I was a poli sci major at UConn for my undergraduate degree and spent time working as a legislative aide at the State Capitol in Hartford, in additional to running two political campaigns. I eventually went to law school and spent the majority of my career working in local government. I’m understandably a bit of a government nerd, so it should come as no surprise that I decided one of the many fun things I could do with this job was to tour all 50 State Capitols. Previously I had toured the Capitols in Hartford, Connecticut (obviously) and Annapolis, Maryland (also obviously). Only 48 to go!
Number three was Boise, Idaho where I had a 15 hour layover. We arrived at the hotel around 3:00 which gave me just enough time to walk over and check it out. They weren’t offering guided tours, but there was an interesting exhibit in the lower level about the history of Idaho and it’s Capitol, and I was able to walk around on the different floors. Unfortunately, the legislative chambers were locked up, but I’m sure I’ll have another layover there in the future and I can try again.
Construction began on the Capitol in 1905, fifteen years after Idaho became a state, and it was completed in 1920.
Four types of marble were used in the construction: red from Georgia, gray from Alaska, green from Vermont, and black from Italy.
Obligatory dome pictures:
Boise had several things that looked really interesting to check out, but with limited time I had to be discerning in what to see and do. I knew I wanted to check out The Chocolat Bar which was an amazing artisan chocolate shop. I’ve been trying to make a point of bringing home things to share with Jeff, and chocolate is absolutely high on the list. These did not disappoint, and I would certainly stop there again the next time I’m in Boise.
I also went to Freak Alley Gallery which is a multi-artist mural gallery along a block-long alley near downtown. Constantly changing, it was a kaleidoscope of colors and creativity – truly a pleasure to see.
Boise’s downtown was filled with independent shops and restaurants that I’d like to check out one day. Since we can fly anywhere for free, Jeff and I are keeping a list of places to go for long weekend getaways. Boise definitely made the cut. In the meantime, hopefully I’ll get to return on another layover at some point in the near future.
Nothing goes to windward . . . 