Things To Do In Boise After Skywolf Has Devoured Daystar

July 3, 2017 1:33 PM

I'm going to be traveling to various parts of the U.S. in late August / early September, and will be staying in Boise starting around August 20 in order to see the eclipse as part of a pre-arranged group outing. But I'll be there for at least a few days, anywhere from three to five. So I'd like to ask what there is to do there, and a few other questions if anyone would like to help me out.

What's fun to do? What's a Must See?

I'll likely be staying near BSU. Will I need to rent a car if I keep it mostly to things in and around town? (I don't mind walking a couple of miles to get to stuff, including to get to a hiking trail, but I'd rather not walk four or five just to get somewhere.) Is there anything close to town but not in it that's worth renting a car just to see?

My spouse will be able to join me in doing stuff in the early evening (long story why so I'll skip it), so anything open or doable on the late-ish side would be especially good to know about.

Special snowflake details: I'm vegan, so if you recommend a restaurant, please bear that in mind. I like to hike, but will generally be on my own during the day, so won't be doing anything that might be dangerous for a solo hiker. I generally enjoy both cool little offbeat museums/sights/experiences and Big Stuff Everyone Goes To.

Thanks in advance!

posted by kyrademon to Travel & Transportation around Boise, ID (3 answers total)

Boisean here.

If you're considering hiking, or just "walking a couple of miles to get to stuff", remember it will be hot. On 8/21/2016, it reached 95 degrees, very typical August weather.

As for attractions, you might try floating the river - it's a simple ~two hour rafting trip from the outskirts of town into downtown; there are shuttle buses and rentable rafts. But the river has been high and with the excessive snowfall this past year, there are rumors that they won't be able to bring the river down to a float-worthy stage this year. But if you can do it, it's a great outdoor alternative to hiking that won't dehydrate you to death.

The old prison outside of town is interesting - built ~1870 and used through ~1975, lots of history there.

Feel free to PM for more information.
posted by Hatashran at 4:07 PM on July 3, 2017

If you're staying near BSU, you'll be close to downtown but not super-close, and you could benefit from renting an air-conditioned car. I'd recommend exploring the restaurants downtown and some clubs if you like dancing. Lots of people are out and about in the hot August evenings, which makes for a festive atmosphere.

You might like hiking at Table Rock and biking on the Greenbelt near the river. Boise is quite beautiful in its dry, desertlike way (I'm a big fan of the arid landscape). As mentioned above, it will be hot, so you may want to avoid the hottest part of the day for these activities.

There's a nice art museum. It looks like there's a concert at the Botanical Gardens on the 24th. A Midsummer Night's Dream is playing in the spectacular outdoor amphitheater in August.
posted by Knowyournuts at 8:23 PM on July 3, 2017

Boise has Uber.
posted by ITravelMontana at 8:04 AM on July 4, 2017