Southward

One benefit of road-tripping is discovering that places I wouldn't necessarily consider a destination are, in fact, quite worth my time. Case in point, Boise. Along with Walla Walla, Boise is one of those towns that I assumed was kinda sorta...well, let's just say, not worth a stopover. But as with so many towns, actually getting off the freeway and into the heart of the city offers a new perspective. Like Missoula, our last summer's discovery, a river runs through Boise, and a river can make all the difference.

A greenbelt runs up and down the aptly-named Boise River and we thoroughly enjoyed biking and running miles along the path. We spent a bit of time downtown after hours, where crowds enjoyed the warm, summer night. Boise has the feel of a big city in a small town. Plenty to do but not overwhelming. And it's warm. And dry. And, very important point here, they have an excellent natural foods co-op. Aside from missing the open water, I'd be quite comfortable living in Boise. Yes, there's the usual strip mall sprawl, but the core is great. And housing prices are laughably low. (Of course, when one lives along the Puget Sound corridor, one feels that way about real estate just about anywhere else.)

I took this picture in honor of a dyed-in-the-wool Bronco fan and Boise resident (whom I neglected to contact while in town). I've decided to be a fan now, too, and may have to encourage one of my boys to attend there so I have an excuse to hang out in Boise. My high school colors were blue & orange and this blue turf is way cool. As an added bonus, BSU tuition is cheap.
Boise was nice & warm, but not warm enough. In order to make up for being cold 99% of the year, I needed to feel heat permeating my core. So we pushed southward, toward Moab, Utah. Unfortunately, getting there demands that one go through the seemingly endless sprawl along the I-15 corridor. There are basically two seasons in this area: winter and construction. I defy anyone to prove otherwise.

Two other noteworthy aspects to this region: First, more billboards exist in the Salt Lake corridor than in the entire rest of the world put together. Second, Utah in general has apparently decided to opt out of that whole rest stop concept. If you're not adept at "holding it", don't drive in Utah without an empty bottle on board, if you kwim.

I'm somewhat familiar with Salt Lake City itself and I like it well enough, so we stopped to meander and have a bite of dinner. I'd forgotten, though, that downtown SLC after hours is akin to a movie set wherein aliens have abducted all the inhabitants. That is to say, it's not a real happenin' place. The combination of w-i-i-i-ide empty streets and empty office buildings can be eerie, and particularly on the heels of lively Boise, the heart of SLC left us rather non-plussed. It's not meant for meandering. Like Joseph Smith's followers in search of the promised land, however, we pushed forth in search of food. Something. Anything. Asking locals about restaurants in the area resulted in quizzical looks as if we were speaking a foreign language. At long last we stumbled upon a pizza place. And just across the street ~ shockingly ~ were fellow humans. A number of them, in fact. Gathered to hear an outdoor concert. My heart soared, as we were treated to a free performance of the Utah Symphony while satiating our appetites. What a delight! And a reminder that good things can happen at the most unexpected times, in the most unexpected places.

We spent that night in Provo. What can I say about Provo other than, "Run away!". If you like to shop, Provo's your kinda place. It's not ours. Moab beckoned.