Best time with my children: Trip to Boise, Idaho

We love traveling. Traveling with kids can be an exciting and enriching experience for the whole family. Exploring new cultures, trying different cuisines, and creating lasting memories together can be a wonderful way to bond.

We had a trip plan to go to Boise, Idaho, in July for our friends’ wedding. Since we drove there, we stopped by in the middle both ways. On the way to Boise, we stopped by in Kennewick, WA, and Richland, WA, on the way back home.

Some plans did not go as planned because of the heat wave that hit Washington and Idaho. The highest temperature record where we went was 114F! We were going to bring our bikes, but we decided not to for everyone’s safety.

Kennewick, Washington

We first drove to Kennewick, Washington. It took about 4 hours from our place. Kennewick is a thriving city located in Benton County in the southeastern part of the state of Washington. Part of the Tri-Cities area, along with Richland and Pasco, Kennewick lies along the Columbia River. 

Since we got there at night and left there in the morning, we did not do any activities in Kennewick but Kennewick offers some outdoor activities, making it a haven for nature enthusiasts. With its scenic riverfront parks, hiking trails, and numerous golf courses, there is no shortage of recreational options. The Columbia River provides excellent opportunities for boating, fishing, and water sports. Additionally, the region is known for its picturesque vineyards and wineries, allowing visitors to indulge in wine tasting tours amidst stunning landscapes. If you have a chance visiting Kennewick, you might want to try those activities!

We went to Porter’s Real Barbecue for dinner.

Since we got to the place right before it was closing, most of the foods sold out. I really wanted to try their brisket, but they did not have it anymore. Instead, we tried their pulled pork, which was actually super good. It was very soft and had great smoky flavor. 

We stayed at a hotel, Best Western Plus Kennewick Inn. The hotel was very nice overall. They had a huge pool and a jacuzzi. We were able to enjoy the pool after dinner and next morning. Breakfast was included, and they had great options for breakfast. My boys enjoyed waffle makers for their waffles. They had a station that offers main breakfast dishes that change daily. We had biscuits & gravy, bacon, and scrambled eggs.

Boise, Idaho

Boise had lots of amazing foods! Boise downtown had lots of great restaurants, cafes, and a lot more! It is definitely recommended to walk around downtown to explore the area.

When planning a walk in downtown Boise, start with 8th Street, the heart of the action. This vibrant corridor is filled with an array of cafes, boutique shops, and restaurants, offering a great mix of local flavors and shopping opportunities. As you stroll, make sure to check out the Basque Block, a unique cultural spot where you can learn about Boise’s rich Basque heritage.

We stayed at a hotel, The Riverside Hotel. This hotel was amazing! You might even get lost since the hotel is so big, but the receptionist was super nice and guided us really well when checking in. We got free chocolate chip cookies as a welcome!

Their breakfast was gorgeous, especially with the omelet station where you can pick what to put in your omelet. The breakfast is buffet style, and it has main dishes, and their dessert selection was wonderful, with lots of mini-cakes, muffins, mousse, donuts, macarons, and even more!

Their other highlight was pool! We always appreciate pools in hotels, but we REALLY appreciated they had great pools, especially because of the heat wave! We ended up spending lots of time in the pool since we did not really want to go out when the temperature was over 110F! There was one outdoor pool and one indoor pool. We stayed at an indoor pool most of the time. The indoor pool had a splash pad, which small kids could enjoy. They also had a lazy river pool attached where you could just float and relax. My boys experienced the lazy river pool for the first time, and they loved it! 

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

In the morning (before the temperature hit high), we went to an Esther Simplot Park right behind the hotel for kayaking. We rented two double kayaks at an Idaho River Sports for one hour. There is a pond in the park, and that is where we did kayaking. There is an Boise River right next to the park, but that is definitely for the more advanced. 

The boys went kayaking for the first time. They were a little scared at first, but they were able to enjoy it after getting used to the ride. We even did a race for fun!

Before heading back to Washington, we stopped by at this place called Bogus Basin.

They had lots of activities; the mineshaft (ropes course), mountain coaster, chairlift, summer tubing, bungee jump, climbing wall, and panning sluice (screening dirt to get your treasures such as gems). The ropes course was very high and not for my boys so we purchased four “The explorer base pass”

It was definitely worth getting an unlimited pass since we rode the mountain coaster at least five times. The coolest thing about the mountain coaster was that you can brake with a lever so that you are able to adjust the speed. The boys had a blast with the first-time coaster!

My boys did wall climbing for the first time. The younger one, Y, actually did pretty well and climbed up higher than E. E was scared of height and could not go higher, but they had great experience. 

Summer tubing was fun too! The boys were saying they wish the tubing went faster, which I agree.

We rode a chairlift to go up. We were able to enjoy the mountain view during the lift. We saw some bikers going down the mountains, which looked so much fun. We really wished we brought bikes… Bogus Basin was chillier than Boise, so we could have biked for sure! Maybe next time!

Bungee jump was Y’s favorite! He did it twice and were jumping as high as possible!

RESTAURANTS

As I mentioned earlier, foods in Boise were amazing! Let me introduce all restaurants we went in Boise!

This was actually the BEST restaurant in Boise for me. It is Barbacoa Grill.

Foods were creative and so delicious! The interior of the restaurant was very artistic and pretty. 

We did not make any reservations, but we were super lucky and were able to get a table, but reservations are recommended since the restaurant is super popular! 

Barbacoa is not just a restaurant; it is also an art museum you can enjoy while eating. 

We had “yellowtail crudo” (left picture) and “Mediterranean octopus” (right picture) for appetizers.

Yellowtail crudo had an Asian taste with wakame salad underneath of yellowtail. It additionally had a hint of spice, which makes it more flavorful and sweet with cones on top. 

Octopus was so good. Octopus was very soft, and boys finished most of it. You can add lemon to octopus if you want.

We shared “table side guacamole” and “Hot rock fillet”.

Guacamole was made right in front of us, so it was so fresh. 

Hot rock fillet was like a fire show! The waiter flamed on the cognac sauce. The meat was so tender and flavorful.

Dessert was amazingly good too! We ordered two different chocolate cakes. One was more like lava cake (left picture), and the other (right picture) was chocolate mousse cake with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. Their sweetness was perfect—not too sweet. Mousse was so smooth and melted in the mouth. We all like the chocolate mousse cake more.

We went to a restaurant, Fork restaurant, for another night. Their portion sizes were pretty big, so they can definitely make you full!

We had “The B.C.S” (left picture) and “Pan seared salmon” (right picture).

The B.C.S had lots of salmon! It was definitely a good salad option to share.

My older boy, E enjoyed his salmon.

We had “red wine braised boneless short ribs” (left picture) and “Northwest filet au poise” (right picture).

Both meats were tender and good, but I wish both of them had a little more different flavors added. Toward the end, it was getting a little boring to finish the dish. 

We went to a restaurant, Percy for our last lunch before leaving Boise.

We had “organic Rotisserie chicken” (left picture) and “Sourdough Pappardelle” (right picture).

The chicken was super soft, and it was really delicious! It was actually one of the best chickens I have ever had!

Sourdough Pappardelle was interesting. Since it was a home-made pasta, it had a different texture from my expectations. I prefer a little more chewy texture on pasta in general, but the dish overall was pretty good!

In addition to all those great restaurants, we found another great place for quick dessert!

This place is called Karie Anne’s Italian Ice and Custard. You can find this yellow truck (left picture) in both Idaho and Utah.

I had peach and apple flavors and custard in the middle. It was a great combination, and I highly recommend it! It was so refreshing with all the sorbet, yet you can enjoy creamy custard with it.

WEDDING

We went to our friends’ wedding on Saturday. The wedding started was held at Lake Side Barn in Nampa from 4pm to 10pm. The barn was very pretty.

The wedding was beautiful! But there were a few little accidents due to heat! The wedding ceremony was held outside, and the temperature was over 110F. They ordered one huge tent for the guests so that we were able to watch their ceremony under the shade. When the groom came out, he was wearing a long-sleeve shirt and a long-sleeve black tuxedo, which made me so worried that he might pass out in this heat! Fortunately nobody passed out or anything bad happened except for the soles of my husband’s shoes melted and the iPad, which their wedding officiant was reading her script from shut down because of the heat. (She had a hard copy of the script)

After the ceremony, we all moved to the barn for the rest of the great wedding events! The barn did not have AC, but there were two huge fans circulating the air. They used singer names for tables, and we were at a table of “Frank Sinatra”. 

It was the first wedding my boys attended, and they were very thrilled to see all the decorations, dancing, foods, and cakes! It was definitely a great experience for my boys, and I am so glad we were able to attend our great friends’ wedding! Congratulations again!

Richland, Washington

On the way back home from Boise, we stopped by Richland, Washington. Richland is a city located in the southeastern part of Washington State. It forms part of the Tri-Cities region along with Kennewick and Pasco. Richland is situated at the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia Rivers.

We stayed at a hotel, The Lodge at Columbia Point. It was the third time staying at this hotel, and we love it. There is an outdoor pool, which we had never enjoyed since the first two stays were in winter. We were finally able to enjoy the pool of this hotel! There is a nice restaurant inside, and it has a great view of the water in front.

Again, we were not able to do any other outdoor activities since we did not have time, but we encountered this unique restaurant for brunch or lunch! It is Sage Port Grille. It had a very exotic interior design and atmosphere we enjoyed. Their foods were also good. We really wanted to try their breakfast but we got there after 11am on Monday so they were not serving breakfast anymore. (Breakfast until 11am on weekdays and until 1:30pm on weekends). We still enjoyed their foods though!

After leaving Richland, we decided to stop by at a Mount Rainer National Park to get some good vibe from nature.

We went to see the White River. We entered at White River Ranger Station and did some walking for about an hour.

The boys found a frog, and they were super excited. It was definitely a great stop to get some more nature! 

We had a great family trip to Boise, Idaho, thanks to our friends! It was definitely a great family summer trip! There was a heat wave we did not expect, but that added some spices to our trips for sure! (Please stay hydrated and cool in hot summer!)

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