October 2015 RSS Feed

When a weeklong bike ride begins with a 25-mile boat cruise, you know it’s going to be something special. And it is. Of course, special doesn’t seem like a strong enough way to describe this incredible 400-mile bike tour across the panhandle of Northern Idaho. It’s an incredible loop that takes you through the impressive variety of the Idaho wilderness, and you may choose to ride with hundreds of other cyclists that love riding just as much as they love Idaho. This is Ride Idaho, an annual bike tour of epic proportions, that draws the support of local communities and organizations to ensure that this is one bike ride you’ll ever forget.

Day One

Ride Idaho kicks off this year on Sunday, August 16th. You’ll depart from Coeur d’Alene after a…

There are plenty of reasons to move to Idaho. If you love the outdoors, that’s one big reason to call this state your home. But, if you love whitewater, and the prospect of hitting the rivers in a raft and escaping into the rugged beauty of nature, Idaho is the perfect place to call home. Idaho boasts over 3,000 miles of whitewater rivers, and some of the best rapids and trips, not only in the entire country, but also in the entire world. In fact, National Geographic lists the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in the top ten whitewater rivers of the world.

Idaho is the whitewater enthusiast’s paradise, and with the amount of rivers and wilderness reserves, it’s easy to see why. From half-day trips to trips spanning the course of several…

Natural light is an appealing aspect for most rooms. The more warm natural light that a room has, the more popular it is, so it’s no wonder that people are constantly seeking ways to increase or just boost the amount of natural light in their homes. Here are a few ways to make your home seem brighter and filled with more light.

Firstly, adding more windows is a guaranteed way to increase the amount of light in your home. If there are more places for light to come through, the brighter it will be. This, unfortunately, can be expensive and may not be the way that you want to go. However, another, slightly less expensive version of this method is the installation of window doors or even sliding glass doors. These doors allow the rooms to stay…

For some running can be an intimidating prospect. We all have at least one friend or family member that’s really into running. They train everyday, running for miles, while working to shave precious seconds off of every mile. They run in marathons and 5k races. They are really into running. Sometimes, they try to convince you to go running with them or to come. So far, you’ve only fallen for that a couple of times, and it wasn’t a fun experience. They didn’t slow down their run, or wait for you, and they probably poked and prodded you the entire way, trying to get you to go faster.

That kind of experience might have turned you off from races. If it did, there’s really no surprise. You may have to work your way up to running that 10-minute…

Boise is more than just the capital of Idaho. It’s a bustling area ripe with local businesses, nightclubs, college energy, and a progressive city plan. More than that, Boise is a hub for an up and coming boom of music, theater, and the arts. The Treefort Music Fest is an incredible event that celebrates the arts, musical and otherwise, and provides indie musicians and local artists with a venue to share their work with Boise.

Just finishing its fourth year, the Treefort Music Fest is looking to keep growing. This year was the biggest yet, with over 400 bands playing over the span of five days. The festival grew substantially from its first year of three days, with right around 130 bands. The festival has even grown beyond just music. There…

The International Selkirk Loop is an impressive loop that cuts through two states and another country. It offers year-round access to some of the most diverse and incredible terrain, scenery, and outdoor recreational activities that Idaho has to offer. It also offers the ability to explore the neighboring state of Washington to the west, and the rugged and expansive beauty of Canada to the north. With it’s changing scenery depending on the season, and the massive amount of variety for recreation, the International Selkirk Loop can offer a week of exploration and fun that changes every single time you drive it.

You don’t have to head out of Idaho to experience the wonder and beauty that this incredible loop offers, however. The loop cuts…

Julia Davis Park is steeped in history, and its mission has always been one about creating a beautiful green space in the middle of a city, and being completely open to the public. It was created in 1907, when Thomas Davis donated approximately 40 acres of his apple orchards to the City of Boise. He sold the deed for a dollar, and only asked that the land always be used for the public, and named after his recently deceased wife, Julia Davis.

Since then, Julia Davis Park has grown to almost 90 acres, thanks to further donations and purchases of land. It is a beautiful public space that sits at the heart of Boise, and it also serves as the cultural and historical heart of Boise. Julia Davis Park is home to a zoo, museums, and many different…

The zoo in Pocatello, Idaho is a unique one, with the experience to match. It is divided by a towering cliff of lava rock. The cliff is around 40 feet tall, and divides the zoo into two sections, Upper and Lower Ross Park. It covers close to 24 acres, and is home to 77 different animals, with close to 40 different species.

But that’s not where the zoo started. It has grown over the years, and has become one of the only zoos that specializes in animals from the Intermountain West. The zoo’s beginning was far more humble, though. It began in a trailer park, with a raccoon named Pete.

The Opening of the Pocatello Zoo

It was 1932. The Pocatello Zoo opened its doors to the public, with just two animals. The zoo was in a local trailer…

Idaho is known for it’s excellent fishing on many of its rivers. In Southeast Idaho, there are the South Fork of the Snake River and Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. Both rivers offer an incredibly diverse fishing experience, as the terrain of the rivers change. Each river flows through canyons and flatlands, and there are sometimes sections of rapids or waterfalls. But, they offer world class fishing, and draw fishermen from all over the world.

Deciding to live in Idaho is a lifestyle choice, and it’s one decision that you should make if you love the outdoors, and being able to fish on some of the best rivers in the world. Trout are plentiful in Idaho, and both Henry’s Fork and the South Fork of the Snake River offer a skilled fisherman…

Millions of years ago, the land of North America was a very different place. Lakes and rivers existed in places that they don’t today, and over the course of time, floods and rivers cut deep valleys and swaths through the land. Very different animals roamed the land as well. Changes in the climate, terrain, and weather all contributed to the evolution, and extinction, of animals that used to live here. Today, all we find are fossilized remains of once majestic creatures that walked across the very land we live on now.

You would never know it now, but Idaho used to be home to some very different animals. Millions of years ago, the amount of rainfall and precipitation was much higher, which created beautiful floodplains, where lush meadowlands…