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 14 May 2024
No issues with rain or clouds this morning. It was a gorgeously cool day when I stepped outside about 6:45am and set off for a 5km loop down to the Greenbelt and around Albertson’s Stadium and Extra Mile Arena – home to Boise State University football and basketball, respectively – and back to the Airbnb, managing a pace of just a tick over 5 minutes a kilometre, thanks to perfect conditions and flat trails/sidewalks.
An early breakfast before an 8:30am departure on a road trip through Ontario, Caldwell, Nampa and Payette on our way up to McCall, a mountain lake town that just has to be seen to be believed. I had instant flashbacks to trips to Lake Tahoe in California and Lake Placid in New York. Similar spectacular lake with steep mountains covered in pines and, in some cases, still capped white with snow. We drove through town and out to Ponderosa State Park, and onto a scenic drive there which definitely lived up to the name.
I understand from talking to friends here that McCall is a very popular spot locally no matter the season thanks to the scenery and it’s close proximity to Boise, but I’m convinced it might be one of America’s best-kept secrets. Idaho is a beautiful state that doesn’t get the credit it deserves. We were very lucky to see it today when the weather was so perfect.
I can’t recommend this place enough. If you’re in Boise, add it to your Bucket List – you won’t be disappointed.
We had lunch at a nice Mexican restaurant on the waterfront. Their outdoor deck was closed for renovation but that was fine because it was a little too cool for al fresco dining for me. The views from inside the restaurant were enough.
The return journey to Boise was via Horseshoe Bend – making it a full loop – and a lot of it was alongside the roiling Payette River, which is quite popular with white water rafters and kayakers. We saw a few of those…and also nearly witnessed the car in front of us hit a deer. That’s close enough to the local wildlife population for me, thank you very much.
Back in Boise, we met up with the Southorn’s – three generations of them, actually! – for dinner at one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve had anywhere: Luciano’s. It’s a Boise favourite, and is doing so well that they don’t take reservations for any groups of less than eight. You just call when you’re ready for dinner and you go on a list. Sometimes you wait ten minutes, sometimes longer…it all depends on how many other people there are. The food is so good that even if it’s a long wait, it’s worth your while. Great food and even better company tonight – even though we weren’t seated until twenty minutes’ after they told us we would be. Again, if you are ever in Boise, put dinner at Luciano’s. Really a tremendous day from start to finish.
Last full day in Boise tomorrow. Really not looking forward to leaving. It gets harder and harder each visit.
kitchtrips 