5 minute read
BOISE BUCKET LIST
If you move to or even visit a new city, there is a requisite list of things you must do to be considered a local. It might be a particular cup of coffee, a certain celebrity sighting, or an athletic feat specific to the area’s geography. Of course, you can do any of those things in Idaho too—but our vast and beautiful landscape offers experiences so rich that they warrant an entire bucket list. Whether you're in the mood for the great outdoors, the cultured indoors, a good meal, or something else, the Treasure Valley is full of gems.
GET OUT(SIDE)
❑ GO FLY FISHING
➤ Essential Information: From major rivers to hidden streams, Idaho boasts some of the nation’s best waterways for fly fishing. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, check out Idaho Angler for gear, guides, and more to make your trip one to remember.
➤ Fun Facts: Approximately 9% of Idaho’s total land mass (4.8 million acres) is designated wilderness. Learn more about how to support the fish and other species that call Idaho home with the Idaho Fish & Wildlife Foundation!
❑ Float the Boise River
❑ Visit Kuna Caves
❑ Visit a local hot springs
❑ Take a photo with the Abraham Lincoln statue at Zoo Boise
❑ Visit Bread Loaf Rock
❑ Go snowshoeing at Bogus Basin or Tamarack Resort
❑ Ride the coasters at Tamarack and Bogus
❑ Grab a sandwich at Green’s Market and swing to the stars at Cherie Buckner-Webb Park
❑ Hike Table Rock (and take a selfie at the top)
❑ CLIMB THE STEPS AT CAMEL’S BACK PARK
➤ Essential Information: Camel’s Back Park sits on 11 acres and is adjacent to the 63-acre Camel’s Back Reserve and 292-acre Hulls Gulch Reserve, which offer hiking and spectacular views right in the city. Take the steps or wind your way up the trail to see the City of Trees in a whole new way!
➤ Fun Facts: Idaho natives remember Camel’s Back Park as one of the best in Boise. With steep slides where the steps now sit and a host of winding metal slides, the park was a dangerous wonderland.
❑ Ride on the jumps at the J.A. & Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation’s Boise Bike Park
❑ Visit the The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey
❑ Walk or ride the Boise River Greenbelt
❑ Catch a wave at Boise Whitewater Park
Be Entertained
❑ See a concert at the Idaho Botanical Garden
❑ Watch a movie at The Flicks
❑ See a show at the Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts
❑ TAKE A TOUR
➤ Essential Information: There’s no better way to see Idaho than through the eyes of the experts, and there’s no shortage of them here. Indulge Boise offers a variety of food and drink tours to suit every taste— or let Snake River Wine Tours lead you through Idaho wine country on their award-winning excursions. Interested in sightseeing? Boise Township Tours and their signature trolleys are just the ticket!
➤ Fun Facts: The Idaho wine industry contributes $210 million to the state’s economy and the number of wineries statewide has increased 75% in the last decade.
❑ Go to Treefort Music Fest
❑ See the Boise Philharmonic live
❑ Watch a Ballet Idaho performance
❑ GO TO THE IDAHO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
➤ Essential Information: The Idaho Shakespeare Festival began in 1977 with A Midsummer Night’s Dream and simply hasn’t stopped. Come for the plays and stay for the picnics, sunsets, socializing, and so much more from May to October at one of Idaho’s most spectacular venues.
➤ Fun Facts: The Idaho Shakespeare Festival brings theater-arts programming to schools in the majority of Idaho counties, reaching over 52,000 K-12 students in remote and rural communities!
Eat Up
❑ Go to Idaho Candy Co. for Idaho-made candy (like the Idaho Spud)
❑ Have paella at The Basque Market
❑ BECOME A BOISE BEER BUDDY
➤ Essential Information: Boise Beer Buddies is a community connecting craft beer enthusiasts to locally owned businesses who support independent craft beer. A beer buddy is an individual who receives discounts, and a buddy hub is a participating business offering discounts. Check out the free app for a map of participating hubs!
➤ Fun Facts: Beer was a staple food even before bread!
Get Ready For Game Day
❑ GO TO A BOISE HAWKS GAME
➤ Essential Information: The Boise Hawks are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League. Tucked away in a stadium by the river in Garden City, the Boise Hawks play from May to September, hosting a variety of fun promotional events throughout the season.
➤ Fun Facts: Baseball players need a place to call home for the season, and your family can sign up to host a Hawk. What fun!
❑ Attend the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl or a regular season Boise State football game
❑ Attend the Albertsons Boise Open
❑ GO TO AN IDAHO STEELHEADS GAME
➤ Essential Information: If you can’t make it out on the ice for winter recreation, get your fix another way. Idaho Central Arena hosts the Idaho Steelheads, a minor league affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars and the American Hockey League’s Texas Stars.
➤ Fun Facts: The Idaho Steelheads are named for a species of seagoing rainbow trout native to Idaho and popular with anglers.