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My wife and I are planning a visit to Boise via a rental car and staying at hotel or taking an RV around. We will driving a "triangle" between Portland, Bend, Boise and Spokane in that order or the reverse.
Though second on my list as choice to make our next residence in the Boise area I feel it is the most likely due to economic prospects and cost of living, Bend being the first choice FWIW.
Neither of us have ever been to Boise or Idaho, we are visiting from Anchorage Alaska and after 37 years of residence here and we are looking for a new home, the Boise area seems very fitting according to my research.
What suggestions do any of you have in terms of things to see/do from the perspective of a potential new resident(s) of the area? I am not looking for "tourist" related activities per se, but rather for information on residential areas, recreational outdoor activities and navigating the area between the business district and residential areas that are "typical". Keep in mind that we will make the move after employment is secured, etc. We are each 49yo, responsible and enjoy the outdoors, particularly hiking, boating, fishing and hunting. We will visit the river walk for certain so any sections that any of you feel are a must see, please share.
I have 22 years in the automotive industry as a technician and shop owner/operator, my wife is educated and experienced in the computer industry and business/bookkeeping, are these sectors close in proximity in any of the Boise metro areas, I know it is a rather broad question, but in general?
I have done some research on the climate and it seems to me that this summer, in particular, is/has been unusualy hot with several 100+ degree days rather than the "typical" 1 to 2 weeks of such temps. Is that correct?
When driving through Idaho from/to Spokane, I would like to take a scenic route, though not an arduous one(remember RV), that a rental vehicle can traverse, ie; is there likely to be snow in any passes, "typicaly" during the week of Oct. 6th-12th? Should I plan a more western route to CDL/Spokane as opposed to Hwy 95 or Hwy 55 to 95 to CDL? Though taking the interstates through eastern idaho and western Montana is very appealing, it is likely not possible just due to time and mileage constraints.
Any input regarding Bend or Spokane is also very welcome!
Used to be the Alldata rep in Idaho and kept in contact with most of the shops in Boise marketing other auto related items until I moved last year. Shops seem to be real hit or miss, some are really busy while others are forcing half the staff to go part time to keep the doors open.
The 100 degree days in Boise were never that bad. To me it felt like it would hit 100 for an hour or so then start cooling back down. Not like living in Phoenix where it hits 100 by 9 AM and stays that way until midnight.
Boise & Bend are both on my short lists of cities to move to when I either retire or figure out a new business venture. Can't go wrong with either one.
I grew up near Bend and live in Boise now. My folks are still near Bend so I get back there pretty often.
The cities are quite different. Bend is obviously quite a bit smaller although there are probably upwards of a couple hundred thousand people living in Central Oregon now so it isn't unpopulated by any stretch (it is certainly different in this regard then when I was a kid). The weather is similar. December and January are slightly cooler in Boise, but every other month is warmer. Practically speaking the winters are about the same, but it warms up earlier and stays warm longer in Boise (longer growing season if you're a gardener). Summers are hotter but not really materially so, and both climates are really dry which makes them both quite comfortable.
Bend has absolutely no industry to speak of - it is literally all retail, food services, tourism and housing. Bend got flat out hammered in the recession and I don't think it's recovered nearly as much as Boise. Boise has a lot more manufacturing, the state, a couple of big hospital systems, and a few large employers. Building has come back with a vengance.
Both have similar outdoor opportunities - Bend is probably closer to cool stuff but Boise has more options nearby. Bend has Bachelor and Bogus doesn't compare favorably, if you're a skier/boarder.
Both areas are somewhat isolated. Bend is a closer drive to a major city (Portland), but being smaller it has a lot fewer services to offer. Boise is a longer drive to SLC or PDX, but it has an airport with pretty decent connections at decent prices and is more of a self sustaining mid-sized city that offers more right here.
You can't go wrong either way but my overall preference between the two is Boise, simply because there are much better professional opportunities here.
FWIW, I've spent a lot of time in Portland and Spokane as well.
Portland is a very nice city for it's size (much larger, obviously) and has a lot going for it - great food and music scenes, really cool vibe, pretty good economy coupled with (relatively) affordable housing compared to other major west coast cities. The weather seriously isn't my cup of tea, though.
Spokane is a dump. Bad economy, depressing winters, high crime rates, urban blight (for the PNW), etc. If you like the weather up there, live in CDA. That way you only have to drive through Spokane to get to and from the airport.
While you are correct about the temperatures, I wouldn't necessarily say that it's been unusually hot this year. It's been about the same as the last few summers. October is typically OK as far as snow, but weather can be unpredictable and it can happen on some stretches.
Boise is so sprawled that you should check out most of city to discover it's offerings; see downtown and northend and Harrison blvd, up and down Milwaukee and Cole, cruise Park Center blvd between downtown and SE Boise. Everything west of Orchard or Curtis changes in density and style; it suddenly becomes more modern and suburban with more sprawl, so if you want to save time focusing on a few parts with more character, stay east of those roads. If you prefer more modern suburban with good access still, stay west of Cole or in the S.E. corner.
Business / bookkeeping will be tough, computers shouldn't be depending on the exact field.
Automotive will be competitive, but you should be able to find something with enough time and patience.
On a side note, the SE corner of the city seems like a good fit as it has great access to everything you mentioned in your outdoor activities list.
July was tied for the third hottest on record, and at the end of June we had a day that hit 110 (highest ever official temp in Boise is 111). Also, I think I saw on the news that it's been 100+ for 12 or 13 days so far this year, and the average in a whole year is 5 or 6 days. So I think it's fair to say it's been a hot summer.
100+ for the long stretch was 100 - 101 and the occasional 102.
Every year has been 98 - 103. Is there really a difference? No.. Can you say the previous years had as many 100+ days? No... The news will make a story out of absolutely anything.
Sure, 110 was hotter than the previous year, but 108 wasn't unheard of in the past summers. So sure, in raw numbers, it was a hot summer; but by such a small amount that the feel isn't much different.
When I mentioned that its not an abnormally hot summer, I'm going by what how it feels... maybe I'm in the minority not being able to tell 99 from 100....
100+ for the long stretch was 100 - 101 and the occasional 102.
Every year has been 98 - 103. Is there really a difference? No.. Can you say the previous years had as many 100+ days? No... The news will make a story out of absolutely anything.
Sure, 110 was hotter than the previous year, but 108 wasn't unheard of in the past summers. So sure, in raw numbers, it was a hot summer; but by such a small amount that the feel isn't much different.
When I mentioned that its not an abnormally hot summer, I'm going by what how it feels... maybe I'm in the minority not being able to tell 99 from 100....
The avg high in July was about 7 degrees warmer than normal. That's a difference I can feel.
The avg high in July was about 7 degrees warmer than normal. That's a difference I can feel.
7 degrees, speaking climatologicaly is very significant. It would appear that my observations via the NWS websites are correct; the PNW and Alaska are having a summer with well above average temps, not to mention the record setting along the way.
We decided to travel by car and stay at hotel/motels along the way, an RV is darn spendy in comparison. Even though we will not be, and I use this word very loosely-"camping", we would like to check out a few camp grounds along the way, so if there are any favorites please mention them.
Looking over an atlas on a route north to CDA and Spokane we will take 95 to Lewiston then take 195 on to Spokane, then go on to CDA. Does this sound like a good choice, or does this route have more twists than a slinky? Should we stay on 95 all the way to CDA?
IdaD, when you refer to the weather in Spokane I am guessing you are speaking to gloomy and gray winters? I have seen several mentions of that aspect and I have difficulty taking it to heart when I have Alaska as comparison, our winters are cold and dark, 4:30min of daylight on winter solstice, Spokane has 2:00+ more daylight, Bend and Boise 2:30+ more. When it is clear during the winter months here it is COLD and we have significantly more clear days during the winter than any other "season", temps are sub-zero, usualy for 2-3 weeks or more of -10 to -20 or colder for Anchorage area.
Gloomy and gray stinks, no doubt.
Any suggestions on restaurant's, cafe's, bistro's etc., must see's along the river walk?
I appreciate the input from all, please add if more ideas come to mind!
There isn't really much on the greenbelt; it's a nice place to ride, walk, etc. In my opinion, there aren't any "must-do" or landmarks along the way. Although the core of downtown is just blocks away from the greenbelt and you can have your choice of restaurants and things to do there. I personally enjoy Red Feather, Fork, and Bardenay.
Re: the weather. Based on the data given above, yes this July was hotter for longer, warmer than last year but since I've been in Boise, the summers haven't felt cooler to me. I would say every other year, they flip flop a bit. Here is the amount of consecutive (not ALL, only consecutive) days for the month of July for the last 11 years from the noaa site.
My apologies for not being clear above. What I was attempting to say is that summers (to me, since I'm originally from a much cooler climate) are brutal regardless, this summer just had more warm days, but wasn't necessarily more extreme.
Yes, we had a close to record breaking or record tying hottest day this summer. But I haven't thought it was an abnormally hot summer. July felt about the same to me as the last 10 years. June was hotter than usual. Honestly though, every summer since around 2000 has been hotter than the summers preceding that year (ish). I believe 9 of the 10 hottest summers on record have been since the year 2000. It is hotter than it used to be. When I was growing up here, we had some summers that it rarely got over 90, let alone over 100. Now pretty much every summer has a couple of weeks over 100. We had one recent summer that it hit over 100 for something like 8 or 9 days in a row, and something like 26 total days. The recent trend has been hotter than the historical average, for sure. When they say on the news that it is hotter than average, you have to consider that every year recently has been hotter than average. The average covers a long period of time. Every recent year has been substantially hotter than the "average".
Back to the main topic, I'm a Boise lifer (lived here almost all of my 35 years), and only recently went to Portland for the first time. I have to say that I disliked their downtown immensely. Boise's downtown is much cleaner, safer, and all around nicer. Traffic was also far worse in Portland than in Boise. I've never been to Bend, but I've heard nice things about it.
Going from Bend to Boise (or vice versa) and possibly from Boise to Spokane, depending which way you go, I believe you will be crossing the Blues Mountains. They can be very ugly in the winter from what I am told, although I have never driven them except in the summer. Early October may be early enough to not have problems, but it may not. So watch that. From Wikipedia:
Quote:
The range today is traversed by Interstate 84, which crosses the crest of the range at a 4,193 feet (1,278 m) summit, from south-southeast to north-northwest between La Grande and Pendleton. The community of Baker City sits along the south-eastern flank of the range. U.S. Route 26 crosses the southern portion of the range, reaching a summit of 5,098 feet (1,554 m) at Blue Mountain Pass.
For Oregon road conditions, it looks like the place to go is tripcheck.com For Idaho, it is 511.idaho.gov For me, the route I would take would depend on the road conditions. Especially in an RV. The more scenic the road, usually the more dangerous on slick roads. If there is snow, I would stick to the less scenic routes, or get a car instead of the RV. But then I'm a very cautious driver.
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