Diana DeJesus

March 12, 2021

Blogs

Ready to Shamrock & Roll: 15 St. Patrick Day Events to Cross Off Your #Boise Bucket List

Diana DeJesus

March 12, 2021

Blogs

From fun runs to puptricks to skating parties, Boise is filled with events where you can put on your green & try your luck. Here are 15 St. Patty Day events to cross off your #BoiseBucketList

Month-long Events

Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt

Village at Meridian

find any or all 15 silly leprechauns hiding around The Village At Meridian! When completed, bring your checklist to the Concierge desk for a special treat while supplies last

More info HERE

Week-Long Events

March 13 - March 20

Irish Pub Week

Powderhaus Taproom

Live music, green beer & one-of-a-kind Firkins

St. Patrick’s Day Virtual Run

March 13th - 17th

Celebrate the healthy way with the Y You can enjoy their courses at your own time since it’s a virtual run.

Friday, March 12

Hunt for the Green Key

Downtown Boise

12pm

Crack the clues and find hidden keys throughout the city

Click HERE for more info

Saturday March 13

Western Collective

Enjoy green beer, food trucks, treats, and a scavenger hunt

12pm to 12am

Party 4 the Planet

St Patrick's Day event

10336 W Shadybrook Drive

Enjoy drinks, food, music and fun

$30 entry fee (includes food & drink)

5pm to 9pm

Wednesday, March 17

St. Paddy’s Day

Hilltop Station

Enjoy world famous corned beef & picked cabbage pizza and burgers

St. Patrick’s’ Day Celebration

Playhouse Boise

Enjoy drink specials, great food, amazing entertainment and giveaways. Limited seating and must be 21+. $10 to enter

8pm to 11pm

St. Patty’s Day Celebration

Broken Tap Tavern

Enjoy beer, Irish cream coffee, and your favorite Irish dishes

Click HERE for more info

Butte in Boise

Boise Centre

Enjoy curbside pickup for two from 3pm to 6pm. You can enjoy handmade butte style cocktail pastries with brown gravy and tomato ketchup, guinness braised corned beef brisket with steamed green cabbage, and pound cake dipped in icing and rolled in crushed peanuts

Click HERE for more info

St. Patrick’s Day Snakebites and Blackbirds

Meriwether Cider House

4pm to 10pm

Enjoy 2 cider specials, the Snakebite and the Blackbird

Epic St. Patrick’s Day

Quinn’s Restaurant

Enjoy an evening of a packed agenda: live music, bagpipes on the patio, and the flow of green beer

5pm to 11pm

Green Pin Bowling for St. Patrick’s Day

Wahooz and Pinz

Enjoy trying to bowl a strike with the green pin to win a $10 gift card! Eat some pizza, grab a pitcher, and play some bowling

5pm to 8pm

St. Patrick’s Day Skate with DJ Johnny Utah

Treasure Valley Skate

Wear green & gold to enter the costume contest while skating to your favorite music! $8 admission and $3.50 skate rental. Enjoy 2 sessions: family friendly (6pm to 8:30pm) and adult session (8:30pm to 10pm)

St. Patrick’s Day

Firehouse Sports Pub

8pm to 1am

More info HERE

St. Patrick’s Day

Bear Island

3pm

Enjoy Irish themed food, live Irish music by local McGrath-Costello Pub Band, and featured beer

Saturday, March 20

St. Puptricks

Nampa Civic Center

11am to 3pm

More info HERE

Diana DeJesus

May 21, 2020

Blogs

Have a Wheel Nice Time: 9 #BucketList Day Trips from Boise

Diana DeJesus

May 21, 2020

Blogs

Friday, May 22nd is National Road Trip Day! Perfect timing since this weekend is the official kickoff to summer -- Memorial Day weekend! Hop into your car, enjoy a full day of exploring, & get out of town for a day. Here are 9 great day trips that allow you to explore & return to Boise by dinnertime

Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area

Distance from Boise: 45 minutes north

Why Road Trip Worthy: Bogus Basin isn’t only a winter destination. During the summer months, Bogus Basin offers hiking, biking, live music & events, running, disc golf, and the mountain coaster (fun!). You can also try the lift & experience some incredible views. Learn more about Bogus Basin HERE

Craters of the Moon

Distance from Boise: 3 hours east

Why Road Trip Worthy: you get to see vast lava flows with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush.

Learn more HERE

Bruneau Sand Dunes

Distance from Boise: 64 miles south

Why Road Trip Worthy: It’s the tallest dune in North America, reaching over 470 ft. It’s also the only place in Idaho where you can dune ski. The Visitors Center offers sand boards to rent to have some dune fun! When you visit, you can also fish, birdwatch, camp, hike, view the stars and swim. The Bruneau Dunes Observatory Complex is only one of two public observatories in Idaho & home to a 25” telescope.

Learn more HERE

Hells Canyon Recreation Area

Distance from Boise: 2 to 3 hours away, depending on activity

Why Road Trip Worthy: Hells Canyon spans three states (Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) and is known as the deepest river gorge in North America. While most of the canyon is inaccessible, you can enjoy activities such as whitewater rafting, hiking, and jet boat rides. If anything, the road trip is worth the views.

Learn more HERE

Idaho City

*Source: Southwest Idaho Travel Association*

Distance from Boise:1 hour west

Why Road Trip Worthy: Back in the 1800s, Idaho City served as a mining town & the once-capital of Idaho. If heading back in time is your desire, Idaho CIty will give you the Wild West charm. You can explore its local shops, quaint restaurants, and even an old sarsaparilla shop. Let’s not forget the hot spring destination The Springs. This developed hot springs pool is a popular destination for many.

Learn more HERE

Idaho Wine Country

Distance from Boise: 1 hour west

Why Road Trip Worthy: The Sunny Slope wine district is over to over 13 different wineries. From Koening to Sawtooth Winery to St. Chappelles, you will not be disappointed by the majestic views and incredible wine tasting. Most of the wineries are open year-round & offer free tastings. Side note: if you do not want to drive & prefer for someone else to drive you, book a tour with Snake River Wine Tours. Say hi to Sam for me!

Learn more HERE

Sawtooth National Forest

Distance from Boise: 3 hour drive east

Why Road Trip Worthy: ask any local -- Sawtooth National Forest is a popular answer of must-see destinations outside of Boise. This natural beauty is a sprawling area of pristine forest, rugged wilderness & impeccable views. Grab your hiking gear & explore.

Learn more HERE

Twin Falls/Shoshone Falls

Distance from Boise: About 2 hours south of Boise

Why Road Trip Worthy: Twin Falls is the home of Shoshone Falls -- known as the Niagara Falls of the West. The views are so breathtaking! After you explore the Shoshone Falls, you can head downtown for some additional exploring. Grab crepes at Twin Beans. Enjoy a cold beer at Milner’s Gate. Shop at the Brass Monkey

Learn more HERE

McCall

Distance from Boise: 2 hours north

Why Road Trip Worthy: as a resort town, McCall offers visitors a little bit of everything: picturesque views, outdoor recreation, guided walkways, and amazing places to dine. You can enjoy lake views with the McCall Lake Cruise. You can zipline at Tamarack Resort. Have some fun on the McCall Ale Trail. As a popular destination for Boiseans, McCall is deserving of many day trips.

Learn more HERE

PLEASE RECREATE RESPONSIBILITY:

Despite COVID-19, many recreational opportunities exist in Idaho’s outdoor areas.

Per the Idaho.gov website, “Residents are encouraged to enjoy a walk, a hike or a ride but must adhere to best health practices to prevent virus transmission, including staying at least 6-feet away from others and avoiding groups of people who are not immediate family members or housemates.”

Read more on how to recreate responsibly while on your road trip HERE

LEAVE NO TRACE

When exploring the outdoors, please be mindful of Leave No Trace principles. 7 principles you can follow to help minimize impact when visiting the outdoors. Respect the land & our environment. Please click HERE to learn more.

In the market for an adventure-worthy vehicle, my friends at Maverick Car Company can help! Give Freeman & his team a call at 208-314-8080 or visit www.maverickcarcompany.com. I plan to hop in my Maverick car & go on a few of these road trips. #MaverickCarPartner #LifesAnAdventure

Diana DeJesus

February 4, 2020

Love in the BOI

LOVE IN THE BOI: Joel & Samantha

Diana DeJesus

February 4, 2020

Love in the BOI

Meet Joel and Samantha.

Treefort Music Fest connected these two. From a Facebook add to a first date, Treefort is the backdrop to Joel & Samantha’s #LoveInTheBOI story.

How did you two meet?

I had just moved to town and was a music journalist looking to make music scene connections in Boise. As such, I was told I should add all of the Facebook friends of some of the Treefort organizers to gain connections! One of them happened to be Joel.

Three days before we started talking, my best friend passed away and my long distance boyfriend of two years dumped me via email (same day). I was heartbroken and needed someone but was new to the city and wasn't sure who I could actually talk to and trust. That's when Joel appeared in my life in a completely random way.

Although, I honestly believe the universe gave me this amazing friendship and relationship to help me heal in the most beautiful way possible. He asked if he knew me so I told him my name and he told me his via Facebook messenger and then I said, "There, now you know me." After that, we chatted for a while and I told him to send me a picture of him looking 'hot'. That's when he sent me the photo of him doing a duckface into the camera. I turned to my dad at that very moment and said, "I swear to you, I'm going to marry this guy." Six years later, and we just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary.

Describe Your FIrst Date

It took about a year for us to realize we really needed to stop kidding ourselves and get together. That's why, for our first date, we covered Treefort together as a team representing our successful local music magazine, Boise Pulse. It was a whirlwind of chaos and silliness but, the whole time, we went from being friends to truly falling in love with each other. By the end of it, there was no denying that we actually needed to date and not just be best friends any more!

What are you favorite local things to do & places to go?

We have a few favorite things to do: We LOVE going to the Spacebar and Grinker's because they both also let us show our nerdy sides! We also quite often get the Groupon to Asiago's in downtown when we have a birthday or anniversary. It's kind of our little date spot for sure. On top of that, we love to see live shows in downtown, especially for local bands, and we also hike all over from Camel's Back to Jumpcreek Falls to Seaman's Gulch, and everything and anything in between! We truly enjoy where we live because it allows us to have all of our hobbies and interests available at once!

What is one word of advice you have to those who are still in search of love

Hopefully this doesn't come out as corny but, really, love isn't something that happens overnight and, at least in my case, what started as a beautiful and long-lasting friendship led to a relationship that truly feels like I get to spend every single day with the coolest person on the planet! With that being said, my word of advice is truly to stop looking for the 'perfect' boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife and just let fate run its course. You never know— the person you call your best friend could very well become the love of your life!

Make sure to follow these two love birds at @twolosersjourney. Thank you Joel & Samantha for sharing your #LoveInTheBOI story!

Diana DeJesus

February 23, 2019

Love in the BOI

LOVE IN THE BOI: Carlleen + Michael

Diana DeJesus

February 23, 2019

Love in the BOI

Cupid did strike Carlleen and Michael when they first met on OK Cupid (dating app). From a first date watching football to enjoying exploring Boise together — this is Carlleen & Michael’s LOVE IN THE BOI story.

How did you two meet?

We met on a dating app site (okcupid) back in 2014. What made Michael so special compared to any other guy that messaged me was his greeting was hey. No pickup lines, no commenting on my beauty or how tall I was. Just a simple hey. We messaged back and forth for a while, mainly about college math classes (I was good at math, he was not) but we also did the classic get to know each other topics too.

Describe your first date.

Our first date was the Packer's/Seahawks game on September 4th, 2014. I asked him to watch the game with me. However, we met a few times before the date and Michael showed me around the Treasure Valley because I'm from Wisconsin. He never once made a move on me until he felt comfortable and so did I. Actually, Michael didn't make us official until 2 days after the Packer/Seahawks game. We were hanging out on the tailgate of his best friends truck and I was showing "interest" of him holding my hand. It took so long for Michael to actually hold my hand that his best friend said that if Michael didn't hold my hand that night (because I was showing all of the signs) that he would have kicked his butt and made him hold my hand.

What advice do you have for those looking for love in Boise?

Act like tourists and see what sights the other person wants to show you! Michael showed me where he worked at, the schools he attend, and some of his hangout spots. Don't be afraid to date someone who's a normal human being! Michael and I are completely different people with different interests but sharing the love with someone you love is the best feeling ever.

Where is your favorite place to go (or thing to do) together as a couple?

If we are eating out at a restaurant/bar our go to for the Boise area is Quinn's on Vista. Our favorite things to do together would be fishing or taking a boat ride in my boat at the lakes around the area.

Go follow this couple at @carlleen13 & @wrxbumm

Professional photos taken by: 7slottedadventures (https://aubreymilesphotography.com/)

Diana DeJesus

October 4, 2018

Things to Do

20 Fall Activities to Cross Off Your #BoiseBucketList

Diana DeJesus

October 4, 2018

Things to Do

Fall is in full effect here in Boise. From the foliage, to the pumpkin patches, to the cool, crisp weather, there’s no denying Boise is an amazing place in Fall. Here are 20 activities I feel you should cross off your Boise Bucket List this fall:

Do the Scarecrow Stroll @ Idaho Botanical Gardens:

Looking to see all types of scarecrows throughout a beautiful garden? Throughout the entire month of October, you can head over to the Idaho Botanical Gardens to checkout scarecrows created by local community organizations. You can vote for your favorite, as well as visit the pumpkin patch.

Linder Farms Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch

Who doesn’t like a good corn maze and pumpkin patch? Linder Farms is wildly popular and a must-see place for fall. From hayrides to pumpkin patches to petting zoos – there is no doubt you will have your fair share of fall fun. You can visit Linder Farms Corn Maze the entire month of October.

Farmstead Corn Maze and Pumpkin Festival

For the entire month of October, you can visit Idaho’s “original corn maze.” Nestled in Meridian, the Farmstead Corn Maze gives its fans so many offerings, including the traditional hayrides, a huge slide, and the Field of Screams.

Hoptober Freshtival, Downtown Boise

Beer lover? Look no further. Boise Brewing is hosting its annual Freshtival in downtown Boise. You will have a variety of beers to choose from, games to play, and downtown Boise as your backdrop. Event is October 6.

GO VISIT A PUMPKIN PATCH
Boise has its fair options for pumpkin patches. You can visit Linder Farms, the Farmstead Corm Maze, Idaho Botanical Gardens, or Jordan’s Pumpkin Patch and Tree Lot. Who else likes to carve pumpkins and roast the pumpkin seeds?

See Spot Run

On October 6, come out and support the Idaho Humane Society for its biggest fundraiser of the year! There will be lots of vendors, contests, and food to enjoy.

See a Classic Movie at the Egyptian Theater:

This fall, Boise Classic Movies has some of your favs coming to the Egyptian Theater: Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hocus Pocus, and The Shining - just to name a few. What’s fun about going to see a classic movie is that attendees are encouraged to dress up. For more info and to purchase your tickets, visit: https://boiseclassicmovies.com.

Binge during the Idaho Horror Film Festival

If horror films are your thing, I strongly suggest you checkout the Idaho Horror Film Festival. Its 3 days of films across 10 venues. All the binging you can take starts on October 11.

Crawl around Boise Bars for 2nd annual Crawl-o-Ween:

Crawl-o-ween is back! Come bar hop with fellow bar hoppers dressed in your favorite Halloween costume. Event is on October 19th and starts at 8pm.

Go Apple Picking

Within driving distance from Boise, you can head to Emmett and enjoy picking your own apples. Candy Apple Orchard, Tyler’s Rocky Point Orchard, and Williams Fruit Ranch are examples of local places where you can go apple picking.

Hike Table Rock and See the Beautiful Fall Foliage

With all the amazing outdoor recreation, you cannot help but to be outside during this time. Seeing the leaves changes colors is one of my favorite parts of fall (aside from the cooler weather after a hot summer). Hike up Table Rock (or any hiking trail, TBH) and enjoy the scenery.

Freak Out at Freak Alley

Freak Alley is one of Boise’s largest tourist attractions. On October 5th, they are hosting their 1st annual fundraiser, a night where art, stories, and entertainment are combined. The huge part is the story-telling from the artists, including a tale from the founder himself. Click HERE for more info

No Escape at The Haunted World

Haunted World is proclaimed to be the scariest haunted house in Idaho. And I don’t doubt that! Since 2000, Haunted World has perfected the art of fear. It includes an indoor and outdoor haunted attraction. Tickets are only purchased at the door (NO online purchases). Click HERE to see for yourself. I will be going with a group - why not join me?! Join my New to the BOI Group for more info.

Become a bartender at Mai Thai’s Bartender School

Each month Mai Thai has hosted a bartender school, where you can learn how to mix our own craft cocktails. This fall, they are hosting a class on Sunday, October 28th called “Spooky Spirits.” Each attendee gets 3 cocktails, 3 appetizers, and enjoy learning how to mix drinks. Follow Mai Thai on their Instagram page for more info.

Do a Halloween Boise Trolley Tour

Drive around Boise on the vintage trolley called Miss Molley Trolley. You will enjoy a narrative Halloween-themed tour for 90+ minutes. Tickets are $18. You can purchase your tickets HERE.

Make sure you TAG @boise_bucketlist on Instagram or use the hashtag #boisebucketlist so I can share your adventures! Do you have ideas or suggestions of activities to cross off your Boise Bucket List? Email me at info@boisebucketlist.com