Boise Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Boise

For thousands of years the tree lined Boise River valley was home to the Shoshone people. They would meet here to trade with other tribes. The valley was congenial and the river full of salmon. It was a holy place for indigenous people.

The name "Boise" originated in the 1820s. The valley was thick with cottonwood trees. French Canadian trappers called it "La riviere boisee" or the "wooded river". Be sure to say "BOY-see." exactly. Newcomers are easy to spot.

In 1863 the U.S. Army established Fort Boise on the Oregon Trail. That year, two brothers, Frank and Thomas Davis, met with friends in the Davis cabin. They laid out plats for the city of Boise. People were pouring into the valley for gold and silver and things were growing.

Downtown Boise is the city's cultural center and home to many small businesses. Notable areas to visit would include Basque Block. The Block celebrates the heritage of Basque immigrants to Idaho.

Not far from the Block is the Idaho State Capitol, a building designed to encourage morality in government through natural light. The classic Egyptian Theatre on Main Street recalls the golden era of movie palaces. Progressive themes are found in the Anne Frank Memorial, and the Black History Museum.

A chain of unique, well designed parks run along the river through the center of Boise, often referred to as "the string of pearls" or "the necklace of jewels."

Finally, among the finds of Treasure Valley, find The Gene Harris Jazz Festival, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, the Boise Art Museum, Freak Alley...so much to see, so little time. Come every year, like the Shoshone, to see, to meet and greet.