87. THE SNOW SHACK, Boise, ID

With the Summer heat there is only one way to beat it and that is Ice Cream!!! 

Seriously ask Keaton and Rebecca. 

You can buy ice cream at the store, but why do that during the summer months?  Buy your ice cream from the Best Snow Shack in Boise Idaho!  Take a drive down to the corner of Franklin and Orchard you will find a real shack (that is made of wood, thus the real shack) with Christmas lights and a car parked in the front with the license plate "Hey Jude." 

Judy, our favorite Snow Shack Lady, makes the best snow cones.  "Why?" you ask, it is because she puts extra syrup in the cup, thus allowing it not to be ice at the bottom of the cup but flavored ice.  She is nice (very important) and if you go with the parfait you get a layer of flavored ice, ice cream, another layer of flavored ice, more ice cream, flavored ice again! and then the last swirl of ice cream.  It is Amazing! 

Go ahead and treat yourself to a good ole' inexpensive date, family night or fun!

86. SWAN FALLS, Kuna, ID

It is summer time, it is fishing time, cooking tin foil dinner time and best of all Camping Time!!!  Can I hear a "heck yes"?

 

Camping can be a big ordeal, getting everyone ready, the food, making sure you have a place to go all of it; well great thing about the Treasure Valley is that you can drive 40 minutes away and you can be secluded and all by yourself camping in the wild.

We recommend Swan Falls.  

This lovely isolated spot is right next to a dam and the Snake River.  There are always camping spots open for cooking, sleeping, fishing and playing.  We just spent Friday night to Saturday morning at Swan Falls, the actives we participated in were Wildlife, Tin Foil Dinners and chasing tents because we didn't stake them down right away!

It is a great place to be for the weekend and for a family gathering.

85. BOGUS BASIN TUBING, Boise, ID

Want to have some fun in the snow ?

Try out the Bogus Basin 800 foot downhill slide. The ride down the hill is fast and thrilling. One of the best things about the tubing is the ride back up. Just hook your tube and enjoy the view. A great time to go is in the evening to watch the sunset above the valley.

Helpful hint: Go online or call and reserve a time that you want to go. They have two hour sessions for $10.00. For more information check out their website http://www.bogusbasin.org/

84. MCCALL WINTER CARNIVAL, McCall, ID

Snow Sculptures, parades, concerts, hockey, yummy pizza, Payette Lake frozen are just a few of the exciting this you can see during this week long celebration.

The scenic drive up on Highway 55 could fill the winter issue of National Geographic with shots of crisp fields of snow, quaint red barns, the majestic bald eagle and the Payette River. It doesn't stop there, McCall is a winter wonderland blanketed in snow, charm and decked out for this annual event.

This year the McCall Winter Carnival runs from January 28 to February 6th. 

The 46th year of festivities is celebrating "100 years of McCall"

Visit  www.mccallwintercarnival.com for the event schedule and snow sculpture map. 

 

83. IDAHO ICE WORLD, Boise ID

Ice outside your home, ice cream in your freezer, ice in your the glass; why not ice a building and under your feet at the same time?  The ice we would be referring to is sheet that measures 85' x 200'!!! Inside a building that includes an arcade, food and vendors, a pro shop and just pure winter awesomeness.

 We are talking about the Idaho Ice World!  They actually have two full size NHL rinks, which allow freestyle skating, hokey practice, camps, competitions, curling, Tae Kwon Do, clinics and show.

Ever looking for a fun activity that you don't participate in a lot?  Looking for time to get out the house and do some exercise?  Well this place is amazing and gives you what you need.  Free skating with a bunch of friends is not only fun but exhilarating.  Sliding over the smooth ice, not a care in the world, with a crisp air in your lungs just makes life all that better.

Here is the link to the Idaho Ice World for your pleasing: http://idahoiceworld.cityofboise.org/index.aspx

82. THE GYRO SHACK, Boise ID

It is always interesting to go and find an origin of food, well anything.  Where did it begin?  When did it begin?  How did it begin?  Great news for all of ya that had these questions about Gyros (I didn't know this, but it is actually pronounce like the European currency euro).  

Way, way, way back in the 1950s (totally joking about going way back) in the land of Turkey there were dishes that had meat, dressings and veggie.  A few people decided to wrap up these delicious ingredients in pita bread and call it a Gyro.  This is a very abridged version of the story!

To have an Amazing experience with a gyro you must head to The Gyro Shack on Ustick and Mountain View.  This place is literally the size of a shack, but beautifully decorated in  white and blue.  They have a wide variety of gyros to choose from along with an assortment of "topping."  Another amazing attribute The Gyro Shacks has is it's $2.99 gyro and it's filling at that too.

Do you want affordable food?  Would you like to be full?  Then take a drive and visit The Gyro Shack at 6631 West Ustick Road, Boise ID.

81. MOON'S KITCHEN CAFE, Boise ID

So you want amazing food?  Great atmosphere?  A mix of milkshakes, breakfast food and fries?  Then you have lolly gag down to 712 West Idaho Street in good old downtown Boise Idaho.
 

Yes, this is the meal that I had from Moon's Kitchen Cafe, eggs over medium, chicken friend steak, french fries and a raspberry milkshake, and it was amazing!  Not to boast of myself, but as a short order cook of four years, Moon's Kitchen Cafe is among the restaurants in Boise. 

With their recent move to Idaho street, the decor and atmosphere has changed to a more fun and exciting place to visit.  The walls are neatly decorated with everything from John Wayne, Fire Fighter Hats, giant fishing Lures and good old Founding Fathers words.

Everything and everyone has a past, and Moon's is no exception.  You can read of their interesting past and see what they have in mind for the future at: http://www.moonskitchen.com/

Definitely go visit if you are looking for Amazing food!

80. The OLD IDAHO STATE PENITENTIARY, Boise ID

 

You don't have to play Monopoly to go to jail here in the Boise area!  For a whole whooping $5 dollars you can enter the world of prison.  The Old Idaho State Penitentiary was in complete operation from the year 1870 to 1973.

 

The Old Idaho State Penitentiary has a over 20 different locations to visit within its great stone walls, these locations include everything from the front door to the dinning hall, Solitary Confinement to the Women's Ward.  Most locations are outside, so beware and wear a coat!  

 

You first sight is the turn keys, warden's office, and sliding jail doors to keep you safe.  You then travel around the rose gardens, the old cafeteria, solitary confinement and much much more.  Biggest things need to be seen on your tour is the solitary confinement and the jail cells.  

And if you like WWI or WWII or weapons, you will enjoy the donated J. Curtis Earl Memorial Exhibit.  This exhibit has historic memorabilia   "From Bronze Age artifacts to 15th and 16th century swords, from 500 year old firearms to modern automatic weapons, this exhibit shares the story of arms and their relationship to events throughout history."  It is pretty amazing!  That is all I have to say.

For more information and directions you can visit the Old Idaho State Penitentiary web page at:

http://history.idaho.gov/oldpen.html

79. BONNEVILLE POINT, Boise ID

 Sometimes life seems too busy, too much hustle and bustle, and sometimes way to demanding.  Sometimes we just need to slow down and enjoy the simple God given gifts of this world.  Back before the cars, airplanes and skyscrapers of this world, there was rivers, hills, wildlife to see.  Take a moment to sit, close your eyes and think of how beautiful and slow it was.

 Back in the good old year of 1833, a captain of an expedition stood on top of a hill and over looked the landscape of southern Boise and pronounced it Les Bois, and today we call it Boise.
 Even at this place you can see ruts from the Oregon Trail and the whole entire Boise Valley!  It is amazing to look out and see the clear crisp hills, sage brush, and beautiful wildlife. 
 If you visit here you can learn about Captain Bonneville, the Indians and it is also a great place for a picnic.  I personally wouldn't recommend having a picnic at this time of year, but in the spring and summer it would be amazing.

 For a map you can visit the official Bonneville Point web page at:
http://www.visitidaho.org/thingstodo/historic-sites/bonneville-point.aspx