Boise Visit (Nampa, Meridian, Eagle: waterpark, how much, hotel)

[AverageAmerican]

Just returned from a four-day visit to Boise and had a great time.

I know a city is different when you live there versus visit, but it sure seemed great. It is an oasis among the high desert geography.

Really liked downtown and it was a breeze to get around (even at "rush hour"). The Discovery Center of Idaho was a lot of fun (and the kids had fun too!), Alive After Five was a good event (albeit a little warm and it didn't hold the kids' attention since it's geared toward adults), and the Farmer's Market was very enjoyable and had something for everyone. If you take the kids to Alive After Five, make sure you dress them in swimsuits or something that can get wet beasue there is a fountain all the kids play in.

The greenbelt along the Boise River and Boise State was a scenic place to jog a few miles.

Did a half-day rafting trip on the Payette River near Horseshoe Bend and had an absolute blast. I was a little unsure as to whether or not the kids would like it (too wild???), but at the end of the 2.5 hour trip the kids begged for more. I recommend doing this if you have the time and resources. Besides, the drive from Eagle to Horseshoe Bend was beautiful. There was a couple of companies doing it, but we chose Cascade Raft.

Everyone we met was extremely friendly. I know you would expect people in the service industry and those you are paying for a service or product to be friendly, but their friendliness felt sincere as opposed to being obligatory as it usually feels. We drove down a few neighborhoods and even though it looked like we were casing the area for a burglary, the residents gave friendly waves.

We stumbled into the City Grill in downtown and had a late lunch. The food was good and they were very accomodating to our kids' food allergies. The Rib Shack in Eagle was delicious, but it was a buck or two more expensive than I am used to spending for lunch. I would definitely go back, but it wouldn't be my regualar lunch hangout. Be warned... the "7" sauce is a little hot!

If you go to Roaring Springs waterpark make sure it is on your last day of activities, because we were wiped out from all the fun (7 hours worth). Kudos to the young people working the food service there as they were understanding and accomodating to food allergies.

Dusk at 10PM was a little difficult to get used to, thanks to the blackout shades in the hotel we were able to get the kids to bed before midnight.

I can see why traffic must be tough when traveling from the west (Nampa, Meridian, Star, Eagle) into Boise. The surface street traffic must be heavy during peak times.

The view down Capital Blvd. from the Boise Depot was good, but it's too bad the bank building (US Bank???) overpowers the view of the State Capital. Unfortunately, the capital building is undergoing construction, it would have been a nice tour.

I wish we had a few more days to drive around and checkout the neighborhoods. We underestimated the amount of things to do.

Thanks to Torrie, AlleyTD and all who offered information about Boise over my previous posts. We really enjoyed our visit to your nice city.

[Torrie]

Thanks for the feedback, so glad you had a great time! As you probably noticed, very family friendly area with lots to do. Since the river rafting was a hit, if you come back, try visiting Hells Canyon for some wonderful rafting trips. It takes about 3 hours to get over there, but well worth it.

Your post will help others who might be contemplating the area.

[AlleyTD]

Thanks for the thanks

This board and all it's poster's were a Godsend when I was debating our move here. It's amazing how much everyones comments helped guide us and helped me feel connected. I'm glad I am now able to do the same for others considering the same transition.

[PrettyBlkHair]

Originally Posted by AlleyTD

Thanks for the thanks

This board and all it's poster's were a Godsend when I was debating our move here. It's amazing how much everyones comments helped guide us and helped me feel connected. I'm glad I am now able to do the same for others considering the same transition.

Hello! Your comments (and so are the other's) helped me ease my worry a bit in thinking of moving to that state. I have a family, I guess my biggest fear is how quickly I and my husband can land a job. We've been working most of our recent years in distributions, manufacturing companies since we moved in Memphis area. But if you are conservative, this is not the best place to live. I've heard a lot of good things about Boise, Idaho that's why I am here trying to get some information on what the city like.

Thanks!

[AlleyTD]

Originally Posted by PrettyBlkHair

Hello! Your comments (and so are the other's) helped me ease my worry a bit in thinking of moving to that state. I have a family, I guess my biggest fear is how quickly I and my husband can land a job. We've been working most of our recent years in distributions, manufacturing companies since we moved in Memphis area. But if you are conservative, this is not the best place to live. I've heard a lot of good things about Boise, Idaho that's why I am here trying to get some information on what the city like.

Thanks!

Thanks to you too.

I wish I had better news on the job front.

All can advise is "stay on it" it took my hubbie 16 months to finally land a good job with beninies for the family.

Along the way thier were a few rejections, road blocks and let-downs. There were days that we thought it would never happen. However, the key for us was simple persistence. We were bound an determined to make it happen and we told ourselves that every employment "no" was one step closer to "yes". .

[movetoboise]

My family and I packed up and moved from Ohio to the Boise area back in 2000. It was the best thing we did. So many new friends and a wonderful church Vineyard Boise. Many outdoor activities without having to drive very far. Boise is still a growing area and again made the top 5 places for business to start a business. People are great here. Just a great place to raise a family.