11. City hiking
So I know hiking has already been on the list, but for this mention, I want to talk about city hiking. City hiking meaning that we can go to downtown Boise and start a fairly advanced 2-mile hike, see breathtaking views at the summit, and then make our way down and to a nice, downtown lunch within minutes from the trail head. Of course, there are tons of hiking trails in some of the more remote areas outside of town, but the opportunity to hike right in the city has been a great, unexpected bonus that I plan to take serious advantage of (even if D protests).
12. Dog-friendly culture
Considering I like dogs more than most people, I have been pleased to see how dog friendly Idaho is. As the weather is warming up and folks are heading outside, there is pretty much at least one or more dog with every family, couple or individual we see. There were tons of sweet doggies enjoying the hike along with us last weekend (and doing a much better job at it, I might add), and there are dog treats, water dishes and goodies scattered around most stores and restaurants. It warms my heart to see all the four-legged love. This one is also Sydney approved!
13. Idaho wine
Having spent two weeks in Italy last summer, I have been pretty loyal to Italian wine of late, so when Dave and I made plans to hit up a local winery for our Val Day dinner last weekend, I wasn't sure what to expect. Our dinner included a tour of the winery, along with a four-course meal with wine pairings. Wow; I was in love about half-way through the tour! The quality of the wines, and the process by which this small winery harvests the grapes, ages in french oak barrels and prides itself on local sourcing was only topped by the straight from the barrel samplings. Oh my! I cannot wait to partake in more Idaho wine.
As if skiing and hiking aren't enough to keep us challenged, we have noticed how prevalent mountain biking is in the area. Dave has been doing his research and bought his first mountain bike last weekend. We're both excited to get outfitted for a new hobby and try out some of the beginner hills to get our feet wet. If only I were about 20 years younger -- ouch.
15. Hot springs
You cannot have all this activity without the need for a little recuperation. So, when we heard about a new Hot Springs resort opening up in Idaho City, we jumped at the chance to rest our weary bones and check it out. There are several public and commercial hot springs on the outskirts of Boise, and this one definitely didn't disappoint.
16. State Parks
When we registered our Jeep, we learned of an additional park pass we could add for $10 a year that would get us into any Idaho State Park for free. We have learned that this is going to be quite a deal, because there are over 30 state parks. We actually have one, Eagle Island, about 7 miles from our house. Lucky Peak State Park is also nearby, located just outside of Boise.
17. Locally-owned restaurants
Well, we're almost at the end of part 2, so it's time to start mentioning the food. Since Boise is obviously small compared to the DFW area, we were wondering a bit whether we'd have a lot of good food choices. What we've learned is, not only are there great choices, but there are a ton of locally-owned restaurants. No more onslaught of chains! In Eagle, we have a very quaint downtown area with a few really good options. This one in particular has been a mainstay for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They serve up yummy food and have live music on the weekends.
18. Coffee hang outs
Anyone from the Northwest is probably well aware of how popular the coffee shop is for partaking just about any time of day. It warms you up on a cold day and is a great place to chill and listen to music or meet other people. We have three locally-owned shops just in Eagle, and they are plentiful around Boise. So far, Rembrandt's right here in Eagle is our favorite. The interior decor and vibe makes you want to get creative, and the Mexican Mocha Latte is to die for!
19. Lots of photo ops
When it's time for my phone upgrade, I definitely plan to do some research on the phone's camera, as the volume of picture taking has drastically increased since my move. Dave is really the photographer in the family, and I look forward to framing some of the landscape photos he's been taking. Here he is in action last weekend.
After our trip to the Hot Springs, Dave and I decided to take advantage of the fact that we were basically already at the edge of the Boise National Forest. There's actually a loop that takes you from Boise, Northeast into the forest, then West back out of the forest and south to Eagle. What a drive! The narrow, winding road was carved right into the forest and mountains. I don't think I blinked for almost two hours. The two main roads we took are aptly named: the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Route and The Payette River National Scenic Byway. Here's a little more data:
The Boise National Forest is a US national forest located north and east of the city of Boise, Idaho. It is about 2,654,000 acres (10,740 km2) in size, ranging in elevation from 2,600 to 9,800 feet (800 to 3000 m).
So, there you have it, 10 more reasons we love Idaho. Stay tuned for part 3 of the list, which I'm titling "the No-s." It'll be a fun one.
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