We made it across the vast plains of Idaho and found Caldwell Idaho and the Ambassador RV Resort. This is about 25 miles west of Boise on I84. The plains were, well, boring but it made us thankful for trees we found around the Boise. Caldwell is also close to the Idaho wine country with many interesting vineyards and winery tasting rooms. We had a little time after setting up camp so we set out to wander around and found Hutson Vineyards, who won state honors for their 2012 Malbec…..yep, tasty.
The weather is warm but the clouds are holding back the sun somewhat. Only in the 80s today but a great opportunity to get out and see the Boise area. Honestly, I have been looking forward to seeing that area because I have secretly been looking at housing prices in this area as a way to educate myself on different parts of town. There was one community that piqued my interest, called Hidden Springs. A very different type of community; a planned community that is based on being self-sustainable. It is about 20 minutes up in the hills and has a central town with a market/café, a library, post office and other small services. There are no wires above ground and about 80%-90% of the folks live year round. They have a community garden where you can plant crops or flowers, a pool, a farm museum, and miles of hiking trails. They recycle their waste water as well. It is an hour drive from several lakes and a ski resort.
We weren’t sure where we were but made a left turn and ended up in Hidden Springs only to learn that today was their Farm Days festival with music, booths, food, and a tour of the museum. The people were very friendly. Of course we stopped and talked with several folks that live there and who shared their stories with us. One told us to notice that there are no mailboxes if front of homes. That is because everyone goes into the town center to the post office for their mail. The store also allows kids (or people without wallets) buy items and charge it to their family. Now how much of a throwback in time is that? We loved the trees, that line the streets and parks, which were turning color fast. Beautiful reds, yellows and golds. Each neighborhood has a small park along with the walking paths.
We had a great time in Boise, Caldwell and Hidden Springs. Tomorrow we head toward home.
