Boise, Idaho is a small city set beside a river at the base of Boise Hills and National Forest.  The city draws an adventurous crowd that is looking to hike and bike the nearby hills. Since it was a hot summer the year I went, I spent my adventure time in Boise on the Boise River.  

Float the Boise takes place between Barber Park and Ann Morrison Park. There are parking and shuttles at each end, and rentals at Barber Park, where the float begins.  Locals bring their own flotation devices and make a day of floating, swimming, pulling up on the shores for a picnic, and just hanging out.  While there were three Class II rapid sections along the way, I never felt unsafe in my tube.  It was a nice relaxing way to spend a hot afternoon in the city. 

Boise’s artistic edge is highlighted at the Freak Alley Gallery.  Spanning a block between 8th and 9th street in downtown Boise, Freak Alley is a mix of large professional murals and small graffiti pieces. Because it is a public space, the landscape of the alley is always changing. This means that you never know what you’ll see when you go check it out.  

The center of Boise’s downtown is situated between 8th and 10th street. The pedestrian only block of 8th street serves the main commercial hub of the city with restaurants, businesses, and shops to explore. Just outside of the center are older buildings where the current tenants have preserved the charm of the historic buildings.

If you follow 8th street down to the river, you’ll end in the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial.  While Anne Frank’s struggle is the inspiration for the memorial, the site honors voices from across time and space speaking about human rights injustices. It is a small park and memorial, but it was a nice reprieve from the city.  

One block over from 8th street, Basque Block represents the cultural history of the Basque people in Boise, who have been part of the city since the early 1800s. The colorful architecture of the buildings and the food offerings of the cafes transport you to a different place.  If you’re in town during lunch time on a Wednesday or Friday, don’t miss out on The Basque Market’s paella. The chef cooks up a large vat of seafood, chicken and chorizo paella to serve up to lunch patrons. The market also offers a selection of tapas. Pintoxs, and sandwiches which are worth a visit on their own.  

Across the river set up on a hill is Boise Depot. While the inside of this Spanish style building is only open a few times a week, and wasn’t open during my visit, standing in front of the Depot gives a nice panorama of the city of Boise below. The Depot sits above the well manicured Platt Gardens which include winding paths through the trees and flowers, water features, and a volcanic rock monument.

Next to the Depot is also a Mikado-type steam locomotive, fondly called Big Mike. Big Mike was built in 1920 and worked as a freight engine moving cargo from Nebraska to Idaho along the Union Pacific main line. 

In the heat of the afternoons, I spent some time sampling local beers and wines.  Boise has seventeen breweries and twenty wineries, so there are more than enough places to explore – way more than I could explore during my short stay.  The two I chose to try were  White Dog Brewing, which offers beers from IPAs to sours, and Split Rail Winery, which specializes in Rhodes varietals and Pacific Northwest grapes.