Today, we’re driving west to Boise with the primary goal of watching the football game, but we’ll make a few pit stops along the way.
Breakfast and Interstate
First thing this morning, we headed downtown to get some coffee, driving back to 2nd South Market, the food hall where we had barbecue a couple nights before. The coffee shop there is called Full Steam Espresso; I’ll give a more detailed review tomorrow. Most of the breakfast places in Twin Falls were either too crowded or not open early enough, so we wound up at a Great Harvest Bread Company so we could stay on schedule. We had a nice selection of cinnamon rolls, toast, scones, and egg dishes, which accomplished the twofold goal of satisfying our hunger and getting us back on the road quickly.
Three Island Crossing
Cody had recommended we stop at Three Island Crossing in Glenns Ferry. This marked a popular cutoff for the Oregon Trail, and one of the most important (and dangerous) places travelers would attempt to ford the Snake River, using (you guessed it!) the three islands in the middle of the river to assist them.
We arrived at the visitor center and museum right as they opened for the day, and were greeted by their very friendly staff, who gave us a quick tour, started a 20 minute information video for us to watch, and recommended a couple more related stops and viewpoints nearby.
We enjoyed the museum tour, and spent a little time looking at large waterfowl through a spotting scope, seeing bald eagles, pelicans, hawks, and geese. The next interstate exit down, we pulled off for another quick stop, where we could see wagon ruts going up and over the hillside right by the side of the interstate.
Boise
Soon we arrived in downtown Boise, and secured a parking space. Hooray again for the Jeep’s semi-worthless hybrid capabilities, because the only spot left in the deck was for EV parking and charging. We charged the battery from 0% to 98% for just $2, if you wondered how extensive the battery life is.
We walked through downtown Boise, visiting the Capital City Public Market, a large collection of street vendors, musicians, booths, and food. I forgot to take pictures, but I was concentrating on navigating the jostling crowd. Next, we headed over to Slow by Slow for coffee, grabbing a couple of pour overs and a couple of mochas.
Basque Block
After the coffee and market, and walking around a bit more of downtown, we headed to the Basque Block, where the famed shepherds settled starting in the 1800s. Europe’s Basque Country is situated in NE Spain and SW France, and many immigrants came here over the years, settling in the west and bringing their food, language, and culture with them. While we were in the coffee shop, two young ladies in line in front of us were dressed in traditional Basque clothes, speaking the language, and using a special app on their phones to communicate in their language.
Since it was recommended by almost every source I could find, we went to Bar Gernika for lunch. They have a very simple menu, filled with cultural staples. Most dishes are served with either Idaho fries, or their signature croquetas, little fried balls made of butter, onion, chicken, flour, and milk. Basque food is known for its use of sweet red pimiento peppers, as well as sheep’s milk cheeses and hearty breads. Cody and Morgan split their signature Solomo sandwich (marinated pork loin served with pimientos) and their chicken grinder. Dad and I split the Solomo sandwich and their Chorizo (local made Basque sausage served with grilled onions and pimientos) – think Spanish paprika-filled chorizo, not Mexican-style.
The food was outstanding, and quite refreshing to have a very atypical option like this in the USA. I would come back in a heartbeat. We saw many other App State fans also eating there.
Bar Gernika
Boise, ID
A glimpse of authentic Basque food. The experience is quite unlike anything else I’ve ever had.
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
E-Sports
Continuing our walk through the Basque Block and downtown Boise, we happened upon the front door of Boise State University’s Esports program. Of course, we were curious, and Cody decided to pull on the door. Well, it opened, and really before anyone realized what was going on, we found ourselves in the lobby. The director of the program popped her head out of her office, and offered us a tour of the facilities, which we felt obliged to take since we had barged in unannounced.
Now, to be clear, I think the concept of “electronic sports” (a.k.a. competitive video games) is a bit ridiculous and best reserved for someone’s basement gaming set up. But, I will admit it was a very interesting tour, and quite an impressive facility. Boise State is one of the premier programs in the country, and they attract a lot of engineers, computer scientists, and other “nerdy” majors through this program, which offers somewhere around 15 full scholarships. Lots of organizations (including mining and forestry companies, drone operators, and the United State Armed Forces) want to hire people with “thumb dexterity” to operate their robots in areas where only a human touch can get the job done.
Boise River Greenbelt
Leaving downtown, we re-parked our car near the football stadium, and took to the Boise River Greenbelt for a walk before it was time to head to the game. This is a beautiful pathway that runs through campus and beside the Snake River. There are lots of picnic areas, drop-in spots for kayakers, and a ton of ducks! It seems almost everyone in Boise owns a bike and uses the Greenbelt to navigate the town.
We walked up and down the river for a while, until we finally started to tire and wanted to get out of the afternoon sun.
Zoo Boise
Crossing the river and entering Julia Davis Park, we found a public restroom and some benches in the shade, and decided to rest for a while. We just happened to be right across from the entrance to Zoo Boise, so we got the spontaneous idea to see how much the entrance fee was, since it seemed like a small zoo and a good way to kill more time before the game. Turns out the fee was very reasonable, so we decided to venture inside and see the exhibits. It’s a small zoo, mostly known for having red pandas, which really look more like colorful raccoons than pandas.
We managed to see all the exhibits, and even found some air conditioning to cool us down. It was very much worth the price of admission, despite being one of the smaller zoos I’ve been to.
App State at Boise State
Now, it was finally time for the game. We met up with my friend Justin Evans; we grew up together and went to the same church our entire lives; his grandfather was our pastor. With him was his now-wife Hannah; they got engaged right after we left and are now married. They live in Idaho Falls, and are loving being out west. It was great to see Justin and to meet Hannah; we’d pre-arranged for them to go to the game with us, but circumstances unfortunately prevented us from spending more time with them that week.
The game was a sharp disappointment; we looked terrible from the start. But, it was neat to finally see the “Smurf turf” in person, and all the Boise fans were very nice. The stadium is really a lot smaller in person than it looks on TV; its capacity is very comparable to Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone. On a slightly more humorous note, I think every single crane in the state of Idaho was visible from our seats.
Dutch Bros and Burgers
After the game, we headed to Dutch Bros to drown our sorrows in Dutch Freezes, and get a little caffeine to keep us awake on the drive home. You’ve probably heard me sing their praises many times before, so I’ll spare you my spiel. But, do know they are one of my top-rated chain establishments.
We stopped at Bad Boy Burgers on the south side of Boise, grabbed some [not pictured] burgers and fries for the road, and then continued on the interstate until we got back to Twin Falls. We headed to bed, exhausted, but knowing we’d had a fun day.
The Best Things we Saw Today
Isaac
The best thing I saw today was… “the giant anteater and other animals at Zoo Boise”.
The best thing I ate today was… “the Solomo sandwich in the Basque Block”.
Jerry
The best thing I saw today was… “Zoo Boise“.
The best thing I ate today was… “all the Basque food”.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.
Tomorrow night, we’ve got a red eye flight back home from SLC to CLT. We’ll spend the rest of the day cramming in a few last-minute adventures, and are actually going to dip down into Nevada for a while on our way from Idaho to Utah.
– Isaac & Jerry
3 Responses
I’m glad that Sun Valley and the Galena Pass Summit gave you something beautiful to see after visiting that ugly black soiled mountain!!😊
I’m glad you got to spend time with Cody and Morgan!
So glad you got to see Justin and Hannah. They do love it out there. Happy for them.
I hope we get to visit them again sometime.