I admit I had some unfounded preconceived ideas about Boise, and our few days there have totally swayed me to really liking Boise and the surrounding area.
We stayed at the Boise/Meridian KOA, which is central to getting to tourist spots and shopping. It’s a nice size park with helpful staff. It’s nicely laid out, making it easy for Al to manoeuvre our motorhome into and out of our site. A bonus was they had propane on-site to top-up our tank before we left, so we had no worries about running out of fuel for our furnace and BBQ.
While we were in the area, we visited four different tourist attractions and did some shopping. I won’t bore you with the details of our shopping, but I think I’m safe to say you can find anything you need in Boise, Meridian or Nampa. These three cities are all within close proximity in the Treasure Valley area of Idaho.
My favourite tourist attraction was the Old Idaho Penitentiary. It was opened in 1872 and has been added onto several times. Most of the buildings were constructed by the prisoners. A prisoner even designed one of the buildings. We toured several buildings, including cell blocks, the women’s section, Siberia (solitary confinement), death row, and the gallows. We opted for the guided tour and learned many fascinating facts about the prison and some prisoners. They had one prisoner who was 11 when he was sentenced – his mother had asked him to wash the dishes, he didn’t want to do it, so he killed her. The tour takes about an hour and is a bargain for the extra $2 over the admission fee of $6.
Entrance 
A Building that was burned in a riot 
Cells 
Women’s Ward
The Aquarium of Boise was another stop for us. It’s a bit on the small side but still worth the visit. While we were there, several pre-school kids were visiting, and they loved the hands-on displays. All the exhibits are well labelled. On a side note, if you need a book, Boise Bargain Books is right next door and has a great selection of used books.
The World Center for Birds of Prey, run by the Peregrine Fund, is worth the drive, about 6 miles outside town. All the birds on display cannot be released back into the wild for some reason. For instance, Sky, the Bald eagle, had a broken shoulder that did not heal properly. The staff were very informative and happy to answer questions and talk about the birds.
Bald Eagle 
Harpy Eagle 
California Condor
On the Basque Block in Boise is the Basque Museum and Cultural Center exhibiting displays about Basque life in Europe and the immigration of Basques to the USA. The museum is the oldest brick house in Boise still in its original location. The front part of the house is set up like the original wealthy owner would have decorated it. The remainder of the house is set up like it would have been when a Basque family inhabited it. Before visiting this area, I know I’d heard the term Basque before but didn’t know anything about the Basque people, including where they came from. I’ve included a few photos below which explains some of that.
Origin of the Basques 
Basques in the US 
Museum 
Museum
At the house part of the museum, the docent ( I love this word!) recommended Asnots when we asked about a local Basque restaurant for lunch. I was a bit disappointed to find the restaurant is in a modern building, but we were definitely not disappointed in the atmosphere or the food. Immediately upon entering the restaurant, we could tell most of the tables were taken up by regulars enjoying themselves. We ordered three sharing plates and loved our first Basque food experience. We were even able to get some chorizo to take back to the RV with us.
Another day we went to a restaurant called Pauly’s Bar Room for lunch in downtown Meridian. Another place with great atmosphere. Pauly, the owner, took our order, and I opted for the regional dish of Finger Steaks. Finger Steaks are battered strips of steak — very similar to chicken fingers but with steak. Very tasty. Al opted for a burger and was treated to a delicious, old school, homemade burger, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
I had needed a haircut for several weeks, and there was a barbershop across the street from Pauly’s, so I dropped in to see if they cut women’s hair. They did, so I made an appointment for the next day. Usually, I wouldn’t give you barbershop pictures, but Caleb’s Chopshop was a unique experience – spray-painted murals, licence plates, very talkative barbers, and I got a good cut.
Our next major stop is the Reno and Sparks, Nevada area, so I’ll see you there in my next blog.
Safe travels!
Vanessa