Vacation coming soon. Where to go close to here? (Boise: good hotel, home)

[ILI.EB]

Hello everybody,

I've got a vacation coming up at the end of this month and still have no plans.

Does anybody know where we could go that would be within 8 hours of driving and have a variety of things to do from outdoors to late night drinks and great dinners without spending too much on a hotel?

Thanks

Edit: This was supposed to be in the Boise section. OOPS! Sorry!

[mtnlady]

8 Hours from Boise can get you the following
Portland
Oregon coast
Almost to Seattle
Spokane/Couer d'Alene
Missoula
Yellowstone park
Jackson Hole
Salt Lake City
not sure where in Nevada (probably Reno/Tahoe)

It depends on what you want to do. Can you give more specifics?

[lovecda]

Coeur d'Alene is always a good choice, but I may be a little biased (see handle). It's just at the outside range of 8 hours from Boise going the speed limit on Highway 95. I drove that route many times going between NNU in Nampa and home in Coeur d'Alene. Some really beautiful areas throughout the state on the 95 route. I don't recommend taking the freeway route though--takes a few hours longer, and it's not worth the time unless it's winter and 95 has snow down on it.

Since it's at the end of this month, Yellowstone might be a great one to do at this time of year. The place is *terribly* crowded between May and September. Even the trip I made there a couple of years ago in late September it was still quite crowded, but April is probably a good month. Hotels are expensive during the prime months, but may be cheaper now. Not much in the way of good drinks and meals in that area from what I experienced though.

I had some friends who went out to the Oregon coast last week, and they had a great time and surprisingly good weather, if a little cold. Not sure about hotel prices. Probably similar to Coeur d'Alene's, depending on the area you go.

The Nevada destinations mtnlady mentioned are probably a great idea if you like the nightlife, especially Reno. I'd guess it's about 7.5-8 hours outside of Boise, and Lake Tahoe is very nearby for outdoorsy stuff.

I'm personally not a huge fan of Portland, Missoula, or SLC...but those are all easily within 8 hours of Boise, and Missoula probably has some good hotel prices.

[ILI.EB]

Thanks for the replies

I'm fairly new to the Northwest so pretty much anywhere around here will be new for me and that's all I'm really going for. I have spent a great deal of time in Salt Lake City and North & South Tahoe, so those will probably be out as far as vacation goes. We have been wanting to eperience the beauty of CDA, but fear that outside of natural beauty, there won't be much fun and "excitement" for a vacation. Hopefully I am wrong about that?

Is Seattle a decent vacation destination or is it "just another bigger city" ?

lovecda, do you know where on the Oregon coast your friends went? I don't mind cool weather.

Thanks again!

[lovecda]

They were in the Tillamook/Oceanside area, so somewhat on the northern end Oregon.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by ILI.EB

Is Seattle a decent vacation destination or is it "just another bigger city" ?


Thanks again!

I vote for Seattle! I love visiting Seattle! Wouldn't want to live there, but I've always had a good time visiting, and I've been lucky with the spring weather. Great stores, of course, because it is a major city, but the location is gorgeous, on Puget Sound. Trolleys taking you everywhere. Superb restaurants. Make sure you visit Pike's Market with fish vendors, fruit stands and lots of curio stands--it's really not tacky, just a lot of fun. They have flower pots decorated with spring flowers all up and down Pike's Market, and the view over the harbor is stupendous. Down the street from Pike's is a great museum for American Indian traditions in the NW. And there are so many excursions if the weather permits, over to Gig Harbor, or up to Rainier, or to Snoqualme Falls, or just driving around the Cascades. I've done that many times in late April, so it's doable. Just watch the weather forecast.

Save CdA for a summer visit, and take your kids to Silverwood (doesn't open until May), and go sailing on Lake CdA or Lake Pend Oreille (Sandpoint).

[jwest09]

Originally Posted by ILI.EB

Hello everybody,

I've got a vacation coming up at the end of this month and still have no plans.

Does anybody know where we could go that would be within 8 hours of driving and have a variety of things to do from outdoors to late night drinks and great dinners without spending too much on a hotel?

Thanks

Edit: This was supposed to be in the Boise section. OOPS! Sorry!

I would go to Ketchum. Ski season will be over, and hotel prices will be lower during slack.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by jwest09

I would go to Ketchum. Ski season will be over, and hotel prices will be lower during slack.

For sheer knockout natural majesty, Yellowstone is very hard to beat. It, and the adjoining Teton park, can be done pretty well in 2 long days.
A killer good loop route is to enter Yellowstone from the Tetons, and plan to exit through the Northwest entrance, close to Cooke City.
This will lead you over the Beartooth Highway, the most spectacular drive anywhere but Glacier Park.
The road will exit you in Red Lodge, Montana, and you can pick up I-90 to Livingston, and on to Bozeman and/or Missoula. It's all a wonderful road trip. It crosses the continental divide at least 3 times.

[TohobitPeak]

Originally Posted by jwest09

I would go to Ketchum. Ski season will be over, and hotel prices will be lower during slack.

I agree. If a person in Boise is looking for a quick get-away either Sun Valley or McCall are hard to beat, but can still be on the cooler side in April.

The drive up Highway 55 out of Boise to McCall is one of the most beautiful drives in the entire state. The Payette River is thundering right now.

For a much longer drive from Boise, the Oregon Coast is a good choice as is Portland or Seattle.

[pw72]

Seattle is great, and when it gets hot in Idaho it is a nice cool break.

One trip we took last summer that was just terrific was to Jackson Hole, then Highway 26 over to Debois, Wyoming. You cross the heart of the Rocky Mountain range here with some fantastic vistas, and end up in a dry, rugged town on what is essentially the front range of the Rockies, Wyoming-wise. You get two great mountain trips in one, The Tetons, and The Rockies. And it can be done in one day, (from Eastern Idaho) but you would probably want to spend the night in Debois, or on to Lander/Riverton, WY, also unique scenery, and for those inclined, a large casino near Riverton.