Rising out of a slice of America’s Northwestern desert, the town nicknamed the ‘City of Trees ‘boasts a prime spot amidst the rolling hills and forest-framed rivers, shaded by the Rocky Mountains. With this stunning backdrop, Idaho’s capital city of Boise does more than just capture the eye. Enshrouded in the history of its frontier days with the nation’s gold rush a heavy influence on the Boise Basin’s economy and population influx, Boise today flaunts the perfect union of the heartwarming coziness of a small town along with all the facilities to satisfy a city slicker.
Boise is bursting with arts and culture. Through the city, you’ll bear witness to gorgeous murals, publicly displayed works of art, a number of museums, and markets and festivities for your enjoyment, like the frequently held Idaho Shakespeare Festival.
But the real draw for locals and vacationers alike is the unrivaled variety of outdoor sports and activities that await . With a four-season climate, Boise has got both summer and winter covered in the adventure department.
Christina McEvoy – mum, fitness fanatic, travel blogger, and driving force behind the popular Instagram travel account Macs Explore – gives high praise for the town she’s raised her children in. Having beat cancer, Christina and her family now thrive on the healing powers of exploring the wilderness and their dream of becoming full-time nomads. Co-founders and contributors to the Adventure Together travel blog (see links below) with partners-in-crime, the Von family, the Macs are all about respecting the environment, adventure-saturated family travel, and helping make the world around them a better place.
So let’s dig into Christina’s local’s spin on ways to enjoy family adventures in Idaho, ready and waiting.
Name: Christina McEvoy
Where’s home right now: Boise, Idaho
Kids: 13 and 10
Q: How long have you been living there, and what inspired you to move there?
A: We have lived in Boise for 10 years now. We moved here for the ample outdoor activities, the affordability, and the family-friendly vibe.
Q: Best thing about where you live:
A: Access to the outdoors – mountains, trails, rivers, lakes, etc. all within a short drive.
Q: When you have overseas visitors with kids visiting you, where’s the first place you take them to showoff your town?
A: We love taking visitors to McCall, Idaho where there is a lake, a cute mountain town, and plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities.
Q: What’s the best time of year to visit the area and why?
A: Any season really, but we love Summer and Winter best for camping, hiking, biking, water sports and skiing.
Q: Would you rate the area as expensive to visit? If so, what are some tips to keep costs down?
A: No, especially if you camp or rent an Airbnb or travel here off-season.
Q: Family friendly places to eat out:
A: In Boise, we love Flatbread Pizzeria, an authentic Italian pizza joint and a local fave. We also love Boise Fry Company. For more upscale, Barbacoa can’t be beat with its eclectic vibe and great food.
Q: List the best local activities/places to keep the kids entertained for free (or at least under $20):
A: Anything outdoors – hiking trails in the foothills, biking the Boise River Greenbelt, floating the Boise River in the summer, visiting the Boise Zoo.
Q: Local park with the best kid facilities:
A: Julia Davis Park or Ann Morrison Park in downtown Boise.
Q: Best local hidden gem that tourists don’t often know about:
A: All the local hot springs.
Q: Since travelling, what have you noticed that is unique to where you live that you haven’t noticed anywhere else?
A: We don’t have to travel far to be able to enjoy world-class outdoor recreation. Even in cities such as Denver, CO you have to travel quite a ways to be in the mountains. In Boise, everything is fairly close.
Q: Tell us a bit about your biz – and how much of what you do is inspired by being a parent and/or where you live?
A: We both have “day jobs”, but we also run an adventure family travel blog called Adventure Together, with a mission to inspire more families to get outdoors while providing them the tools, tips and resources to do so easily.
Q: Can you picture doing what you do anywhere else?
A: Yes, we actually plan to travel full-time by the end of this year, spending two years in Central and South America exploring the outdoors in several countries.
Q: And finally, best piece of travel advice you’ve ever been given:
A: Travel off-season for the best rates!
Keep up with the McEvoys’ wild adventures here:
Macs Explore on Instagram: instagram.com/macs_explore
Adventure Together Blog: adventuretogether.com
Adventure Together Facebook: facebook.com/goadventuretogether
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