It is not uncommon for my friends and family to ask me where I am going next or what my travel plans are for the year. The months leading up to my trip to Boise, Idaho though when people asked me “where to next” and whenever I said “Boise,” they almost always immediately followed up their question with a perplexed looked and asked “what is in Boise? Potatoes?” Well, friends and family… here I am letting you know now that I am back.
SeaTac Airport in Washington is our home airport, so flying to Boise late Friday night after work and school is perfect because the flight is only 1 hour and 23 minutes there and we can wake up refreshed to explore for two solid days before flying back on Monday. Being that we also planned this trip for over the long Memorial Day weekend, none of us missed work or school. A perfect weekend getaway via plane for us.
Day 1
Visit the Boise Farmer’s Market. The Boise Farmers Market is an open air market (rain or shine) open Saturday’s from 9 am to 1 pm April through October. The space allots for 90 vendors, but more commonly there will be between 65 – 75 vendors weekly that range in goods.
Stop by Freak Alley Gallery in downtown Boise at 210 N 9th St, Boise, ID 83702. Established in 2002, this art installation is the largest open air multi-artist mural gallery in the Northwest and it is ever changing. A visit here year after year will give you a new experience each time. Plus, it is open 24/7 and is free!
Built in 1870, the Old Idaho Penitentiary operated for 101 years and is now only one of four territorial prisons’s open to the public presently. It isn’t necessary to purchase tickets in advance, but by doing so entry is easier. Tickets can be purchased online and they are at most $8 per ticket (discounts are available for some). You will want to give yourself at least two hours.
Attend a show at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival at the Festival Amphitheater and Reserve along the river. Each May – September, this festival flourishes over the weekends with several different shows throughout the season. Tickets range in price, and for the show we attended there were tickets as low as $16 for children ages 6 – 17 (children under 6 are not allowed except on designated family nights) and as high as $88 for box seats. By the time we began planning our trip, all that was available was hillside or chairs, but next time we would definitely purchase box seats to feel fancy and to have a table for drinks and snacks.
You are encouraged to bring blankets and warm clothing, as the temperature can and does drop alongside the river once the sun sets. You are also allowed to bring your own food and drink (to include alcohol), but you can also purchase refreshments at Cafe Shakespeare and pre-order refreshments beginning 7 days in advance until 5 pm the day of the show is highly recommended.
Day 2
Make the two hour drive from Boise to Shoshone Falls for some nature views and hiking. Shoshone Falls is often referred to as the Niagara of the West, and it actually is the tallest natural waterfall in the United States standing at 212 feet tall and 900 feet wide. Shoshone Falls Park is open year round from dawn to dusk, but in the springtime when the snow begins to melt is the best time to see the falls. There is a small fee of $5 per car to visit Shoshone Falls and Dierkes Lake if visiting during March 1st to September 30th.
Hikes We Did:
- Shoshone Falls Observation Deck Trail. This trail is .6 miles out and back and has an elevation gain of 173 feet.
- Dierkes Lake Trail. This trail is a 1.8 mile loop and has an elevation gan of 196 feet.
Visit the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial. This is an free open air memorial right on the outskirts of downtown Boise. It is way more than just a statue of Anne Frank and it is filled with quotes from many diverse regions and times etched in stone. You’ll stop and read each and every one of them.
Walk along and explore the Boise River Greenbelt. This trail is 25 miles in length and follows the north and south sides of the Boise River. There are many access and parking points along the trail, and one of them is located at the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial. Making these two activists perfectly paired together.
You can access a map of the trail and access points here.
Wanderland Jess 
1 thought on “Two Days in Boise, Idaho – An Itinerary”