6-1/2 Hours in Boise
On the shortest day in Boise, the sun goes down around 430pm, maybe earlier. But the days start getting longer right away, and now that it’s February, the temperature floats between 25 and 45F, and the sun goes down after 6. The weather this weekend has been clear and mild. In a flannel shirt and down jacket, it feels downright balmy compared to what I expected. Which is great news, because we’ve got lots of ground to cover! Let’s jump in after lunch at Coyne’s. I mapped out a three and a half hour loop, but that seemed too ambitious. Bogus Basin, less than an hour up the hill, is the locals’ choice. You can ski at a moment’s notice, or not ski if you’re us. We arrived at 359pm, and while Penny found a comfortable spot inside the lodge, I wandered out into the snow to commune with the skiers. There were toddlers and grandpas, stylish and skilled. School kids brought up on buses. Teenagers away from parents’ watchful gazes, stealing hugs and kisses.
We dawdled amongst the snow people for about an hour, then headed back down the hill, stopping at a corn dog truck along the way, finally making our way into town for an emergency haircut.
At Ali’s Barber Shop, Wes agreed to cut my hair, ridiculously long and unruly, even though it was closing time (Yelp, which no one in Boise uses, said they were open till 7, and we arrived at 6). “How’d you end up in Boise?” I asked. Born in Egypt, he eventually wound up in Baghdad, where he worked inside the wire as a translator with the US Army. It was an easy job, he said, except for the few times he went on patrol, which he didn’t like at all. He much preferred working with the Army than his later job with the State Department. Too many rules with State. He made friends with a bunch of guys from Idaho Air Guard, and he eventually wound up in Boise. He’s been cutting hair for over six years, much better than his previous job as a truck driver. Too many rules, and they don’t pay you enough. We agreed that it’s far preferable to work for yourself than for somebody else. His friends make the one hour trek from Mountain Home for one of his haircuts, even though there's a barber on base. That's what people do when you're good.
After dealing with the hair emergency, we made our way to downtown Boise and the Warehouse, a food hall with a dozen or so stalls. Looped around the block a couple of times before shearing off to a parking lot just a block from the bustle. By now, the temps were down in the 30s, but it’s a warm cold. We walked up the street to the Warehouse and went inside. Poke, wok bowls, pizza, smoothies, pastries, lobster rolls, waffles, and yes, BBQ! They were out of ribs, but when I saw Joseph slicing brisket for another customer, I could see that these people know their way around a smoker. Beautiful bark, and a rich red smoke ring speak true. I got in line and placed my order for the brisket and baked beans, to which Joseph added some brisket burnt ends. Wow. I filled a couple of containers with sauce just to try them, but the brisket didn’t need anything extra.
With a belly full of brisket, and water from a fountain (when’s the last time you’ve seen one of those?), it was time to head back to the hotel on Entertainment Avenue. A good day, if you leave out certain details. Let’s go ahead and leave out those details, and call it a good day. Six and a half hours in Boise, starting with lunch, ending with dinner, and a trip to the mountains, in between.
