No backwater

Boise is an outdoor playground with a lively downtown and budding arts scene
By MATTHEW PREUSCH
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
Boise, Idaho, once ruled by the bait-and-bullet crowd, has embraced the Lycra lifestyle. Sitting at the junction of the arid plateau of the high desert and the western foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the capital of Idaho offers all the outdoor advantages of more ballyhooed Western towns but with less, well, ballyhoo.
The town has been on the front of national sports pages for the Boise State football team which ran up a 13-0 record but was denied a spot in the national championship game.
Boise may have a population of about 190,000, but it is still a mining and farming town at heart, and it attracts active professionals and young families who will tell you that theirs is a great hometown – just don't let too many people know. They wouldn't want those trail heads or hot springs to get too crowded. A rejuvenated downtown and a budding arts community mean that after a day of rafting on the Payette River, mountain biking in the foothills or carving at Bogus Basin Ski Resort you don't have to turn in once the sun fades behind the Snake River.
Here's some ideas on how to spend 36 hours in Boise:Friday 4 p.m. 1) TWO HEADS ARE BETTER
It's best to educate before you recreate, so check out the stuffed two-headed calf and other marvels and curiosities at the Idaho Historical Museum (610 N. Julia Davis Drive, 208-334-2120; www.idahohistory.net /museum.html) in Julia Davis Park. From there, walk down the Boise River Greenbelt, a public corridor of parks and trails snug against the Boise River, to the Cottonwood Grille (913 W. River St., 208-333-9800) for a pint of Mirror Pond pale ale or other regional microbrews on the patio overlooking the river and, of course, cottonwoods.7 p.m. 2) TRY THE TROUT TOWER
Jon Mortimer draws from regional farmers and ranchers to create an ever-changing menu distinct to southern Idaho at Mortimer's (110 S. Fifth St., 208-338-6550), in the basement of the venerable Belgravia building. On one recent night, Mortimer served a tower of trout (raised in nearby Buhl) perched on a foundation of, what else, Idaho potatoes and stuffed with Maine lobster. (Sorry, there are no lobsters in the Snake River.) Pair this dish with a glass of Chardonnay from Hells Canyon Winery in Caldwell. Always available is the seven-course chef's tasting menu. Seating is limited at this spot, popular with downtown professionals and couples out for special occasions, so reservations are recommended.Saturday 8 a.m. 3) BREAKFAST BUILDERS
Put your name on the list at Goldy's Breakfast Bistro (108 S. Capitol Blvd., 208-345-4100) and stroll two blocks north to the Capitol dome to contemplate the statue of Gov. Frank Steunenberg; he was killed in 1905 by a bomb planted near his garden gate by radicals enraged by his rough handling of labor uprisings in upstate mines. But don't let that century-old assassination ruin your appetite while you sit under the flying light bulb sculpture at Goldy's and dig in to a plate of potato, beet and bacon hash, one possible component of the popular "build your own breakfast." If you're in town anywhere from April to October, join stroller-pushing Boiseans at the Capital City Public Market (9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays, 208-345-9287), where the artists of Boise Art Glass (208-345-1825) can make you a custom trinket as you graze on local meats such as elk jerky and the Idaho version of classic goat cheese.11 a.m. 4) BASQUE BRAWN
A century ago, Basque shepherds tended flocks in the grassy foothills around Boise. Today the mayor and many other prominent Idahoans claim Basque heritage. Learn about the Basques' culture, like their love of a stirring strongman competition, at the Basque Museum and Cultural Center (611 Grove St., 208-343-2671; www.basquemuseum.com). Then grab a table at Gernika Basque Pub and Eatery (202 S. Capitol Blvd., 208-344-2175). The lamb grinder is a safe bet, but if it's Saturday brave the beef tongue in tomato and pepper sauce, washing it down with a bottle of Zapiain, a Basque cider, or a kalimotxo, a Coca-Cola mixed with red wine.1:30 p.m. 5) RAPID TRANSIT
Join the weekend exodus of pickups hauling A.T.V.'s and Subarus bearing bikes heading over the brown foothills of the Boise Front to outdoor adventure. Drive 45 minutes north to Horseshoe Bend and hook up with the Cascade Raft Company (7050 Highway 55, 800-292-7238) for a half-day trip through Class III and IV rapids on the Lower South Fork of the Payette River ($45). Not feeling adventurous? Stay in town, buy an inner tube and join lazy locals floating down the relatively placid Boise River for six miles between Barber Park (4049 Eckert Road) and Ann Morrison Park (1000 Americana Blvd.), but avoid the river when it's high, which it typically is in the spring.7 p.m. 6) HOW ABOUT A POTATO-TINI?
Swap your swim trunks for town wear and find an outdoor table on the pedestrian plaza outside the overtly cosmopolitan Red Feather Lounge (246 N. Eighth St., 208-429-6340), where the focus is on "post-classic" cocktails, like the Tangerine Rangoon: Plymouth gin, fresh tangerine juice and homemade pomegranate grenadine. Pair that with a slow-roasted Muscovy duck and you might forget that you're in laid-back Boise. That is, until you spot the guy in running shorts and a fanny pack at the bar.8 p.m. 7) LAWN ORDER
Borrow a blanket from your hotel and find a spot on the lawn at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, overlooking the Boise River east of town (5657 Warm Springs Ave., 208-336-9221; www.idahoshakespeare.org; from $27), which runs June to September. It features productions of Shakespeare as well as more contemporary works at an outdoor amphitheater that overlooks the Boise River. As the sun sets and the stars come out, you might start to think that Boise's status as one of the most isolated metro areas in the lower 48 states is not a bad thing.Sunday 9 a.m. 8) FULL OF BEANS
Head to Idaho Mountain Touring (1310 W. Main St., 208-336-3854), rent a full-suspension mountain bike ($25 for about four hours or $35 for the day) and head north on 13th Street to Hyde Park, a neighborhood of bungalows and tree-lined streets where you can get an $8 haircut three doors down from a community art gallery. Park your bike with the others in front of Java Hyde Park (1612 N. 13th Street, 208-345-4777) and make your way past the dogs tied up outside to order the Bowl of Soul, a sugary concoction of coffee, espresso, Mexican coffee and fresh whipped cream.10 a.m. 9) THE WHEEL DEAL
Fortified, and perhaps jittery, remount your rented ride and pedal a few blocks farther up 13th Street to Camel's Back Park (1200 W. Heron St.). Look for the trail head east of the tennis courts, one of many entrances to the Ridge to Rivers trail system, a single- and double-track network that covers 80,000 acres between the Boise Ridge and Boise River. Climb the Red Cliffs Trail (No. 39, according to the map that charts the system) to open vistas of the Treasure Valley below, then loop back down on the rollicking Lower Hulls Gulch Trail (No. 29). Repeat as necessary.
Before returning that rental join the other trail warriors at Parrilla Grill (1512 N. 13th St., 208-323-4688) for buffalo tacos or a Wrap of Khan with tofu and peanut sauce and brag about how you bombed all over Boise too.