, wine tasting just west of town, tons of bars and restaurants downtown, skiing at Bogus Basin, Leslie Gulch in the Owyhees, Hell's Canyon, river surfing, MK Nature Center. That should keep you busy for a bit.

Ketchum, Stanley and McCall are all cool towns. Pine and Featherville make for a good drive. Pop into the First Lite office in Ketchum to meet all the people and dogs there.

If you don't mind bumpy, narrow dirt roads with sheer dropoffs into a lake, dive the road up the middle fork of the Boise River.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Rendezvous!

 

[choc dogs]

Sawtooth's banks Loop should see some elk, not to exclude deer or a turkey, if you want a bit closer to town without overnight, you could come back by way of Idaho City. An afternoon stroll along the Boise river greenbelt isn"t all bad, last week the local bald eagle was hanging out.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

Go north of town on I84 to Farewell Bend. Catch the Snake River Road at the town of Huntington. It follows Brownlee Reservoir for 40 miles. Real good chance to see bighorns on the Oregon side and elk across the Snake on the Idaho side.

 

[brymoore]

If you drive route 21 past Lucky Peak to Robbie Creek in the last few hours of the evening you should see elk herds grazing in the hills. You will also see mule deer and maybe antelope if you’re lucky.

 

[Ryan2782]

Locally, in Boise...

Hike table rock - just over 3 miles round trip and it's fairly easy walking on dirt path and you will get a view of the whole city and surrounding areas

Rent bicycles and ride the greenbelt - paved path that goes through town along the river

Idaho City - 45 minute drive from Boise - Go to The Springs - Hot springs resort

Tons of local breweries

Stanley, McCall or Sun Valley would make a good road trip depending on what you want to see or experience

Places to eat - Cloud 9, Goldies, Big City Coffee, Boise Fry Company, Bar Gernika, - To many great local places to remember at the moment.

 

[dgever]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

Sawtooth that is the same route I was planning, and I think we are going to take your advice and stay in Ketchum for the night.

Shed hunting is definitely on the agenda. If anyone wants to pm me with advice on where to go it would be much appreciated. Finding an elk shed would be a dream come true.

 

[idnative1948]

Take loop from Boise to Banks on Hwy 55. Take Banks/ Lowman road through Garden Valley. From Lowman take hwy 21 to Stanley. Have lunch in Stanley. Take hwy 75 and drive to Ketchum for the night. Get up and eat breakfast at the Kneadery, walk around town and the Sun Valley Lodge. Leave town around 3pm and return to Boise via Fairfield and Mt. Home on hwy 20. Take hwy 84 back to Boise. Great country and a good combination of outdoors and the comforts of a resort town.

What Sawtooth said!