Farewell to Idaho

We are in Boise, the capital of Idaho. What a pleasure this morning not to have to pack and load the car for a change ... though, we had to get up early and skies were gray. We had a pleasant, sumptuous breakfast at Big City Coffee, a local fav, with Melissa (Boise CVB) and Andrea (Idaho Tourism): biscuits & gravy in different variations, enough to feed a whole family!
Well fed, we drove to the Old Penitentiary Historic District, with the Botanical Garden, the little ID Museum of Mining & Geology and the - unfortunately closed - ID History Center. The Old Idaho Penitentiary with its 30 historic buildings and exhibitions opened its doors in 1872 to be the home of the West’s most badly reputed criminals.

On to the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, established in 1985 as a small museum in the historic Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga House, a former bording house, where the basque sheepherders spent their winter. We got a tour in the museum and a good insight into the rich and colorful history of the Basques, their origins, and their life in America. Didn't know that there are so many basque communities in America! The center's purpose is to preserve and promote Basque history and culture, tere are language classes, dance groups and other cultural events, besides the Basque Club, the museum itself with artifacts and photographs and the nearby Basque Market, a shop with Basque delicatessen. Surprisingly, no other US state is more associated with Basque people than Idaho. They initially came to Idaho because of (silver and gold) mining and many stayed to become sheepherders, living outside most of the year (pic).

We walked over to Old Boise Historic District, which is adjacent to downtown with its State Capitol (see pic above) and 8th Street as its main and most vivid artery. Old Boise goes back to the founding of the city in 1863 and still shows a wide variety of historic building, e.g. the Good Templar Hall, the Telephone Building or the Pioneer Tent Building (1910), with shops, or the 1906 Boise City Turnverein Building.


The Boise Art Museum in Julia Davis Park on the banks of Boise River, was our next stop, showing a great collection of contemporary ceramics (pic) besides several changing exhbitions. Change of scenery, from arts to sports: Boise State University is famous for its college football team, the "Broncos". We visited their Hall of Fame and got a chance to see the famous "blue turf" in Bronco Stadium (pic). Also, of course, needed to visit the Broncos shop to get (another) baeball cap for Peter ...


The World Center for Birds of Prey operated by the Peregrine Fund is a little outside town, a unique indoor/outdoor educational center focused on raptors (Greifvögel). It also explains the local and global efforts of The Peregrine Fund and visitors encounter live California Condors, falcons, hawks, eagles, owls and other vultures from around the world in habitats and during live bird presentations. Especially peregrines (Wanderfalken) and condors, both until not too long ago highly endangered, are a main focus of the organization's preservation and breeding program (which takes place in large buildings apart from the visitors' area and are monitored closely). Also, the Archives of Falconery are adjacent and there is a trail for bird lovers. Walking it, we actually spotted a peregrine!

Edge Brewing Company - our last stop today, after a brief visit to the Morrison Knudsen Nature Center, was born by beer enthusiasts and passionate homebrewers Marcus and Sherry Bezuhly - owners of "HomeBrewStuff" - carrying all the necessary equipment to brew your own beer in the basement. Kerry Thomas is the Head Brewmaster and we met with Steve from Marketing who gave us a tour and tasting.

Edge is famous for its variety of IPAs, our favorite beer, and the Obligatory Double IPA (with 9,2 % alc.) was one of the best ones we ever had! Hate to say it, but, frankly, American beers in average are better and much more creative nowadays than German beers, and, if there are still people around drinking dishwater like Buds, Millers, Heinecken or similar, or if somebody is still suggesting, America doesn't have good beer: you are fools! Visit one of the many microbreweries, which are existing in almost every little town, no matter where, now, and you'll see yourself. Be adventurous as the local brewers are! The brewery was serving good food, too, and we had a Peanut Butter Bacon Burger and BBQ Chicken Wings after our tour and tasting.