How to spend a weekend in Boise

Since moving to western Washington, I’ve had a list of surrounding cities to visit. I had driven through Boise once and stayed with a friend overnight, but given it was only a few hours – I wanted more time there. I remember the city as being clean, modern and feeling fairly safe. When the opportunity showed up to join a firearms training event in Boise through The Christian Outdoor Collective, I jumped on the opportunity!

What’s so great about Boise, anyway?

Boise is a mid-sized city surrounded by outdoor activities. The city has a robust arts culture, but has also embraced the wilderness of Idaho. For the outdoorsy traveler- some of the highlights include the Boise River Greenbelt and the Boise White Water Park. Boise is only a few hours away from destinations such as the Stanley, surrounded by the Sawtooth Mountains and several hot springs.

The flight from Seattle to Boise was only 90 minutes via Alaska Air. Quick flights mean more time to play! Given most of my travel involves the east coast, the flight was refreshing. I wanted to maximize my time there, so I flew in on Friday morning and left Monday afternoon.

What’s the weather like?

The weather in mid April was generally sunny and in the 70s. It was a much needed break from the rain and gloom of western Washington. In the summer you can expect highs of mid 80s- low 90s and lows in the 50s. The coldest months are December-January, where you can typically expect highs of mid 30s to low 40s and lows of mid 20s. Due to milder temperatures, the average snow fall in Boise is approximately 20 inches per year.

Traveling within Boise

From the airport, the ride share downtown was about $10. The city itself is very walkable. If you don’t plan on leaving the city, you may not need to rent a car. Valley Regional Transit is a local public transportation option. The city also has e-scooters and ride shares in place. However, for some of the fun activities in this blog – it’s suggested that you rent a vehicle!

Eating in Boise

I was impressed with my experiences at the restaurants in Boise, they all seemed to be able to accommodate my dietary restrictions easily. My first stop was Goldy’s Breakfast Bistro, where I had an omelet with sliced tomatoes. This place was very popular, so expect some wait times if you’re going for brunch on the weekends! Don’t skip out on their house seasoning found on the table, it was delicious.

I wanted to get some tea and relax before it was time to meet up with my friends, so I walked to Form & Function. I was able to sit at a high top table by the window and ordered a matcha tea with house-made cashew milk. If you haven’t tried cashew milk as your next alternative milk, you’re missing out! Cashew Milk is my go-to “milk” at home, but this is the first coffee shop I’ve found that has it available. There is plenty of room for outside seating, so this spot is perfect to get some work done or meet up and chat with a friend.

We also had dinner at 10 Barrels, a brewpub based out of Bend, OR. If you are eating with a large group, I highly recommend this spot as well. We were able to make last minute reservations at a large table. The brewery is known for the IPAs!

For dessert, check out STIL Ice Cream Company. They make their ice cream with no artificial ingredients. Flavor options are plentiful and they make it easy for those with dietary restrictions as there are several vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. If you’re stuck on a flavor- get a flight! I had the coconut cream cookie dough scoop.

Some of the top rated restaurants in Boise that I wasn’t able to try include:

• Fork: New American cuisine
• The Warehouse Food Hall: Multiple options
• Tupelo Honey: Southern cuising
• Barbacoa Grill: Steak and seafood
• Bittercreek Alehouse: gastropub
• Lucian’s Italian Restaurant
• Boise Fry Company

Also check out Boise’s Basque Block and try some Basque cuisine. The Basque Market is a popular stop!

Things to do While In boise

The highlight of my trip was training with Valiance Training. If you’re looking to learn how to shoot a gun, or improve your shooting, I highly recommend them. The owner, Nate, is a special operations army veteran. Together with his team, they’ll have you shooting in no time! I have a very small amount of gun experience and was a little nervous, but at the end of our session I felt prepared and comfortable handling my gun and shooting.

Another highlight of the trip was biking the famous Boise River Greenbelt. We chose to rent bikes from Greenbelt E-bike Rentals, right off of the greenbelt. They patiently showed us how to use the bikes and gave us route recommendations. I would absolutely use them again!

There are other options to explore in the area too!

During any time of year, you should be able to hike up to Table Rock. There are a few hiking and mountain biking opportunities in this area. I missed out on doing this during this trip, but it’s on my list for next time!

Warm weather activities:

• Check out the Sawtooth mountains (about 2.5-3 hours away from Boise) for hiking, camping, scenic views and lake access for water sports.
• Rafting: tons of opportunities around Boise, but if you want to do one of the top 3 river trips in the world – head over to Stanley and raft the Middle Fork of the Salmon River!
• For a more local spot to check out water sports, head over to Boise’s White Water Park
• Boise Farmer’s market on Saturdays (opens mid April – end of October)
• Check out Bogus Basin’s mountain coaster, mountain biking trails, ropes course or seasonal events

Boise is a year-round destination, that integrates Idaho’s natural beauty into their culture. My time in Boise exceeded expectations, but there is still so much I’d love to see and explore. If you’re looking for a short get-a-way this year, consider checking out Boise!