Boise, Idaho, Highlights

Boise is one of those places we may have to come back to as there is a lot to see and do.  We had a really nice time there in spite of the smoke from all the fires here in the west.  Really hampers the views of the scenery.  My lungs have been feeling the effects of all the smoke, I can't imagine what people with health concerns must be going through.

Anyway,  Boise and surrounding area is brewery and winery country so you know Mike and I had a great time visiting as many of these establishments as possible.  There is also lots of beautiful country to see in the Idaho heartland but I would suggest planning a trip there at other than fire season for sure;)  Boise has museums and beautiful parks to check out as well.  Had we more time there we could have seen a lot more in this area.

We stayed at Hi Valley RV Park in Eagle while checking out the Boise area. Worth mentioning because it was a nice park located next to some nice hills with hiking trails!  So convenient!

We followed the beautiful Payette River up into the Idaho Heartland one day to visit Warm Lake:

Warm Lake up in the Idaho Heartland

Payette River

 The Payette River is a very popular rafting/kayaking river with up to class 5 rapids.  Mike and I did a  half day raft trip along an 8 mile section and did some class 2 and 3 rapids.  Fun!!!  Now I think I'm ready for 3 and 4 rapids....maybe;)

Rapid on the Payette

 We did a hike in Boise up to Table Rock which overlooks the city and, in this view, the old territorial prison which is now a museum.

 Boise has a botanical garden right next to the old prison:

After  the hike that morning we toured the prison. Always
interesting!

Mike is checking out solitary confinement

if you weren't in solitary, you could actually spruce up your own cell by making things in the shop on the prison grounds

4 floors high!!

 In another area of downtown Boise they have a beautiful rose garden.  It is always a treat to smell a rose these days!!

 Not far from the rose garden is a small wildlife sanctuary and Mike is watching a sturgeon swim by below him!

Below, a pic of me with a larger than life Abe Lincoln

Boise Capital building

local artists can express themselves in Freak Alley, very interesting!!!!

No, I am not going to put a pics of every brewery we went to.  Lots of good ones though!!!!!

stickers from some of the breweries

one of the many good wineries in the area

7 diff wineries represented here in just some of the wine we bought;)

me with purple teeth after a few wineries, now having a beer;)

American Falls, ID, City of Rocks

We really enjoyed our 2 week stay at the Willow Bay Campground in American Falls.  We were right on the American Falls Reservoir and had a nice shady spot.  A walking trail starts right outside the campground which goes for about 4.5 miles but, most importantly, the first mile and a half takes you right though a nice birding/wildlife area next to the water.  I was fortunate enough to see moose twice while we were there!  There were so many species of birds including a great horned owl and ibis!!  Even though temperatures were in the 90s, the cool mornings and breeze off the lake and the shade made it very pleasant!

We did go into Pocatello, about 20 miles away (there is nothing in American Falls) for a couple of breweries.  We enjoyed Portneuf Valley Brewing and Jim Dandy Brewing.

We also drove a bit further south one day to the City of Rocks National Reserve.  Well worth a day trip, this area up in the hills is populated with natural granite sculptures making a nice area to explore and a rock climbers dream.  It was a stop on the California Trail for thousands of immigrants in the 1800s and many of them left their names and dates on rocks in the reserve.

There is a falls in American Falls and it is quite scenic!:

hundreds of seagulls make the reservoir their home

a pond on the walking trail where I saw a lot of birds

my first moose sighting, mom and twins!!

yes, even a few arches and windows at City of Rocks

sunflowers everywhere

 Oh yeah, we had to drive to Blackfoot to check out the Idaho Potato museum!

a morning surprise on the walking path

American Falls

falls and old power house

last morning there I came across this young bull moose!!!