Boise trip is a capital idea

I admit, when my husband and I announced to our family that we were spending an extended Mother’s Day weekend in Boise, Idaho, we were met by blank stares. “What’s in Boise?” our daughter asked incredulously.

As it turns out, there was more to enjoy in this lovely city than we ever could have imagined.

We should have gotten the hint when several of our California friends announced that they were moving to Boise in search of a slower-paced and more affordable lifestyle. Out of curiosity, we logged on to the Boise Visitors Bureau website to research what might woo your average tourist there. To our surprise, we learned that Boise has enjoyed a recent urban renaissance, coupled with a stunning array of cultural, dining and recreational opportunities to boot.

We were sold.

Our first surprise came with the ease of getting there. Somehow, the state of Idaho always seemed so far away from our home in San Diego, but our nonstop flight had us touching down on the Boise Airport runway in a little over two hours. There currently are 21 nonstop flights into Boise from airports across the country, with more scheduled to be added shortly.

As promised, our courtesy van was waiting for us at the airport, and within 20 minutes (the airport is a short drive from downtown), we found ourselves in the spacious lobby of the Inn at 500 Capitol. This boutique hotel, just over a year old, piqued our interest because of its creative use of local artwork in its décor, as well as the fact that it offers themed rooms. As music and opera lovers, how could we resist a spacious suite with a decorative niche above the bed that resembles the set of a “Phantom of the Opera” production?

At check-in, the genuinely friendly staff welcomed us with a choice of beverages and healthy snacks, which are complimentary for guests throughout their stay. As an added touch, we were offered a glass of an outstanding Idaho wine (yes, you read that correctly). While known for its breathtaking wilderness, and perhaps more famously for its potatoes, Idaho is also the producer of some mighty fine wines, which we had the opportunity to sip and enjoy during our visit.

It was dinner time, and we didn’t have to go far to savor a gourmet dining experience. Richard’s Restaurant is located adjacent to the hotel and provides breakfast, lunch, dinner and room service for guests. Owner and James Beard-nominated chef Richard Langston, who’s been serving the Boise community for more than 20 years, specializes in a dining experience that features locally sourced, seasonal ingredients — with amazing culinary results.

Our next day in Boise was for the birds — literally. We had read great things about the World Center for Birds of Prey, located in the golden hills of Boise’s backcountry, some 15 miles from our hotel. Since we did not rent a car (no need as Boise’s downtown is easily walkable and also accessible with our hotel’s courtesy bikes), we chose to ride-share to the interpretative center.

To say this visit was inspirational is an understatement. From the moment we walked through the center’s doors, we were touched by the dedicated staff’s commitment and passion to the cause of conserving endangered raptors from around the world. Visitors have the opportunity to come “nose to beak” with birds of prey and admire species such as a red-tailed hawk and an African owl, perched on the forearms of their devoted trainers, as part of live presentations throughout the day. Don’t miss a visit to the indoor Interpretive Center to find out all the reasons why these birds are threatened. You can also learn all you ever wanted to know about the ancient art of falconry in the center’s Archives of Falconry, which houses artifacts from ancient and modern falconry traditions.

An added surprise, especially for us Californians, was the fact that the center houses the world’s largest captive flock of California condors in nearby breeding chambers to raise young for release to the wild. What we thought would be a few hours’ visit to the center lasted most of the afternoon, but it was time so very well spent learning about the world’s majestic — and unfortunately endangered — birds of prey.

On our third day in Boise, early morning saw us ready to explore the historic and hip downtown we had read so much about. We laced up our walking shoes and headed out down Boise’s main thoroughfare, Capitol Boulevard, on an uncharted discovery walk — our favorite way of exploring a new city.

Within five minutes, we were delighted to discover Boise’s fascinating “Basque Block,” the heart of the largest concentrated population of Basques outside Spain. The first Basques immigrated to Idaho in the late 19th century to work as miners but soon turned to sheep herding as their primary occupation.

Our first stop was the Basque Museum, where we learned the fascinating history of this ethnic group, whose traditions continue today in Boise and other parts of Idaho. Groceries selling Basque products and artifacts line the streets, and the aromas of paella, chorizo and other specialties being prepared for the luncheon crowd wafted through the air.

A friendly shopkeeper told us about the upcoming festivals scheduled throughout the summer. Our timing wasn’t right, but if you are planning a summer trip to Boise, you might want to coordinate your trip around one of these colorful and unique ethnic events.

As we sauntered up Capitol Boulevard, we stopped constantly for photos of historical buildings, hip cafes, and urban-chic dining establishments with colorful outdoor terraces. We turned a corner at one point and were awestruck by what we later learned was the famous Boise landmark, Freak Alley, the largest outdoor mural gallery in the Northwest.

We ended our stroll down Capitol Boulevard by arriving at the magnificent Idaho State Capitol building, completed in 1912. Its architects were inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. We toured the impressive dome and marveled at hundreds of marble pillars in the building. An interesting note is that this Capitol building is the only one in the United States heated by geothermal water, tapped and pumped from a source 3,000 feet underground.

Boise is known as the “City of Trees” and boasts a picturesque 25-mile greenbelt along the Boise River, which flows through the city. We took the opportunity to end our visit exploring the Boise Greenbelt, which is best done on a bike. Our hotel concierge prepared our courtesy bikes for us, and off we went to discover the glorious views along the Boise River bike path, with stops at two wine tasting venues along the way.

The city has long been known for outstanding craft breweries, but Idaho wine is now coming into its own. We met winemaker Melanie Krause at the Cinder Winery, our first stop on our greenbelt wine tasting tour, who poured us heavenly tastes of several varietals, from a delicious dry rosé to a full-bodied syrah.

Our next stop was the Telaya Winery complex, which was located directly on the greenbelt. We sipped a wide variety of exceptional wines as we relaxed on the lovely outdoor patio, watching an endless stream of bikers roll by on the path along the riverbanks.

If you’ve never seen Idaho wine in your favorite wine store, there is a good reason. Most of it remains in the state for local consumption. However, both wineries offer popular wine club memberships, and rumor has it their most loyal members are actually from California. We were so impressed with Idaho’s wines that we took advantage of Alaska Airlines’ “Wine Flies Free” promotion for Mileage Plan members and returned home with a case of these outstanding Boise vintages.

We would have reluctantly ended our tour of Boise at this point. But thanks to the suggestion of Telaya winemaker Earl Sullivan, we biked on to enjoy more experiences along the greenbelt. We crossed a bridge to discover the Esther Simplot Park and enjoyed picture-perfect views of families kayaking along a stream, sunbathers taking in the rays on white sand, and stand-up paddleboarders gliding in the blue waters of Quinn’s Pond.

At one point, we watched canoers ride the waves in a special breakwater that created swells and rapids in the pristine Boise River.

We couldn’t leave Boise without experiencing one of the many craft breweries downtown. On our final evening, we raised a glass of hearty brew at the cozy Bittercreek Alehouse, just a few blocks from our hotel, to salute our great decision to take this pleasure trip to Boise.

The Boise Visitors Bureau’s tagline is: “Boise: It’s Time to See for Yourself.” We most definitely agree!

If you go

Getting there: Alaska Airlines and Southwest offer nonstop flights from San Diego to Boise with a flight time of slightly more than two hours.

Where to stay: Because we did not rent a car during our stay, we selected the Inn at 500 Capitol (www.innat500.com) for its centralized location, courtesy vans, spacious themed-suites and complimentary bicycles. In addition to airport pickup, the inn provides courtesy transportation within a 5-mile radius of the hotel throughout your stay.

For more information: Visit the Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau website, boise.org, for detailed information on planning a visit.

DiBona is a San Diego-based travel writer and photographer. See more of her photos and articles at GetthePictureTravel.com or on Instagram at @joannedibonaphotos.