Saturday, July 27, 2013, Boise, ID

Saturday we headed downtown for the farmers market.  Boise, ID, closes several blocks and people set up to sell their wares.  Only a little of it was fresh produce from local farms. There were a lot of booths selling crafts and art as well.  We got there as the market was opening and there was quite a crowd - an hour later the streets were positively jammed.

 That's discrimination! (Sam stayed home)

 Does anyone remember Pinkerton?

I think there should be a "Pinkerton goes to Market" by Steven Kellogg.

 I just liked the name.

 I squealed a little when I saw this banner.

 This little Batman was the epitome of happiness!

 The tiny dancer on the left was very light on her feet.

That baby is so ugly it's cute!!!

 David was mesmerized by this crane working overhead.

I was mesmerized by this 1929 Art Deco building.

  . . . and the tree on the street in front of it.

 The sky looks threatening, but it made for a very pleasant day.

It is an easy walk to almost anything downtown - we headed a few blocks over to the capital building.  We had no plans and no expectations for exploring the capital, but we found the building was open so we took in all five floors!  It was a very nice building that was well maintained and clean.  It only showed its age in a few places.  The gardens around the building were beautiful.  We almost had the place to ourselves - the locals at the farmer's market had already seen it all before. 

  

 Can you see David on the fourth floor?

The basement had an amazing mosaic in the center.

Chief Twisted Hair was giving Lewis and Clark some bad information - good thing I was there to straighten them all out!

On the way back to the car we happened by "Freak Alley" which seemed to be sanctioned graffiti.  I think "freak," says it pretty well.  It was . . . colorful.

I loved this idea!!!  My photos only represent a third of the offerings.

Back at the coach, we sat outside for an hour or so listening to the Boise Music Festival (happening within earshot at the fairgrounds adjacent to the RV park).  I have to say I did not recognize any of the music.  We hoped it sounded better closer to the stage, but I suspect it only sounded louder (I really am getting old!)  One of our neighbors passed by and said: "I don't know about you, but I hope they play that last number again - the lyrics were inspirational."  It could have been sarcasm.

Friday, July 26, 2013, Greenbelt in Boise, ID

We took the car to a new starting point on the Greenbelt in Boise, ID, and walked a different section. This area included several lakes where a lot of people were swimming and playing. I got out the bicycle and rode more than 6.5 miles on the greenbelt. I will have to do that more often (at least anytime there is a level paved path available). I must say, the greenbelt is a very nice attraction for Boise and the locals seem to make good use of it.

After the ball game, they put on a pretty big fireworks display. I think Sam likes fireworks less each time he hears them.

Thursday, July 25, 2013, Microwave Corn in Boise, ID

Got a call saying the tires were in for the car, so we were off to Goodyear in Garden City, ID. While the tires were being installed we walked more of the greenbelt trails. This time we went through some of Garden City. This was clearly an affluent area - very pretty with a lot of nice landscaping.

 Greenbelt heading northwest this time.

It is easy to see where Garden City gets its name!

We finally got some more corn on the cob. I don't know if it is the time of year, the location or the new way we cook it (thanks Chris!) but we can't get enough of it. Joani took some pictures so you can see how easy it is.

No pot. No water. This is so easy.

Place two ears in the microwave and nuke for 7 minutes on high.

 Remove with a towel (very hot) and cut off the stem end.

 With the towel still around the ear, firmly grip and squeeze.

 The ear will pop out clean as a whistle...

...without any silk, ready to butter up and devour.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013, Walk Around Downtown Boise, ID

We decided to do some exploring in the Boise, ID, downtown area. The same greenbelt that is adjacent to our campsite at Boise Riverside RV in Garden City, ID, runs for a total of 22 miles. It is only about 4-5 miles from our campground (in the Boise suburbs) to downtown. I guess that lets you gauge the size of Idaho's capital and largest city. But let me be clear - while it may be small, it is a very nice city! We walked around the Boise State University campus. It was nicely landscaped and had quite a few interesting outdoor sculptures.

"Eternal Wind" a sculpture by Boise State University Graduate Nobuyo Okuda

 Capitol Boulevard Memorial Bridge, built 1930-1931, spanning the Boise River, downtown Boise, Idaho

 Under Capitol Boulevard Memorial Bridge

 Cottonwood trees are a mess!

1911 Pratt through truss bridge (old Ninth Street Bridge) over Boise River on the greenbelt

This tells me it is OK to jump from this bridge!

We took some time to read the quotes inscribed on the wall of the Ann Frank Human Rights Memorial. We both liked the picture of Werfel receiving new shoes. The memorial was adjacent to Julia Davis Park where there was a huge rose garden and the Boise Historical Society. Next to the park was Zoo Boise. We heard some wild animals in there but none of them were visible over the fence. We only covered about 2 miles of the area due to the heat (100+ degrees!)

 Ann Frank Human Rights Memorial 

 Sites along the greenbelt through Julia Davis Park, downtown Boise.

Later in the afternoon, it clouded up just a little, so we walked from the campground towards downtown a ways. We found a lot of people have very nice houses that back up to the greenbelt. Another 4 miles and we were ready to relax for the rest of the day!

We just figured out that our campground is next door to the LesBoisPark (race track).

So, that's why we back up to a complex with more than 100 stables.