Things of home...

I really think that the way to stay sane when on the road is to have at least one night where it's almost a normal night. So last night I luckily had the opportunity to enjoy dinner with a friend and his kiddo. It's great to catch up and have a normal night of pizza, beer, and socializing. It reboots the week to keep on teaching.

After my class was over tonight I took time to relax and visit my favorite restaurant in Boise... The Bungalow on 13th. It's a place where the food is simple and delicious. Tonight was comfort food... mac n cheese with bacon and chicken- ok I did have a salad to try and balance it out. For anyone traveling through I highly recommend it- plus the house wine hasn't disappointed yet. After dawdling over dinner for a couple of hours I finally retired back to the hotel to go through the routine once again... packing packing packing...

Basque in Boise...

After teaching all day I really didn't want to head out. I was melting onto the hotel bed... trying to get up the energy to move and explore a little bit more of Boise. Thanks to a recommendation from a friend of a friend I discovered something I never quite registered... there is a Basque history in Boise.

When I think Basque I think Alturas, CA or Reno, NV (which I admit may not be in other's thoughts but hey it reminds me of the the Basque fire guys). I don't know how in my days of walking downtown Boise the Basque connection just eluded me. But tonight it was dinner at Bar Gerinka. I had the lamb grinder and the house special red wine. For a fussy meat eater I was thrilled with the sandwich. The bread was fresh, the meat was lean and the veggies were grilled just right. The fries accompanying the meal were so-so but I can forgive that because I had the chocolate pudding. Wow. Yup, red wine and house made chocolate pudding won the night.

It was the kind of dinner where I just wanted to keep ordering things so I could enjoy reading my paper and chilling out. I definitely recommend Bar Gerinka for those exploring Boise.

I do have to say in the clean cut town of Boise it was relieving to find a place with scruffy beards which reminded me of my wilderness/river ranger friends. It was a nice break from my normal assessment of Boise which is a lovely outdoor town made for married couples with darling little children. Of course as I walked back to the hotel there was some sort of event going on and there were a plethora of little ones traipsing all over the sidewalks. It was a nice evening to explore a little and I look forward to tomorrow night :-)

Boise... a start

Wandering through the streets to find dinner... okay not really wandering since it was a very directed walk to a yummy dinner and a very needed pint. I indulged in Tablerock's Winter Cheer (reminded me of an old fave... Pyramid Brewery's Snow Cap). It was an enjoyable time with Monday Night football playing and finishing up the Sunday NY Times.

I find that I am more willing to walk down city streets than pass by natural geographic features. I got my reservation in my typical Marriott chain hotel and I realized while I was reluctant to cross over a river at night or wander down a greenbelt surrounded by tress... well I am perfectly at home walking down a busy street with cars whizzing by. The urbanite in me appreciates these places where I can stay in a comfy place and still access the amenities by an easy stroll.

Tomorrow is a bit of adventuring as I have received a few random recommendations from a a friend of a friend and I look forward to new places to love in this nice town. Stay tuned...