Boise, ID
After leaving Capitol Reef, we had a long driving day to get to our next stop, Boise. Why Boise? We had been excited to see Boise, as we’re always on the hunt for cool college towns near the mountains. Boise did not disappoint. After a couple days in town, it sort of feels like Portland, but less weird and fewer hipsters.
We rolled into town around 5 pm and checked into our hotel, the Hotel Modern. Turns out this is the second “converted Travelodge” we’ve stayed in, the other being the Jupiter Hotel in Portland. We tried to figure out for awhile if the two places are related or if there is some trend behind this conversion of crappy motor inns into funky motels, but from what we can find, these are the only two. The hotel bar also makes some creative, stiff drinks. Last night Erin tried a “Coquette” – made with beets, vodka, sherry vinegar, rosemary and some bitter Italian apertif.
Downtown Boise gave off a good vibe – very walkable and full of people, shops, art galleries and restaurants. Boise is keen on the local food scene and our first dinner at the Bitteroot Ale House detailed where every ingredient on the menu came from, as well as how many miles it traveled to get to your plate! We were also impressed by the cultural offerings of the area. A park near downtown boasted a rose garden, art museum, zoo and state history museum. There was also a Shakespeare Festival going on while we were in town, and many places had free live music in the evenings. The people seemed active, as well, with lots of cyclists utilizing the riverfront bike trail.
Overall, not a bad place to park and rest for a couple days.
