BOISE
Idaho about you but this was not a city that we had on our “must-see” list, but Boise are we glad we visited! After seeing it for ourselves, we would plan another trip in a heartbeat. This state is not only beautiful on the outside, but also extremely dense in culture. Chaco was our shoe of choice, perfectly guiding us through the urban jungle just as easily as our adventures in wildlife.
DAY 1
9:00 AM | Come for the coffee, stay for the merch. Honestly Slow by Slow Cafe has some of the best coffee branding we’ve seen, and they make a mean vanilla latte. Grab that with a breakfast Not a bad ramp up the weekend.
405 S. 8th Street #155
10:00 am | In downtown Boise’s Linen District, The Modern Hotel is a mid-century style boutique hotel with chic, simple finishings and REALLY comfy beds. We opted to stay at one of the “apartments” that are about a block from the hotel. We loved the newly built, fully furnished home away from home we cozied up in every night. Pro Tip: Definitely take advantage of the bikes that the Modern hotel offers. The location of the hotel is super close to the Boise bike path and Boise State University.
1314 W. Grove Street
12:00 pm | Totaling to about 16,000, Boise's Basque community is one of the largest in the US. The Basque Block is part of the Old Boise Historic District and one of the most compelling examples of conservation of a living ethnic neighborhood. Located downtown between Capitol Boulevard and 6th Street on Grove, the area around The Block is filled with history, restaurants, entertainment and Boise culture. Grab some amazing food and BASK in the culture- pun definitely intended. Pro Tip: Every Wednesday & Friday paella is served outside starting at 12pm!
3:00 pm | We heard such great things about this zoo and couldn’t wait to check it out! The giraffe encounter has been on our personal bucket list for a while!
Pro Tip: check out the “behind the scenes” tours if you’re traveling with a zoo enthusiast.
355 Julia Davis Dr, Boise, ID 83702
6:00 pm | You can’t go wrong with a carryout sour-dough crust from Flying Pie Pizza. Get an XL and picnic on your hike up to table rock to catch the sunset. Go for that 2nd slice, you earned it after those 3 miles! Honestly, we won’t judge you if you get an uber to drop you off at the top, we don’t confirm or deny that’s exactly what we did.
6508 W Fairview Ave
8:00 pm | Pizza just doesn’t hit the same without washing it down with some boozy ice-cream- something we learned while we were visiting Boise and will definitely take with us. The STIL, or The Sweetest Things in Life, has been voted Boise’s best dessert for the past 2 years, and we can see (taste) why! Try some of the booze-infused frozen dessert or an artisanal ice-cream sandwich.
786 W Broad S
9:00 pm | Juniper is the best way to go to end the night on a high note. This restaurant and bar makes everything in-house for their cocktails, so make that a double for us!
Outside of Juniper is freak alley, filled with graffiti and definitely worth checking out on your walk or bike back to your humble abode.
211 N 8th St, Boise, ID 83702
DAY 2
9:30 am | The husband and wife duo behind Janjou Patisserie use only the highest quality ingredients you can find, and it shows! We were transported straight to Europe as we sipped our espresso and nibbled on our pain au chooclat and ham & cheese croissants.
1754 W State Street
11:00 am | Gear up, people! We’re going FLY FISHING! Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. This quick-hit guide was our go-to for navigating the waters of this excursion, and helped us pick which area we wanted to fish in, and the best methods and times to go about it. This was probably our favorite part about experiencing Boise and the great outdoors! Pack up some of your snacks from the Basque market for a picnic during your adventure and have yourself a day!
3:00 pm | Head back to the Modern Hotel to freshen up and grab a drink at the bar, either under the shade trees or next to the fire.
5:00 pm | Since you spent your day on the water, why not head to a place that was named in honor of Idaho’s first grape-growing appellation, Snake River Valley? Coiled Wines produces over 2,000 cases of wines made from Idaho grapes, all made from vine to wine under their roof. Sample a few at the wine bar and make friends with some locals!
813 W. Bannock St.
7:30pm | The West Side Drive-in retro-style diner is absolutely what we needed after such an eclectic day on the town. We could taste the rich history of this local staple and instantly fell in love with the entire concept. Pro Tip: You canNOT leave without trying the ice-cream potato, it’s a must. Trust.
1929 W State St #3958
9:00 pm | Get lost exploring the endless drink options along 6th street. Catch some live music at Reef, a beer and a game at one of the many sports bars, or strap on your cowboy boots for some country western twang at Dirty Little Roddy’s.
DAY 3
10:00 am | Ending this trip on the highest note we possibly can with brunch at Txikiteo. Seriously, the Jamon sandwich and breakfast melt are no yolk - sorry, no JOKE. For real though, this outdoor/indoor restaurant is beautiful and each meal is served with locally-sourced ingredients. “Here, every table is the Chef’s Table, and everybody knows your name, even if you can’t pronounce theirs.”
175 N 14th St.
Thank you to the teams of: The Modern Hotel, Txikiteo, Janjou Patisserie, Slow By Slow Cafe, STIL, and West Side Drive-In for hosting us these past 48 hours.
Onto the next city!
xx