6 Events in Boise & Beyond November 17th - 19th

Credit: Pexels 6 Events in Boise & Beyond   1. Winter Wonderland Opening Weekend Where: Indian Creek Plaza When: Friday - Sunday Time: 6:00 - 9:00 PM EVENT DETAILS HERE   2. Winter Beer Fest Where: Lost Grove Brewing Co. When: Saturday, November 18 Time: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM EVENT DETAILS HERE   3. Wintry Market Where: Boise Centre When: Friday & Saturday Time: 4:00 - 6:00 PM EVENT DETAILS HERE   4. Paint with Penguins at the Zoo Where: Zoo Boise When: Sunday, November 19 EVENT DETAILS HERE   5. Lincoln’s Words Today Where: Idaho State Archives When: Saturday, November 18 Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM EVENT DETAILS HERE   6. Canyon County Christmas Show 2023 Where: Ford Idaho Center When: Friday - Sunday Time: Times Vary EVENT DETAILS HERE  

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Hiking with Kids in Boise

Credit: Cottonbro Studio Your guide to Boise’s best hiking trails for kiddos and best practices to make hiking a fun and enjoyable experience for the whole family.    What to Bring: Preparation is key to having a successful hike with kids, especially younger children. Here are a few essentials to keep everyone happy and moving! Snacks - hiking can work up an appetite and little ones tend to have a lot of energy. Having plentiful and nourishing snacks is helpful to keep their hunger at bay and motivate them to keep moving along. Easy to store options include: granola bars, bananas, fruit strips, trail mix, and fruit/veggie pouches. Appropriate Clothing/Gear - the majority of hiking trails in the Boise foothills are exposed, meaning there is little shade cover. During the summer months, it's important to understand the impact of the sun (even on cloudy days). Plan to hike early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid high temperatures, and dress everyone in appropriate clothing. This includes sunhats, long-sleeve shirts, closed-toe shoes, and backpacks to carry snacks, water, sunscreen. Light rain shells or packable ponchos are good to have in case there is scattered rainstorms. Sunscreen Water - most trailheads don’t provide water so plan to bring plenty of it with you. A couple Nalgenes is enough to stay hydrated without carrying a lot of weight. The Hillside to Hollow Reserve trailhead does have a water fountain as well as Camel’s Back Park. First-Aid Kit - scrapes and other injuries can happen on the trail. Having a portable first-aid kit equipped with antiseptic wipes/spray, bandaids, and bandage wrap is a good idea to take care of minor injuries on the spot. For emergencies, most foothill trails will be within cell service to call 9-1-1. Hiking Carrier and/or Pack - if you are hiking with infants and toddlers, a hiking carrier is a gamechanger to give you proper support and a comfortable ride to your child. Some packs have additional pockets to store snacks and water bottles. A small backpack is perfect for carrying items, and older kids can wear their own to carry their own water bottles and snacks. Change of Diapers/Clothes - accidents happen so it’s best to have a change of clothes and a couple spare diapers/wipes. Bring a small blanket for a makeshift changing table on the go. Toys - this can be counterintuitive to the experience of being out in nature, but kids may not always appreciate nature’s beauty. Having a couple of their favorite small and non-electronic toys will keep them entertained and outdoors longer.    What not to bring: Expectations. If it’s your first time hiking with children, you’ll find that the pace is much slower than what you’d expect. If you have walking children, let them wander and stop to observe things. It may take a lot of patience, but this is where the magic of hiking with kiddos happens!   Best Trails for Little Kids: Deciding which trails to take depends on your family's ability and expertise. We’ve compiled a few options for younger kids. These trails are great for beginner hikers, with low elevation gains, ample tree cover, and plenty of things to see. Due to the flat terrain of these, they are relatively stroller friendly, but still graveled or dirt covered. Cottonwood Creek in the Military Reserve Pedestrian-Only Greenbelt between Barber Park and Bown Crossing in SE Boise Bethine Church Nature Trail in SE Boise Hulls Gulch Nature Trail Hulls Pond and Gold Finch behind Camel’s Back Park Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Trail in NE Boise Other Trails   Hiking Best Practices: Credit: Ekaterina BolovtsovaBoise provides great quality of life with access to these and dozens of other trails for all to use. Here are a few key reminders to do your part in keeping them protected and clean, as well as proper trail etiquette. Plan Ahead -  download a map of the trail you’re taking so you know where it leads and can gauge the terrain ahead of time. Most trails in the Ridge-to-Rivers system are easy to navigate, but range  in length, shade cover, water availability, and usage between hikers and mountain bikers. Also important, check the forecast as unexpected weather can happen anytime and affect whether a trail is usable.  Leave No Trace - there are 7 standard principles for recreating outdoors that should be applied locally in the foothills. Pack out all trash with you. If anyone needs to use the bathroom, practice digging a hole or utilize a waste bag and pack it out with you. Avoid contaminating water sources with waste. Check Trail Conditions Before You Go - the longevity and condition of the trails rely on users to responsibly recreate. This means not using wet trails and staying on trail to avoid erosion and creating ruts/imprints in the paths. Ridge-to-Rivers has daily updates on their Facebook page and website. Right of Way - the trails are heavily used by both hikers and mountain bikers alike. It’s important to follow the separation and use schedules for certain trails as they help ease congestion. Here are basic guidelines for right of way on the trails: Bikers yield to hikers and horseback riders Hikers yield to horseback riders Uphill traffic has right of way to downhill traffic Do Not Block the Trail - if you need to stop, find a good place to step off. Be mindful of where you’re stepping so you aren’t harming vegetation and stay on the trail as much as possible. Dogs on Leash, Unless Otherwise Posted - to be respectful of other trail users and wildlife, most trails are designated as dog on-leash. For designated off-leash trails, you should have voice command over your dog for quick recall. Animals, like coyotes and mountain lions, have been spotted in our area. It’s a good idea to keep your pets and kids closeby for their safety.   We hope this guide was helpful! Share your comments below with additional tips. Happy hiking!   

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Back To School Bucket List

  Credit: Olia Danilevich - Pexels School is just around the corner and a lot of us are wondering how summer flew by so quickly. Make the most of these last few weeks of free time with this Back to School Bucket List for you and your family!   Last minute camping trip: One of the best things about summer is the warm nights perfect for camping. A last minute camping trip doesn’t need to be a challenging endeavor, all it takes is packing your car with the essentials (tent, sleeping bag, food, ect) and choosing a campsite near Boise. You can even make it a backyard camping trip for a fun and easy experience at home! Photo by Laura Pluth on Unsplash   Discovery Center visit: The Discovery Center is the perfect place to get your kids excited about learning and going back to school! It is full of hands-on science activities that help kids understand complex concepts while having fun. Exhibits are constantly changing and always built to nurture curiosity in children. Although admissions are on the pricier side ($19.50 for children and $27.50 for adults), there are endless exhibits and experiments for your child to partake in. Photo by Junior League of Boise   Farmers market: The Boise Farmers Market is the perfect Saturday morning activity and is open from 9am-1pm every Saturday through October. Whether you are shopping for local and fresh produce, pasta, milks, breads, jams, and other food items, or just grabbing breakfast and a coffee, the farmers market is an awesome place to wander around and support local businesses. Photo by Boise Farmers Market   Go swimming: Stay cool in the last days of the summer and go swimming before pools close up and it gets too cold! Head down to a public pool (take a look at this blog to see all the public pools in Boise), or have a “beach” day at Quinn’s pond to enjoy the last of outdoor swimming this summer. Photo by City of Boise   Go on a hike: As the July heat slightly fades and it becomes possible to workout outside without struggling through three-digit temperatures, it’s once again possible to go on a hike in Boise. Although you will still likely have to avoid the midday heat, head out in the morning or evening and take on one of these awesome Boise hikes!                                                                                                Photo by Kaija Zoller

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