Jam-Packed Weekend in Boise

Idaho is one of those sleeper states. It seems like folks don’t often bring it up in conversation when talking about the best of this, or the coolest of that. But let me tell you, it may just be a best kept secret. It’s known for it’s jagged Sawtooth Mountains, hot springs and a Mormon or two. But it’s much, much more.

When Candice & I were invited to play downtown for Visit Boise, we were pumped! We LOVE eating great food, the outdoors & a walkable downtown. Boise has all three in abundance.

We were lucky to be hosted by the Modern Hotel & Bar where we luxuriated in hot baths, clean sheets & enjoyed remarkably fresh cocktails by a warm fire pit.

Boise’s food & beverage game is off the charts with the Basque block (my favorite was Bar Gernika!), breweries on almost every corner & the most delightful eateries within a short walk of our hotel.

Honorable mentions include: starting the day with coffee at Pine Coffee Supply, large feasts of paella twice a week at The Basque Market, yummy pizza & wyld-er drinks at The Wylder, happy hour at Bardennay Restaurant & Distillery, craft beer at Payette Brewing & Barbarian Brewing.

If you’re an outdoorsy person, boi-se-howdy, do I have a place for you! The city boasts an amazing ridge to rivers trail system with an expansive 25-mile Boise River Greenbelt that links to countless trails in the foothills. Ever eager to tap into the best Idaho puns, the series of parks along the greenbelt are called “Ribbon of Jewels,” referencing Idaho’s Gem State slogan. Along the way, we even played a great round of disc golf at Ann Morrison Park.

Speaking of trails, Boise is a great city to navigate for pedestrians & cyclists alike! From dedicated pedestrian-only streets to armored bike lanes, it was nice to see a place that is spending time & money to make sure folks feel safe. According to Walk Score, Boise ranks as very walkable with a 89% walking score & a whopping 99% for its biking score! We really enjoyed this aspect while exploring the city & walked everywhere, every day.

While I have you, Logan Foll presents!: A fun fact.

Why is Boise called the City of Trees? Because in the early 1800s when the French fur trappers journeyed across the more arid, desert-like parts of the Idaho Territory, they were beyond excited when they saw a river and trees that they exclaimed “Le Bois, Le Bois” meaning the trees, the trees! And the name stuck ever since.

Peer below for photos from our adventure into the heart of the City of Trees!

Would you like cream with that? - Pine Coffee Supply

First week of pride and a great vibe at Dawson Taylor Coffee Roasters.

Boise had art dripping out of every urban scene. This river piece is inlayed on the Grove Hotel.

The street photographer in me always comes out when I can frame a pic with a human going about their daily lives. And a muscle car always helps.

My buddy Jon showed me the Old Boise Model Railroad Club, which was so fun, we stayed over an hour just watching.

And if you're not a huge railfan, the miniature set around the tracks hosts 4-5 scavenger hunts with lots of fun scenes to find!

A Union Pacific locomotive rounds a bend. The display is more than 1,800 square feet, with 50 scale miles of track and 210 switches.​

They even had a model train of the brand new Amtrak locomotives, the ALC-42, which stands for “Amtrak Long-distance Charger, 4,200-horsepower.” The real-life trains can reach speeds of up to 125mph if the conditions are right!

And what's a model train club without the legendary Union Pacific 4104 Big Boy?

The locomotive will be visiting some of the Western United States this summer on a heritage steam tour.

Did you know? Boise actually heats many buildings downtown geothermally! They'll be marked with this fancy placard. (Always stop and read the signs!)

If you really want to get nerdy, here's the complete history of Boise's geothermal. ;)

I just loved the colors in this photo.

Did we mention art?! Boise.

Does this really need a caption? Corgi in a bike basket!

Back alley exploration with JonBoi

Freak Alley was one of my favorite places in town. The art was STUNNING and ranged from happy feels to harsher realities with everything in between.

Look at this slacker. Break time's over, Jon!

Chasing Candice in her natural habitat, hard at work, capturing the alley way.

This image just makes me think: "God Mode."

We control our own destiny, this screams.

Peeing in the Dumpster: Self-Titled

Y'all. This just made me laugh.

Portal to another dimension

Believe it or not, this was completely candid, no staging. Candice is radiant at every angle, you see.

*Pink Panther music plays in background*

Seriously though, you should check out Freak Alley when you're in Boise. Well worth the stop!

Jon chomping on some Shishito peppers, Basque-style, at Bar Gernika.

Candice & I have been getting real good at chasing eternal spring on our roadtrip to Washington this summer. Just look at those blooms!

Because what good is a capitol city without a Capitol Building?

Atop the Capitol Building is a winged victory eagle that's as tall as I am (5'7)!

On the Capitol grounds is the Idaho Women's Suffrage Commemorative Sculpture, dedicated to the grit & determination of Idaho's toughest gender. It was designed by the artist Irene Deely.

Looking back at Capitol Boulevard reveals a glimpse of the former Boise Depot, built in 1925. Back in 1948, six passenger trains served the station every single day.

Boise Capitol's lighting game is on-point.

See what I mean?

The Capitol Building is quite impressive, rising 208 feet high and 201,720 sq ft of interior space. Fun Fact: It's the only capitol building in the United States heated by geothermal water.

There's over 50,000 sq ft of artistically carved marble in the building! Four types were sourced from Georgia, Alaska, Vermont & Italy.

This mural sparks joy!

It rained for a little bit during our visit, but we got to see a few fun umbrellas & personalities out & about!

Candice adored this hat from Fluff Hardware, which featured the COOLEST jewelry I think I've ever seen.

And of course they had a few Bison skulls, which upped the cool factor even harder. They make their own jewelry in-house!

Two words: Fireside Cocktails.

The Modern Hotel & Bar had the most fun drinks & how convenient my bed was a stone's throw away!

Candice perused the meticulously thoughtful & exciting cocktail menu before emphatically declaring she would try the lavender one!

The Modern was a whole vibe. The fire pits were one of my favorite parts!

Candice demonstrates the proper technique for enjoying clean sheets & a nice bed. (Colorized, 2024)

The Idaho State Museum was tons of fun! We learned about the state's history, ski scene, industries and even a little something about a trail that came through here... what was its name again?

Oh, yeah! Oregon Trail!

Boise prioritizes it's non-car visitors so much. And because of this, they are in the process of making things even nicer. So they have a few construction projects going on. Pardon the dust!

Candice in her element, chasing good art & sunshine!

We really enjoyed the Boise River Greenbelt with free bikes provided to us from the fine folks at the Modern Hotel & Bar. They even let us keep them an hour or two past check-out, which was so kind!

I'll leave you with this aerial parting shot of Candice enjoying the greenbelt with the city in the background. We had so much fun in Boise & if you're even in town, let me know if you need recommendations! :)