Idaho weekend trip

Despite having a reputation for being one of the busiest airports in the world, living within proximity of LAX has its advantages. The Friday before 3rd grade began for the kid, he and I set off for a 3 day adventure in Idaho via quick nonstop Delta flight to Boise.

We travelled light - with just a couple of carry-on's - but picked up some pre-ordered items at Walmart upon landing. Cheap bedding, firewood, marshmallows and bottled water. Totaled about $30 bucks!

From Walmart, we drove southeast for just over an hour to arrive at Bruneau Dunes State Park where we had the "Orion Cabin" booked. Grand total of $82 for one night. The cabin had a bunk bed (bedding not provided, hence the Walmart order), a fold-out futon and - perhaps most importantly - an air conditioning unit!

After getting settled into the cabin, we headed to the town of Bruneau - population 552 - which was about a 15 minute drive from the state park's entrance. We ended up at The Cowboy's Pastime for dinner. I had an amazing burger with a nice cold beer, while Jackson had a grilled cheese - all delicious and the service was super-friendly! The place wasn't very busy, so we played a game of pool after eating.

Back at the state park, which is working to earn designation as a Dark Sky Park, we decided to check out the on-site observatory. We saw their nightly free presentation, but opted to head back to our cabin instead of looking through their telescopes... Our visit was timed to coincide with the annual Perseid meteor shower, so the naked eye was even better to catch shooting stars in every corner of the night sky. With some roasted marshmallows to munch on, it was a delightful evening by the fire!

Saturday morning, we headed directly to the state park's main office to rent a $15 "sandboard" for riding down the dunes. Talk about a good time!

Upon checkout, we headed back towards Boise and ended up at Eagle Island State Park for some river swimming. Just $7 to park, and we used the cheap Walmart bedding from the previous night as a blanket for the beach area.

We stopped for sushi lunch on the way to check into our Saturday night accommodations: Fairfield Inn & Suites Boise West, which was clean, comfortable and offers free breakfast for all guests. From there, it was a short drive to Memorial Stadium to see the Boise Hawks host the Glacier Range Riders for 9 innings of fun. $15 tickets put us on the first baseline right behind the home team's dugout!

It was a lovely evening and a great game. The ballpark had a fun-zone with bounce houses that Jackson enjoyed playing in, and another highlight of the experience was "Blitz the Bat Dog," (who also serves as Tee Dog for Boise State football).

After breakfast on Sunday, we headed to the Old Idaho Penitentiary for a self-guided tour - $8 for me, $5 for the kid.

I'm certainly grateful we were there by choice, and not as a result of a judicial decision. :)

From the old pen, it was a short drive to downtown Boise where Idaho's state capitol has a commanding presence.

The downtown area was very walkable. A couple of blocks away is an outdoor art area known as
"Freak Alley," which was a lot of fun to explore.

About 25 minutes west of Boise is the city of Nampa, and our visit aligned with the annual Nampa Festival of the Arts. Lots of vendor booths with arts and crafts, as well as a food truck area adjacent to the performance stage. All free! No charge for nearby street parking either.

There was time for one more stop before heading back to the airport, and The World Center for Birds of Prey was where we ended up. $12 general admission, $7 for the kid. We saw hawks, a bald eagle, and some massive California condors.

Overall, I was a big fan of the Idaho summer experience. Easy to get to, easy to navigate while there, and lots of inexpensive fun within relatively close proximity.