Idaho City to Boise

We had a decision to make today. Do we continue on route over the big pass outside of Idaho City, camp at Cottonwood Campground, and then retrace our tracks on the unappealing exposed washboard road back to Boise, or do we head straight for Boise on Highway 21, arriving in Boise a day ahead of schedule? We opted for the highway.

Normally we prefer to spend our bicycle trips away from cities, but Boise to us felt like a small town, a small town with great amenities for the traveling cyclist. We planned to head to the RV Park northeast of Boise, where we could have a shower and do some laundry. We then would have three full days to do whatever we wanted in and around Boise.

Highway 21 was a breeze. A former railroad line, the highway’s gentle and consistent grade made for easy cycling for about 20 miles until we hit the big reservoir, where we had two decent climbs before a fast descent into the outskirts of the city. We then hopped onto the Greenbelt, Boise’s awesome trail network, to get us to the city center.

After spending the heat of the day holed up in the library, we made our way to the RV park. As we were riding along the Greenbelt, we ended up meeting another couple with a dog who were riding unloaded touring bikes. We talked a bit about our trip and they mentioned some of their recent adventures and before we knew it they invited us to stay with them in their apartment.

Dennis and Pirette and Salli the dog were great hosts. We made dinner with what they had in the fridge and what we had in our bike bags: pasta and a salad. We then made some mixed drinks, choosing blindly from a bartending book for recipes. Russian Pussy. Alabama Slammer. Old Fashioned. Sex on the Beach. We took shots of each so we could enjoy every concoction. After some drinks, we went for a walk on the Greenbelt. It was a nice way to finish our trip and a real testament to the friendliness of the people in Idaho.