A Weekend in Boise, Idaho
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
Update: We took another trip to the city and really enjoyed our experience at the zoo and Knock Em Dead Theater, the cutest little local theater where we saw a production of Xanadu. I recommend reading my guide for further details.
Last weekend, Mike and I took the short 4 hour road trip from Idaho Falls to Boise. We recently moved to Idaho Falls for Mike’s teaching job and we have been exploring a lot around the area. We were excited to check out the area after hearing only positive feedback. Driving in we were not very impressed with the dull, desert landscape. I was expecting the city surroundings to be a bit more lush, however, after spending some time here we really got to like the area.
Simply driving by on the highway, you would never guess that the region offers so many wonderful parks, trails, and hiking areas. Although the city itself is quite flat, the mountains surrounding the city, referred to as “The Foothills” by locals, provide plenty in the way of scenic recreation.
A great budget friendly hotel
Prior to the trip, we had booked a hotel at the Best Western Plus Northwest Lodge, located on the outskirts of the city in a quiet area right off the freeway. A complimentary breakfast and evening wine reception were offered to all guests.
I have to say this was definitely the nicest Best Western I have stayed at in a while. The woody theme was fantastic! If you are looking for a nice budget friendly hotel, I highly recommend checking out this property. There are so many great things to do in the area, that we did not spend much time in the hotel. The hotel was adequate for our needs.
A great little downtown
After a long drive, we decided to take it easy the first night of our trip. We decided to stroll around the downtown area and ate at P.F. Chang’s, one of our favorite chains (and one of the few to offer a large number of vegetarian options). I recommend the vegetarian lettuce wraps. The downtown is pretty small, however, it was not that bad considering the city has a population of just over 250,000.
You will find plenty of interesting shops and popular restaurants in the downtown area. Best of all, the downtown is very walkable and free parking is easy to find. You’ll find numerous attractions in this area including beautiful parks, the Boise Art Museum, Zoo Boise, and the Idaho State Capitol.
Later that evening, we went to the Idaho Center to see a show. The Idaho Center hosts various events throughout the year. Check the calendar for upcoming shows/events. There seems to be something going on pretty much all year round, so there’s a decent chance of something interesting going on during your visit.
A beautiful ride along the Greenbelt
The next morning after using the hotel fitness center and hot tub, we took a ride over to Julia Davis Park. This is a great city park located near the downtown area. There are plenty of amenities here including: tennis courts, paddle boat rentals, and the city zoo. It was super easy to find parking which was nice.
From this park, we had access to the Greenbelt, a 25 mile long paved biking, walking and jogging path that runs along the Boise River. We biked about 20 miles and would have gone farther if it were not for the strong heat that day – it was about 100 degrees! Even though it’s dry, it still gets hot. Much of the trail is shady, although there are some open desert sections where the strong sun becomes brutal.
This path really is gorgeous and nicely maintained – it is one of the better paths which I have come across in recent years. If I lived in the area, I would use it for jogging, biking, or walking daily – that’s for sure!
The greenbelt follows the course of the river throughout, and is leafy and shaded in most sections. However, there were a few parts that were barren and really hot in the extreme heat. I would probably recommend riding along this beautiful path in the fall season as it might get too hot in the summer.
Plus, I imagine the fall foliage is spectacular with all the leafy trees lining the route. The section that goes through Boise State University is especially nice as there are tons of planted trees. The only thing we did not like about the path was that it was not marked as well as other paths we have taken.
It’s also a great place for spotting wildlife, especially during the morning hours! We saw many deer and I was able to capture a quick photo. Also, you can see a giraffe from the zoo.
Update: We have biked this trail many more times on return visits. What a gorgeous place for any type of exercise. I really love this trail. And we see so many deer too which is pretty exciting for someone who grew up in Chicago without easy access to nature.
A small, but great zoo
Zoo Boise is a tiny zoo, but very well-maintained with a nice variety of animals despite its’ limited size. It’s the perfect place to take a break as it is located directly on the path. We parked our bikes and enjoyed the car-free means of transportation. It is not a zoo to write home about like Brookfield (which I am used to in Chicago), but nice enough for a quick hour stroll. The cats were pretty active on our visit, and being a cat lover, this was a big bonus.
Later that night, we made our way to the downtown area to dine at The Melting Pot. I highly recommend this restaurant as a fun date night together making fondue. This was my first time dining here (even though I always wanted to go) and I loved the experience of making own own fondue. I ordered some type of veggie special which includes a savory broth where I could cook tofu and other veggies.
We ordered a cheese based fondue as an appetizer and a chocolate fondue for dessert (we went with the dark chocolate). I love the various dipper options. you get bread, fruit, and veggies for the cheese and fruit and mini desserts for the chocolate.
Overall first impression
Boise is a great city filled with ample opportunities for recreation, cultural activities, shopping, and dining. Listed above are just a handful of things to do in this great city. I will definitely be planning a return visit in the near future! Stay tuned for more updates.
More fun in southern Idaho
Update: Since relocating to southern Idaho, we have explored much of the area. You can check out my tourist guide to some of the must-see sights in the area. Really, this area of the country is so beautiful with so many waterfalls and natural areas to explore.
Mike and I have had a great time visiting all the wonderful nature sights that we never got to see living in the Midwest. Plus, it is such a short drive to Yellowstone, a bucket list contener for sure.
