Wildflowers & Wine in Idaho
Idaho in July is blissful. The sun shining on the largest untouched, protected wilderness area in the US... yup, you guessed it, I wanted to stay forever (or at least for the entire summer ;). Running from Canada to Nevada, Idaho is a big state. However, with approximatley 1.6 million people most of the state is covered with endless mountain landscapes as far as the eye can see.
“Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” –Edward Abbey
Sun Valley
For the past 30 years, the Allen and Co conference takes over Sun Valley for a week every summer. This heavy hitters gathering includes politicians and CEOs from Apple, Verizon, Bell, Berkshire Hathaway, GM etc. We just so happened to be in the area during this time, but that didn't stop us from finding one of our most favorite (crowdless) hiking trail and boondocking (yes, free!!) campsite.
Camp: Boondock off of Trail Creek Rd.
- There are a decent amount of boondocking options in this area but we found the spots off of Trail Creek Rd to be the best. Access can be a bit tricky if the spots are decently full. There are two ways to enter the camping area. Best to scope out before pulling your rig down the dirt road, some area get a bit to navigate. Expect a beautiful, FREE place to camp that is bikeable to downtown Sun Valley/Ketchum!
Hike: Devil's Bedstead West + Pioneer Cabin Loop
- The trek to Devil's Bedstead is one of our favorite hikes on our trip. The 13 miles and 4200' of elevation gain most definitely make this a rewarding and crowdless day hike!
- Hiking to Pioneer Cabin is best done as a 9 mile loop with 2500' of elevation gain. Make sure to take the Long Gulch Trail back from the cabin for a stroll through unreal wildflowers in July/August!
Drone flying ontop of Devil's Bedstead West
Boise
We treated our time in this Capital City as a recharge. The city is extremely bikeable and as an added bonus, offers some of the best wine we have tasted since leaving Napa/Sonoma/Russian River wine country! So as you might have guessed, we spent our three days here exploring by biking and, well... sipping wine.
Biking to the Capitol Building
Camp: Riverside RV Park
- The spaces at Riverside RV Park are close, not a lot of privacy but the owners are very friendly and helpful. We would stay here again for the proximity to the GreenBelt (Boise's bike trail along the boise river making it very easy to bike into downtown/Boise State etc) and the nearby winery and brewery options. The park is also walkable to Memorial Stadium where you can catch a Boise Hawks baseball game or concert in the summertime.
Wine: Cinder Winery + Teleya Winery
- Taste at Cinder Wines if you love award winning whites and reds. The tasting room is nothing special but the wines are.
- Teleya Winery, named after the Tetons and la playa (the beach), the winemakers two favorite places is a great stop along Boise's Greenbelt. Grab a glass or a tasting flight and sit outside next to the Boise River.
- And if you prefer beer over wine, try the brews at Powderhaus BrewCo inspired by the alpine spirit and only a few minutes from Riverside RV Park.
Exploring the Garden City area of Boise
