Trip to Boise: Rodeos, Whitewater Rafting, Fireworks and More

My parents selected Boise as their final landing spot and moved there over seven years ago. They had fallen in love with it and were forever trying to convince us to come visit. So far, all four of my siblings had made the trek. It was my turn. And now that Jayden and Alex were 6½, I didn’t dread the long flight as much. 

We arrived on June 25 with plans to stay with my parents for 3 weeks.  My mom and I had worked to build out an Idaho itinerary that would be super fun for the kids and include a lot of “firsts” for them. It’s a little bit of a blur, and we packed a lot in, but here are some of the highlights:

Alex taking no prisoners in the bumper boats.

Wahooz Family Fun Zone

This place was more than just trampolines and video games. It had a ropes course, rock climbing, miniature golf, laser tag, bumper cars, go-karts, escape rooms, and more.  Our favorites were the bumper boats (yes, we got really wet) and a 7D interactive movie experience. The whole thing was like a compact-sized amusement park.

Alex, Jayden and Grandpa Moore - a riveting moment.

Treasure Valley Rodeo

Being our kids’ first rodeo experience, we had to outfit them with real cowboy boots and hats (compliments of Boot Barn). Our kids fully embraced their inner cowboy/girl…and loved watching the rodeo competitions (at least for the first 30 minutes). Their favorite was watching mutton busting, in which little kids try to ride and hold onto a running sheep (hilarious).

Darcy, me, the kids (Alex crouched behind me), the grandparents and our faithful guide plunging to our near death experience.

White Water Rafting on the Payette River

We chose a late-morning guided trip with Bear Valley Rafting. Thankfully, my sister, Darcy, who had flown out to spend a few weeks with us, was able to join us.  She and I were deemed the strongest paddlers among my two 6-year-olds and my parents, placing us in the front of the raft to contend with the most death-defying rapids while getting drenched.  Jayden was pumped from the jump.  He was like a fearless roller coaster rider…finding the entire experience exhilarating.  Alex, on the other hand, displayed a bit more healthy fear.  While the usual bumps and scrapes barely phase her, she pauses when it comes to serious life threats.  She joined the adventure with some encouragement and reassurance, holding on to the back of my life vest like her life depended on it.  After surviving the first major rapids and realizing she was going to be okay…she relaxed a little and was able to embrace the excitement that only white water rafting can bring.  Our guide was awesome, the landscape was beautiful, and the Class III rapids made you feel alive. I'm so glad we did it. And of course, we had to buy the “came and conquered” t-shirts at the end.

Boise Night Life

Darcy and I enjoying a perfectly made cocktail at Thick As Thieves

Okay, don’t get too excited here…I don’t roll like I used to, but Lorraine and I were able to venture out a couple of nights to explore the wilder side of the city (thanks for watching the kids, Mom & Dad).  One night, we found the Somewhere Bar, one of the few gay bars in Boise.  We played a couple of games of pool before realizing we had come on the night they do their weekly drag show (lucky us!).  The show was entertaining…and made me realize that drag had evolved into a style I don’t necessarily recognize anymore…as compared to when I went pretty regularly back in the early 2000s.  Things change, I guess.  A couple of nights later, my sister, Darcy, took us to some of the spots she had discovered in her previous visits to Boise.  We had superb cocktails at Thick As Thieves, a speakeasy-themed bar, and then a delicious dinner at Bittercreek Alehouse on a cool pediatrician-only street filled with bars and restaurants.

Star, Idaho's signature Fire Ball display.

4th of July Fireworks Show in Star, Idaho

If you don’t live in Idaho, chances are you’ve never heard of Star, but if you do, you may know this small town for its epic 4th of July fireworks show… apparently, they are working hard to stake their claim as the most patriotic city in the state…and thus take their 4th of July fireworks show very serious.  And it did not disappoint.  I was VERY impressed…and having worked at Disney for 15 years and witnessed many spectacular fireworks shows, that’s saying something.  I could have done without the over-the-top, drawn-out, patriotic ceremony dripping with Christian overtones that preceded it, but I guess that’s the price you pay for getting to see a free fireworks show.  It was pretty amazing…complete with fireballs.  What are fireballs, you ask?  After we confirmed it was not a giant explosion from something gone horribly wrong, we realized it was just that…a gigantic fireball.  I’m not sure what the purpose of a gigantic ball of fire is…but it was cool to see nonetheless.

Road Trip to Sun Valley

After spending significant quality time with the grandparents doing some cool Boise area things, Lorraine and I spontaneously decided to take the kids on a road trip for the day.  We headed north towards Stanley, Idaho…winding our way through the Boise National Forest alongside the Payette River.  The landscape was breathtaking, and the weather was beautiful.  We stopped at two natural hot springs along the way to take a quick dip (Hot Springs Campground & Pine Flats Hot Spring) before arriving in Stanley to grab a bite.  We sat outside, eating a delicious lunch at Sawtooth Luce’s  (so fresh) while taking in the magnificent Sawtooth mountains in the background.  We then got back on the road, getting to Red Fish Lake in the mid-afternoon.  It was a bit packed, but after driving around a bit, we finally found parking and made our way to the perfect spot on the water’s edge.  The lake is an unusual clear turquoise color…so beautiful.  We took in the scene while watching Jayden and Alex splash around and build structures on the sandy bank.  We could’ve stayed hours longer, but we needed to get back on the road.  It’s a place I’d love to return.  Next stop: Sun Valley.

Sun Valley

While we had initially ventured out thinking we’d be able to pack all this in as a day trip and be back to Boise by 10 pm, we realized that was a bit ambitious.  So, we started researching on the drive down and found a great room at the Sun Valley Resort with plans to stay the night and head out the next day.  But after getting a glimpse of Sun Valley and Ketchum, we opted to stay two nights to relax and enjoy the area.  Sun Valley reminded me a bit of Vail, Colorado…I can see the draw to the ski slopes in the winter, but the summer is also pretty spectacular.  That first night, we dined at Gretchen’s, one of the resort's restaurants, situated right next to a large outdoor ice-skating rink (open year-round).  That prompted the relentless pleas from Jayden and Alex to take them ice skating.  The next day, we finally caved, thinking that they’d call it quits after taking a few falls.  But surprisingly, they loved it…no matter how many times they fell down.  In fact, they loved it so much that I went online and signed them up for ice skating lessons at a rink back home in Atlanta.  We also spent time exploring Ketchum…more great restaurants and shops, and then Sunday morning, we got on the road to return to my parents' house in Eagle, Idaho.  The drive back was primarily flat, dry landscape, not nearly as picturesque as our mountain route, but we kept ourselves entertained with the audiobook, How to Train Your Dragon.

Overnight Camping in Horsethief Reservoir

Read more about this trip in a separate blog.

Eagle Fun Day Parade

One of the reasons I planned the trip for early July is because my sister, Darcy, raved about an annual parade that the city of Eagle (where my parents live) puts on every year.  The first half, known as the “dry part,” is a typical small-town parade (fire truck, local politicians waving, high school marching band, etc.), but the second half is called the “wet part”.  At this point, all the spectators, already outfitted with water guns and huge water buckets, line the streets.  Those in the parade are also "packing", and everyone starts spraying each other.  Nobody stood a chance of remaining dry once the city's street cleaning vehicle cruised by...we all got drenched.  It was fun and exhilarating…another great first for the kids.

These just covered the highlights.  We spent time swimming, going to parks, catching a couple of movies, and playing cards (our family’s favorite pastime).  After three weeks, we were ready to head home to Atlanta, giving my parents their peace and quiet back.