Boise

To this day I still have no idea we have a friggin' bowl. I've never been to it cuz I always have to work that day. I usually just listen to it on the radio.

Boise definately isn't a destination city by any stretch of the imagination and weather is really hit and miss that time of the month. It can be really crappy or it can actually be pretty nice (depsite the cold temps, but you Bostonians should be use to it).

We don't have any National Parks in the vicinity except for a lil' sliver of Jellystone. And I'm ********ing glad we don't have National Parks here. Keeps the backcountry from turning into a ****** tourist trap like Yosemite! The crown jewel of Idaho in terms of backcountry is the Sawtooth National Recreation Area that is in central Idaho and is just north of Ketchum/Sun Valley. Right now it's covered in snow now so your best bet to enjoy it is either in the very limited spots to go snowmobiling or strap on a pair of snowshoes or skins and head into the backcountry with your skis or board. Don't forget your avy beacon and probes!!! Too many ********ing idiots triggering avalanches in the winter.

The City of Rocks is a national reserve and is a good 4+ hours away, but that too is covered under snow and it's best assets are the rocks and you definately can't enjoy climbing on that this time of the year.

www.BogusBasin.com is our local ski hill which is about 16 miles away up a twisty, snow covered two lane narrow road. I was just up there earlier today XC skiing and the snow was superb. The entire mountain isn't open up yet, but I think they are running at least one chair on the backside. Bogus Basin was one of the first resorts in the nation to offer extremely cheap season passes and it really has ruined the experience for many. Long lift lines...crowded slopes. That type of crap.

Boise's small bar scene is pretty much centered around the 6th and Main area in downtown with some other pockets in areas nearby such as the 8th Street area and the newly developed BoDo area. Do you like to just drink or dance and drink? China Blue is our attempt to bring a big city type of vibe to Boise. It's lost alot of it's cache since it first opened. Just your run-o-the-mill type of dance club with several levels. The basement level got converted this summer to a country bar type of place since the previous place was a hip-hop type of place and alot of trouble would happen there. Across the street is Grainey's which is a good place to drink and listen to local/regional bands. Down the block is where you stand a good chance of getting laid with a divorced 40'ish MILF...Hannah's. This is a more older crowd, but it's always rocking on the weekends and it definately helps if you like bands like .38 Special and AC/DC. Don't forget to prep up your mullet. And last but not least is the Cactus Bar. It's just a drinking bar that really, really, REALLY stinks like stale cigs and Budweiser.

The 8th Street corridor which is right next to my office doesn't offer that much. You have a yuppie bar...aw ******** I can't remember it even though I pass by it all the damn time...I'll let you know tomorrow. Right next to it is Red Feather which is owned by the same person and it's an uppity martini type of bar. Right across the street is Opa...a fancy bar that has a meditteranean flavor and just down the street is a wine bar called the Grape Escape. Right around the corner are two bars...Falcon Tavern (just a regular pub type of place) and Old Chicago (a chain place). Across the street is a very happening gay club called the Balcony and right across the street is a wannabe Coyote Ugly called Shakers.

In Bodo you only really have two choices....the Big Easy which is a big place for small concerts and dancing. Lot of MTV idiot types here. And then there is the Ha Penny around the corner and that has a Irish pub feel to it. They aired some of the 2002 WC games when the US was making it's run.

There are some other establishments in downtown, but I'm not a big fan of them cuz they are a bit further away from the downtown core.

 

Oh...near the stadium is this big sports bar/restaurant type of place called The Ram. They make their own beer there. And of course there is Chili's and Perkin's.

 

I forgot to mention that better and LESS CROWDED skiing can be found several hours away if you are willing to make the drive. From Boise to Sun Valley it's about 3 hours or so depending on the road conditions. Highways 20 and 75 are pretty straight and open. North of Boise by a good 1.5 to 2 hours is Brundage and Tamarack (the newbie on the block). You get to them by Highway 55 and it can get a lil' hairy especially if it's a snow covered floor. All the highways I mentioned are two laners. Sun Valley is really ritzy and posh so you are gonna be spending alot of $ to ski there. But the nightlife is pretty damn good in Ketchum, but it's kinda hard to get laid there if you don't own a home up there (ie...the pu$$y up there is rather expensive). Sun Valley has a pretty extensive snow making system...one of the biggest in the US and depending on the snowfall there...you can very well be skiing on top of that stuff. Brundage is a really nice, small resort with a pretty good cat program (Tamarack offers cat skiing too and so does SV (but I think you have to go through another company)). Powder and tree skiing is better there. Tamarack is one of the nation's newest ski resorts and it's still far from completion and as of Turkey Day weekend only the upper half of the mountain was partially open. Give this place another 5-10 years though and it's gonna be good. Already bikers I know are giving rave reviews for the mountain biking action up there. Another plus is that they limit the number of skiers each day to the low 1000s. Brundage has a more blue collar feel. I haven't been to Tamarack yet, but it's trying to bill itself as something like Deer Valley. Backcountry at Brundage is really good either on your own or in a cat. The cat skiing at Tamarack has ALOT of potential beyond it's boundaries.

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If you do come out here in a couple of weeks, just remember that Boise ain't Boston or NYC or Seattle or even Salt Lake City. This area is still very conservative and very white. We are rather isolated from out PNW neighbors like Portland and Seattle and SLC is a good 6 hours away. If you are looking for a city of reverance, unfortunately Boise ain't it.

However Boise and the rest of the Treasure Valley is for the most part pretty damn friendly and easy going. Definately a far cry from my experiences in places like Washington DC and Los Angeles where every ethnic group including whites seemed to have a big chip on their shoulder and everyone seemed to be rushed and impersonal. Respect this place and you'll have a decent time here.

 

I've never skiied back east, but correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the snow you guys get over there commonly known as "wet cement" or sumpin' like that? Out here it's pretty damn dry and fluffy and if you are lucky enough to find virgin powder, it definately is a blast to rip through.

And if you are coming out here...try to stay near the campus or downtown. Campus isn't that far from downtown, but if there was a choice I'd go with downtown like the Grove Hotel or Owyhee Plaza. The two places near campus are the Courtyard Marriott which is within walking distance to The Ram and the University Inn which is a bit of a dive, but does have the Iron Gate bar there.

I've never used the public transportation around here, but it seems fairly convenient, but if you do want to go to Bogus or other places, you'll definately need to rent a car.

Our grocery stores/convenience stores don't carry liquor. There is a liquor store in downtown. Not sure of one near campus.

If you like "straight nights" at gay clubs, then the place to be the night after the game is this gay club called the Emerald. It's on the outskirts of downtown and that's always a good place to get college aged poontang.

There's another hotel in downtown that my organization uses for board meetings, but at the moment I can't remember the damn name!!!

 

Boise has a good bar and restaurant scene. But this is the most important question and I will give you the answer:

The Main St. Bistro followed by the Big Easy.

 

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