kitchtrips

My old man’s that old man,
Spent his life livin’ off the land
Dirty hands, and a clean soul
It breaks his heart seein’ foreign cars
Filled with fuel that isn’t ours
And wearin’ cotton we didn’t grow

He’s got the red, white,
And blue flyin’ high on the farm
Semper fi tattooed on his left arm
Spends a little more in the store for a tag
In the back that says U.S.A.
He won’t buy nothin’ that he can’t fix
With WD Forty and a Craftsman wrench
He ain’t prejudice he’s just, made in America

– Toby Keith

Tuesday 23 May, 2023

Last day in Boise. As excited as I am to get to Indianapolis for the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 this Sunday, I am sad to be leaving what is unquestionably now one of my favourite places in the world, full of a lot of really amazing people.

The weather kind of took a nosedive, at least on the temperature front. Cloudy with a little sunshine every now and again, but quite cool. It was about eight degrees when I went out for some exercise, heading down the hill into Boise State University for a little while, then back. I’ll definitely miss walking around the town.

After breakfast, we drove out to Horseshoe Bend, Idaho for our zip-lining and rope adventure booking. Things were going to plan for pretty much the entire trip, and we were scheduled to arrive about three minutes before the tour started. That was until, three miles out, we came across an overturned Coors Light truck, and a bunch of beer had spilled out onto the embankment. I mean, it’s only Coors Light, but it was sad to see beer going to waste! There were a lot of emergency vehicles around, and they were just getting the truck back onto the road as we were waved past, after only a few minutes waiting. All things considered, it could have been a lot worse.

Our zip line course was a few miles up the highway from Horseshoe Bend, and we were driven up there by our guide, Will, who was notable for being able to literally run over the obstacles like a monkey, and for a moustache that would make Lord Kitchener proud. The road was alongside the Payette River all the way, which is running like mad, thanks to a very wet winter, which gave us a glimpse at some insane rapids: a very spectacular sight.

So was the scenery around the ropes and zip-lining course. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any photos on the course as you’re not allowed to take your phones (or pretty much anything else) with you. After a few safety instructions and a go on one of the training obstacles, up we headed into the trees, navigating all sorts of different features from rope swings, cargo nets and high wires, all pretty high up. There were about a half dozen lines towards the end, which are a lot of fun. Tearing through the forest with the wind in your ears is a cool experience. It was fun, but I kind of wish I had worn jeans not shorts because it was a little chilly at times.

We ate lunch at the Country Barn Corner Café back in Horseshoe Bend. Amazing homemade chilli and jalapeno poppers as an appetizer. Whilst the front of the store didn’t look all that inspiring, this place was proof that you shouldn’t ever judge a book by it’s cover, because the food was great. I actually really enjoy visiting places like this in America, because they’re more uniquely American than chain restaurants, many of which we have back home anyway.

Just as I was downing the last of my chilli, I got a text from Sharpy saying that the Albertsons Stadium turf had been uncovered. The stadium’s field is completely blue but the last two weekends have seen a graduation/commencement ceremony then a Luke Combs concert, so to protect the iconic turf (which was Boise State’s claim to fame before they had a really good football program), they laid down a grey covering.

That was looking like bad news for Kat, who had been keen to see the stadium, and finally – basically at the eleventh hour of our stay in Boise – she was able to. They were just rolling back the plastic under sheet as we walked onto the field. I’ve been on before, but it’s nonetheless an impressive experience.

Our final dinner in Boise was at Luciano’s, an amazing Italian restaurant not far from our Airbnb. Trust me on this, if you find yourself in Boise – and I strongly recommend that you do – go to Luciano’s. You won’t be disappointed. It is good food. And we added good company on top, eating there with Dave and Lisa and their little girl Kennedy, plus Dave’s lovely parents as well. A perfect way to end a brilliant five days here.

I should say that we had an amazing Airbnb: well-priced, clean, comfortable, in a nice, safe neighbourhood and close to everywhere we wanted to go. I can’t say I’ve ever had a truly-bad Airbnb experience, but, nonetheless, this one was super. Early start tomorrow: 6:20am flight to Houston, then a brief layover there, and on to Indianapolis ahead of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.