I is for Immigrants and Idaho!

While it has been difficult to completely avoid all the talk about what would be happening in DC, our Independence Day was blissfully free of tanks.

We spent the first half of the day in Boise, enjoying a delicious breakfast at local favorite Goldy's, 

The coffee, like most other ingredients we've enjoyed, are locally sourced.

where the short wait provided us with a chance to more thoroughly explore the Basque Block and to learn more about the unique cultural history of this city and state.  It was somehow particularly suitable to be in Boise, Idaho reading about the rich history of early immigrants as we started what might understandably have been a more uneasy celebration of the holiday than any in recent memory. Self-declared a "Welcoming City," Mayor David Bieter recently said,  “Boise has been a place of refuge and opportunity for refugees and immigrants since its founding, and there is no question we are richer as a community as a result.  We will continue to strive to remain a leader on this issue and keep Boise a welcoming city for all.” My curiosity about this history when we first arrived led me to do some research.  I quickly discovered that Boise started a refugee resettlement project in the 1970's for people from Southeast Asia.   This morning I discovered an article on this lovely photography project, started by a woman who initially associated Idaho with only "potatoes and white supremacists."  Have to admit that made me laugh out loud (quietly, as the family sleeps on while I write this. :)  

To find ourselves in a city that not only has welcomed the immigrant but has celebrated their contributions to the rich fabric of the life of their community felt like an absolutely perfect way to celebrate our country's birthday.

This home served as a boarding house for sheepherders between seasons. 

The tree in the photo above is a favorite and memorialized in this song

The sheepherders communicated  with each other by etching into the trees.

Everywhere are sidewalk stones that list the names of the early Basque families that settled here.

A perfectly patriotic start to our morning

Plaques sharing the history abound

 

After our delicious breakfast and early morning history lesson, we worked off all those calories with a walk along a portion of the Boise Greenbelt.  Celebrating its 50th year, the Greenbelt reclaimed what had apparently become a trash strewn and industrial wasteland of a Boise river.  The community made all the necessary changes to transform the area into green space for walking, bicycling (oh, so many bicycles!), boating and the general enjoyment for its citizens.  We entered through the Julia Davis park, created with land left by the wife of Thomas Jefferson Davis, enjoyed the beautiful rose garden there, second in size only to the one in Portland, and then hiked a good couple of miles on both sides of the river, through the campus of the University of Idaho.  It was a longer and hotter walk than I had expected, but it was heartening to once again see how people can make a decision to solve a problem and set out to do exactly that, to amazing results.

After a light ice cream "lunch" at The STIL (the sweetest things in life - and boy do these Idahoans honor the vegan and the gluten free! ;), we hit the road for Sun Valley.  Late the night before, as we settled into post-Spidey slumber, Daniel asked if we would be in such high elevation for our entire trip. When Dana reassured him that we were heading down into the valley, I didn't think to question him.  Of course, as we made our way through some beautiful country, ears a-popping much of the way, it quickly became evident that while the valley was lower in elevation than the mountains (Dollar and Bald) that surround it, it is, in fact, a few thousand feet higher than Boise.  Luckily, the altitude sickness has abated, and we remain vigilant about doing those things (hydrate, take ibuprofren, get sufficient rest) that help.

We arrived to our lovely Airbnb, situated in a condo community adjacent to the historic and magnificent Sun Valley Lodge, at around 5.  We unpacked into our home for the next few days and headed into downtown Ketchum for some groceries, a walk around, and an early dinner.  A local told us we didn't need to head to Hayley, as we had initially planned, to see fireworks, and our plans quickly shaped up.  We would see the first ice show of the season at an outdoor ice rink that has been in operation since the 1920's.

Much of our drive looked like this

I loved this plaque, as Idaho seems to truly take these words to heart

Idaho trout and mashed potatoes - divine!

We sat on the patio for dinner - the weather has been perfect!

As we settled into our "seats" (a metal bench, but we has brought comforters from the condo, as instructed, for warmth; they also made for a helpful cushion), we overheard local residents behind us discussing how it has been 90 degrees last July 4th.  As the sun dipped, so did the temperature, into the 40's.  With our warm blankets, we cuddled up and watched what was an amazingly professional and fun show.   It was particularly fun to be surrounded by residents, some of whom clearly has a pass for all of the season's shows, others who were the parents of the youngest little skaters, and one who called out "Hi Daddy," after I had made my sole disparaging comment (quietly, I hope!) about the only skater I didn't really like at all. :)

Immediately after the finale, the sky lit up with magnificent fireworks, while the music went from patriotic to pop, and the skaters skirted the rink talking to and signing autographs for their fans.  It was an unexpectedly perfect way to celebrate the day.

The kids are awake and ready for breakfast before we head off for a day of white water rafting.  Here's hoping you all had an equally lovely reminder of all that our country can be at its best.   Happy Independence Day!