Game Day in Boise: Sept 25

Early today we hear the boys up at 3:30...and they arrive early enough to make it into the ESPN camera area, texting their location. We see them on TV about 8 am, over coffee. This town is abuzz. Marta brings me up to date on game details:

Since 1999, Boise State has had 71 wins and just two losses at home. Tonight BSU meets Oregon State University (Corvallis). Oregon is in position 4 and Boise State's in 3rd, making it a big showdown.
Last year, she tells me, BSU just barely beat OSU. BSU hasn't lost any games this year, having just beat Virginia Tech--quite the accomplishment.

Tomorrow's Marta's big birthday dinner celebration--and we are hitting the road again--so today is shopping for all and a little tweaking of the Avion for Art, who has settled in nicely on Camille's driveway workshop.

A tour of the camper as I re-sheet the bed and stow the clean laundry (like I said, this campsite is glorious).

Then a driving tour on our way to the groceries. Here's the stadium, packed with tailgaters.

And the museum campus, with an expansive rose garden. Boise is a beautiful city, pedestrian friendly, certainly smaller scale than Chicago, but with much to commend it.

The fine arts theater.

And capitol building.

 

Small neighborhoods in the North End feel a bit like Lincoln Park.

And the Boise co-op is magnificent, beautifully stocked and filled with happy people. We pick up lovely salads and chicken sausages to grill tonight and I fill my cart with organic produce for the road ahead.

Back at the ranch, Art is washing the camper and filling our freshwater tanks.

It's time for dinner and the kick-off. I tell Camille we have a dear friend attending OSU and wonder if our allegiance is compromised. She says: you're in Boise, so there's no question you're rooting for the Broncos. So we did and Boise won handily.

A little Mad Men after the game and a then review of all the fun we've had here. Thanks, Camille, brother John, Marta, Jonathan, and Forrest (and Charles+Barkely) for the warm visit and spectacular accommodations. It couldn't have been more fun.

We're pulling out for Oregon tomorrow.