My Turn

Indeed, the Budget Host Inn was a poor choice, but we needed something cheap and nearby to lay our heads until sunrise. I became nervous when we turned at the roadside sign but did not see the place. We saw Lowe's home improvement store and Wal-Mart, but no inn. "Maybe it is behind the Lowe's," Jon said. I scoffed. A bit of reconnaissance and we found a sign that indicated we should turn right, then another. Peeking out from inbetween and behind the Wal-Mart and Lowe's and smashed up against the I-84 freeway was the Budget Host Inn. Clearly these hosts were on a budget that didn't allow for location.

Breakfast at Goldy's was a stark contrast. We both selected from the a la carte menu which allows you to build your own breakfast. The egg choices includes omelettes and scrambles; the potato choices include delicacies such as sweet potato hashbrowns and red flannel hash which is beets, potatoes, and sausage; for your bread, you can choose from scones, biscuits, pancakes, and toast. I opted for scrambled eggs with broccoli and gruyere, Goldy's potatoes which were sliced 1/4 inch thin and perfectly browned with a dusting of blackening spices, and a baking soda biscuit with marionberry jelly. It was divine.

Here are some images that I particularly liked from our explorations throughout the day.

Swallow nests carved into sandstone on the road to Hull's Gulch.

The trailhead at Hull's Gulch, where the Ridge to River's trail system begins just minutes outside of downtown Boise.

Roadside attraction in the Boise National Forest, on the way to Bogus Basin ski resort. We saw lots of road bikers on the way up and down the mountain.

Quaint pinecone arrangement on a forest service road. I hiked, Jon followed slowly behind me in the rental SUV.

Streetside in Hyde Park, one of the historic neighborhoods in Boise.

Passing by the capitol building downtown, en route to dinner.

Downtown mural.

Unknown street parade viewed from the balcony of our dinner restaurant. When we asked the waiter what was going on he replied, "I don't know. There's always something going on in Boise."