Top Five Destinations of Boise

I?ve only been to Boise once and my experiences occurred after a weeklong rafting trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. (That has to be one of the best names for a wilderness area ever.) So, after a week of no showers, packing a portable port-a-potty for three rafts worth of waste and lots and lots of paddling, Boise seemed like a paradise of civilization to me. I want to return and see more of this medium sized city situated at the start of so much wilderness, forests and mountains, but I have yet to make it back. When I do, I think these five things will be at the top of my exploration list.

Go for a day rafting on the Payette River

Good ol' Boise!

I think I still have a couple more week-long rafting trips in me, but until I get my river legs back in shape, I?ll have to settle for day trips.? Rafting the Payette Riverlooks to combine the thrills of some pretty serious rapids with the comfort of guides and Dutch oven meals. Until I get my feel for serious rapids back, I think I?ll stick with the relative comfortable side of things.

Eat Dinner at the Red Feather Lounge

I found the Red Feather Lounge by looking at the best of 2011 per? Boise Weekly. But, before I put it on my itinerary, I had to look at the menu. Pork skewers, wild mushroom pizza and baked lamb meatballs with a rhubarb turnover for dessert made the addition to my plan, especially after a hard day of rafting, a very easy choice.

Check out the Old Idaho Penitentiary

I think the fact that I love the movie ?Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? makes me fascinated with the Old West. I want to see one of the jails that would scare these guys enough to go to Bolivia. Built in 1870, the Old Idaho Penitentiary fits the bill. Besides the old prison buildings, there are exhibits that feature a collection of weapons and a history of prison tattoos.

See a Harpy Eagle at the World Center for Birds of Prey

I?m a big fan of birds and my favorites are birds of prey. So, I know I have to go check out the World Center for Birds of Prey and the?Velma Morrison Interpretative Center. Looking at the description of the behind the scenes tour to see how they trained a crow to pick up donations from the audience makes me want to plop down an extra $75, but that just may be me.

Visit the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial

I agree with the sentiment listed on the?Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial page that Boise and Anne Frank seem to be an unlikely pairing. I don?t care. Any person, place or thing that pays tribute to Anne Frank ranks high in my book. That tells me that though it seems like a week in the wilderness made Boise seem perfect, I bet I just knew there was something deeper.

Any suggestions for things that I missed? Any additional recommendations for the area? Just let me know in the comments.