| Living in Idaho |
When you look in an Idaho guide book you see vast
forests and wilderness, white water rivers, and wildlife
in abundance. Imagine our surprise when we
approached Boise and saw nothing but high desert
with dry, eroding sand hills and sagebrush. The green
look of the city stems mostly from sprinklers fed by
Lucky Peak Reservoir just outside the city. The
reservoir is also the place for local boat enthusiasts to
have fun, and we sometimes took the dogs to the area
for walks before we had so many.
forests and wilderness, white water rivers, and wildlife
in abundance. Imagine our surprise when we
approached Boise and saw nothing but high desert
with dry, eroding sand hills and sagebrush. The green
look of the city stems mostly from sprinklers fed by
Lucky Peak Reservoir just outside the city. The
reservoir is also the place for local boat enthusiasts to
have fun, and we sometimes took the dogs to the area
for walks before we had so many.
Boise map - where we live
Boise, Idaho, and the Treasure Valley
Boise, Idaho, and the Treasure Valley
Boise and the desert lie in The Treasure Valley edged
by The Foothills (of The Boise Mountains of The
Rocky Mountains) on the north side and The
Owyhees in the south. Within an hour's drive you can
be in the mountains, covered with Ponderosa Pine and
other mountain plants. The wildlife is still hiding,
though, and even spotting a common Mule Deer
seems exciting, though, the Pronghorn seems to get
more common and they are more out in the open
along the roads in the high desert areas. Idaho City, an
hour's drive northeast of Boise, is a quaint little town
(and really old according to Idaho standards) and a
place we take the dogs when we feel like trees and
mountains - especially when we want to escape the
pressing heat of a Boise summer. We also favor closer
places in the high desert south of Boise in the Birds of
Prey area, and the wild flower filled rolling hills of
Bonneville Point (when it isn't full of cattle), Black's
Creek Road and the road up to Prairie.
Sometimes we explore other regions when we have
time for longer excursions, and there are lots of
beautiful places to go, like when we went to Garden
Valley to camp and hike by The Middle Fork of The
Payette River, or a day trip to Camas County, or the
loop over Stanley and through Sun Valley, or...
Nature is the best part of Idaho but the openness and
attitude of a lot of the people we meet also suits us
well. Even though this is a conservative state, animal
welfare and nature and wildlife are important issues in
our area.
We moved to the greater Atlanta area, Georgia, for a
few years so Mark could get into law enforcement, but
as soon as we had the opportunity to return to Idaho
we did. We love Idaho and so do the dogs.
Recently we found a new place to take the dogs
swimming in the summer called Indian Creek
Reservoir that is just a few miles from Boise down the
interstate.
by The Foothills (of The Boise Mountains of The
Rocky Mountains) on the north side and The
Owyhees in the south. Within an hour's drive you can
be in the mountains, covered with Ponderosa Pine and
other mountain plants. The wildlife is still hiding,
though, and even spotting a common Mule Deer
seems exciting, though, the Pronghorn seems to get
more common and they are more out in the open
along the roads in the high desert areas. Idaho City, an
hour's drive northeast of Boise, is a quaint little town
(and really old according to Idaho standards) and a
place we take the dogs when we feel like trees and
mountains - especially when we want to escape the
pressing heat of a Boise summer. We also favor closer
places in the high desert south of Boise in the Birds of
Prey area, and the wild flower filled rolling hills of
Bonneville Point (when it isn't full of cattle), Black's
Creek Road and the road up to Prairie.
Sometimes we explore other regions when we have
time for longer excursions, and there are lots of
beautiful places to go, like when we went to Garden
Valley to camp and hike by The Middle Fork of The
Payette River, or a day trip to Camas County, or the
loop over Stanley and through Sun Valley, or...
Nature is the best part of Idaho but the openness and
attitude of a lot of the people we meet also suits us
well. Even though this is a conservative state, animal
welfare and nature and wildlife are important issues in
our area.
We moved to the greater Atlanta area, Georgia, for a
few years so Mark could get into law enforcement, but
as soon as we had the opportunity to return to Idaho
we did. We love Idaho and so do the dogs.
Recently we found a new place to take the dogs
swimming in the summer called Indian Creek
Reservoir that is just a few miles from Boise down the
interstate.
Our part of Idaho has been in a drought for several
years but this winter and spring we finally had lots of
snow in the mountains and then rain in the valleys.
Billions of acres of sagebrush have died or where
dying out so this light blue-grey-green of new shoots
are a welcome sign, and there seems to be more
rodents and birds when we go for walks/hiking.
years but this winter and spring we finally had lots of
snow in the mountains and then rain in the valleys.
Billions of acres of sagebrush have died or where
dying out so this light blue-grey-green of new shoots
are a welcome sign, and there seems to be more
rodents and birds when we go for walks/hiking.
South Ada County
with the Owyhees
in the background.
with the Owyhees
in the background.
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In the Sawtooths