Sundays In My City: Getting Lost In Downtown Boise
13 June 2017
Okay, so I have a two-days-late entry for this week's Sundays in my City, hosted By Claudya, but here I am better late than never! Right? Right??!
Ten days after we arrived in Boise, Idaho, on March 20th, we decided to drive around and get lost downtown. Well, okay, so maybe we didn't "decide" to get lost, but with me behind the wheel in a brandy-new town, it's kind of inevitable. With lots of stops at red lights, Rob and I both whipped out the Nikon real quick-like to catch a few snaps of the things we were seeing.
So yeah, it's taken me just shy of three months to edit these snaps and share them with you, but I promise it will probably not have been worth the wait. Ha!
The first thing we spotted, very close to home for the first time ever - whether it's when we lived in Virginia Beach and the first Whole Foods was erected on Laskin Road not near us at all, or whether it was when we lived in Homestead, Florida, and the closest Whole Foods was about 35-40 minutes' drive up to Pinecrest, I think, this is the first time we've had one within a few minutes' drive. And obviously, I was so excited about that fact that I had to take a photo!
This coppery leaf sculpture downtown caught my eye. "Quick, Rob, take the picture!" as we drove past...
This cool wall exhibit intrigued Rob quite a bit. He recently found out that it represents Snake River, nearby.
I have no idea what this giant "OCO" logo stands for, but I still aim to find out!
There are lots of amusing such signs out and about in Boise. Yesterday, even, Rob spotted one that said, "My boss asked me to change the sign." And that was it! Haha!
While BOOO to us, because we have yet to venture out to the Boise Farmers Market nearby, YAYYY for Boise for actually having one. Color me excited!
We haven't ventured into the "World's Largest T.Rex Ever" building, but since I have freakishly short arms (or so says Rob of the freakishly long arms), this building both intrigued and amused us!
Would you look at that?!! Not only does downtown Boise boast a Whole Foods, but there is also a Trader Joe's near us! Woot woot! I have yet to make a pilgrimage, but that's only because I know I'll want to buy one of everything and wreck our monthly food budget! ;)
I'm not entirely certain why I intended to share this photo, but two things come to mind: Yay, we live in a town where Rite Aid is a thing (I hadn't had one at all near us during our four-year sojourn in the Miami area)... or maybe it was the mountains in the distance captivating me. Or maybe both?! That's always a possibility.
There are several different University systems with bases here in Boise, which is great for both Rob and Chloe. The former wants to study for a Bachelor's degree in Fire Ecology, while the latter would like to start studying French. I'm hoping to put her in some summer or fall classes for that, at least, if not an additional class or two.
The Pita Pit!! Yay! I ran into one when we visited Charleston, SC, a few years back and fell in love with the menu offerings at that time. So happy there is one close enough to deliver to our front door! We've ordered twice now: a lamb gyro for Rob, and veggie-laden hummus for me. Mmmm, so good!!
More mountains against the backdrop of the sky... kind of hard to see from this angle of driving, but that kind of scenery is all around us here in Boise, and it is breathtakingly beautiful... sigh.
The Idaho Angler shop is just down the road from us, which I excitedly pointed out to Rob, an avid fly-fisher.
I mainly took this photo for Chloe, who wants to get into vet school and be a feline-specific veterinarian, ultimately. There are several vet clinics in the immediate vicinity, so we are hoping to get her work - even on a voluntary basis - at one of them for the experience.
Food trucks! I love seeing them out and around town, on an ordinary everyday drive and not just for special occasions. I am a big fan of the food truck. ;)
Oh yes, now I remember our goal for this day: it was free ice cream cone day at Dairy Queen! None for me, thanks - I can't - but it surely brought joy to my four children! (What, you didn't know that 44-year-old Rob is actually a 12-year-old child trapped in a grown man's body?!!)
Rockies Diner! Rockies this, Rockies that... I love it. We definitely live in the mountains, which is so exciting in it's novelty for me. We haven't been to this diner yet, but I am sure we'll get there.
Ooh! Brewer's Haven is just down the road from us, and every Wednesday evening, they have a different craft brewer representative giving out free beer tastings and educating us about their particular beers. Rob and I have gone a half a dozen times or so, while the kids are at the church youth group (I know, I know, it's a bit of cognitive dissonance there, hahaha). It's a great time for us to connect with each other, meet some new people, and of course, try out some interesting beers!
We ventured inside Brewer's Haven, kids and all. Hey. we've seen plenty of dogs coming in, so what are a few teenagers with their parents? ;) The girls and I, being extreme lovers of all kinds of cheeses, naturally gravitated toward that section of the store. Look what Chloe found! I'm going to have to pick that book up one of these fine days.
Cheese-making kits that promise to be easy!! More on that in a later, maybe the next, post... Stay tuned for a first-time cheese-crafting adventure, eh?
Living up to its' beer-centric theme, plenty of craft beers local and regional to Boise, were in stock there.
... I mean, a lot of beers...
And of course, for the home brewer, every kind of supply you might need could be found at Brewer's Haven. I've tried probing to see whether Rob is interested in doing some home microbrewing, but it just doesn't seem to interest him. Oh well. No big deal.
Now I know to head to BH if ever I get into making bottlecap art/bow-making once again!
Lots of interesting places to look inside the Haven, with an obvious focus on beer. We've picked up a few brewer stickers and decals for Phoenix, our Dodge Journey, ourselves!
Like I said; lots of interesting eye candy here!
This "Buy Local" display pleased me greatly, being somewhat of a locavore myself. Actually, lots of places to shop for foods and beverages around Boise stress what's local in their marketing displays. I can appreciate that!
Knitted wine bottle cozies! I bet I could knit up a few cute ones for our own wine bottles when they get cold in the wintertime, myself. haha!
And at last, Vista Avenue. We spent a while in Brewer's Haven for sure, seeing what's to see, but eventually it was time to make our way back home. If you're looking to visit us, Vista is one of our nearest cross-streets leading into our cozy little neighborhood. Come on by! ;)
Thanks for your visit. Drop a comment, won'tcha?
Fin.