Boise, ID

Movies just aren’t cheap anymore, but I am. I have to really want to see a flick on the big screen in order to pay for it, and I know I’m not the only one like that. Add up ticket prices for a couple of kids and their parents with snacks, whether from the concessions stand or the corner market, and the total can be a deterrent for a lot of families. Solution? Family movie night at the park. Officially, CableONE Movie Night in Meridian. Every Friday night in the summer the city sets up an inflatable screen in Settler’s Park and shows a movie, for FREE!

We headed straight for the best part of the natural hot spring, which lies just beyond the curve of the cliff. Getting to it can be a challenge and more so if you don’t have the right shoes. One must brave the chilly river waters or else take a long way over the cliff and attempt to mountain goat their way down some unstable rocks. The river can be deep in spots, but a thoughtful citizen has made a path of large stones through the more difficult parts. The pool its self is about ten feet by six feet worth of calf-deep water that’s just the right temperature. A small waterfall that originates at the top of the cliff feeds the pool.

The temperatures were rising quickly and nieces and nephews had just arrived from Tacoma. They were not prepared for the heat. They were going to melt here! After a brief shopping trip to outfit most of them with shorts and sandals, we headed over to Adventure Island at Settler’s Park in Meridian. This adventure would keep us all happy and cool.

While flipping through my copy of the Boise Weekly one afternoon in late June, I came across an ad for the 8th Annual Star Party at Bogus Basin. The event was free and as my cohorts and I were feeling skint, (as many teenagers find themselves in the summer months) we decided to check it out, pitching in for gas money and heading up to the Boise National Forest for an evening of star gazing. I myself not a huge winter sport enthusiast was excited to go take a look at the Bogus ski resort I had heard so much about over the years.

To many the Boise River looks tame, but it can be swift and deep in spots and if you’re not careful you could find yourself overboard.
Once aired up it was time to brave the chilly waters. We laid our raft in the water and loaded in. Depending on your comfort level, the Boise River can be as treacherous or relaxed a ride as you want it to be. People of all ages raft it, young and old (though I myself start getting nervous when I see children under the age of six enter a boat). For the most part it’s easy going. The rapids are small at their most treacherous, and though it’s a slight upgrade from your average water park lazy river, its nothing to be alarmed by, mostly just cold splashes as you hit a bumpy stretch of water.

It was early this year, when spring fever finally to got me. The chill morning air, still required a jacket, and warm clothes. I just had to get out of the house and see what our beautiful city had to offer, after awakening form a long, cold winter nap.

The wife wasn’t anxious to leave her warm cozy abode, so with camera in hand and a cup of Joe, I began my journey across town to one of my favorite places, Warm Spring Mesa. Starcrest View really isn’t the name of the place, it’s the name of a street. But if one goes up in the evening-the name seems appropriate.

My six year old daughter recently spent her Christmas money on a snazzy pair of purple roller skates. Although it’s going to be awhile before she’s very comfortable moving around on 8 wheels, it looked like so much fun I decided to ask for rollerblades for my birthday earlier this month so that I could [...]

I don’t know how many times I’ve been up at the Boise Depot just to look and wander. It’s really peaceful up there. It’s also pretty and there’s a great view of the city. I’ve pressed my face up to the glass doors and cupped my hands around my eyes, but . . . nothing. [...]

Yep, you got it–Gone with the Wind. Now, the movie itself is one thing. Seeing it on the big screen would be fun, but at the Egyptian in Boise? Completely awesome! How many times can you say you’ve even seen the movie title on an old cinema marquee? I can say . . . never, un

many Red Mountains that dot the map of Idaho. To get to this Red Mountain, head to Lowman on your route of choice. After you get into Lowman and cross the river, turn left on Forest Service Road 582. Drive 12 miles until you reach the intersection with Forest Service Road 515 (Red Mountain Road) and veer right. From here, it’s just another 5 miles to the Red Mountain Transfer Camp where the trail starts. There are restrooms at the trailhead. For additional information before you head out, check out the Lowman Ranger District’s website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/boise/recreation/lowman/trails/red_mountain.shtml