pre college trip to boise this summer

Hi all,

My son is very interested in attending Boise State. We are thinking of taking a trip west this summer and would love some advice. We plan 10-14 days. Would love some recommendations about what to do in and near Boise as well as what you recommend if we travel to Oregon or Washington. We would like to get to the coast at some point. We plan on flying out or taking train, then renting car for remainder of trip.

Also, please feel free to fill us in on Boise State.

Conservative or liberal? What is the ';feel'; of the campus, i.e. small town, urban...

Is it a commuter school or do most kids live on campus? My son loves cities...always thought he would live in a big one, but Boise seems to be calling...

pre college trip to boise this summer

Hi justaskin, I%26#39;m a BSU alumna, though it%26#39;s been many years since my student days!

You%26#39;ll likely end up flying, since Amtrak doesn%26#39;t come anywhere near Boise.

Boise State has a nice small college feel. The campus is not huge, and it%26#39;s right on the banks of the Boise River, with Julia Davis Park on the other side of the river. The political leaning is toward conservative, as Idaho%26#39;s a red state, but I know plenty of liberals in Boise as well.

There%26#39;s not enough housing for all the students to live on campus, but Boise isn%26#39;t that big and there are a lot of apartments right around the school. For those farther afield, there%26#39;s a good bus system.

Some interesting things to do in and around Boise:

The abovementioned Julia Davis Park has an art museum, a historical museum, a black history museum, and a zoo.

The World Center for Birds of Prey is a very interesting site, and not too far from Boise.

For something historic, you might visit the Old Penitentiary, one of only three 19th century state penitentiaries left in the country. Adjacent is the Idaho Botanical Garden, which should be in full early summer bloom by Memorial Day.

If there%26#39;s a military aircraft buff in your family, check out the Idaho Warbird Museum at the Nampa Airport, just a short drive from Boise. This has displays of WWII aircraft.

For a great southern Idaho tour, take the loop up highway 21 through Idaho City, Lowman, Stanley, Ketchum/Sun Valley area. You can continue east to Craters of the Moon and Idaho Falls or turn south and come through Twin Falls and back to Boise. That way you can see the varied landscape of southern Idaho. This is a 2-3 day trip depending on which way you go. You could even go farther east and see Yellowstone National Park.

For a trip to the coast, my favorite town is Florence, Oregon. Message me closer to time and I%26#39;ll give you the route, if you decide to go that way.

I better leave some room for others to post! :)

Best wishes and go Broncos,

Pug

pre college trip to boise this summer

Thanks,

I like the idea of the drive through Idaho. And, I will look up Florence.

Hi

I live 8 blocks from BSU campus I love living downtown. now If i can just get my college age neightbors to turn down their music on friday nights LOL .It has sort of an urban feel but with

wildlife running thru it you can fish in the Boise river which runs right by the campus or float down the river in the summer time. I have seen deer and elk walking down the streets as well as Goth dressed students LOL

Downtown is vibrant lots of bars and resturants and night clubs. easy walk or bike ride.

the metro population of Boise is around 500,000

all this growth has come in the last 20 yrs so not to many old buildings everything is new and clean.

Idaho is conservative but downtown Boise is liberal.

we are also a very friendly town

to me Boise is kind of like Austin Texas 20 yrs ago.

BSU is still a commuter school but is building more dorms all the time. It is a compact campus easy to get from one end to the other in about 15 mins or less.

Sawadeeka is right on all counts. Gosh, I love Boise, I may have to move back there!

Justaskin, my favorite place to stay in Florence is a vacation rental called Whales Watch, www.whaleswatch.com. It%26#39;s right on the beach!

Have a great trip no matter what you decide!

Pug