Boise, Idaho
6/15
Wednesday
feeling very brave, pedaled all the way in to the university via the greenbelt and back. 15 miles. farthest either Erik or I have ever gone in one day. the city is a not only a diverse melting pot of cultures and classes, there is an Oscar Meyer wiener song going through my head. the greenbelt is utilized by big kids, little kids, kids that climb on rocks, smart kids, sissy kids, even kids with chicken pox. tall kids, fat kids, some kids are 6 months old and others are 60 years old. it is very diverse! After touring four major parks, we were pretty bushed when we finished. The Boise greenbelt is the ultimate in family recreation. the road way it self is as carefully marked as a busy thoroughfare, with white dashed lines for passing, double yellow lines for no passing, underpasses that bypass all the auto roads, and yield markers to let everyone know who has the right of way. all interactions are pointedly polite and civilized. roller blades, skateboards, walkers, runners, joggers, street bikes, mountain bikes, double bikes, bikes with trailers, bikes with tandem bikes (hitchhikers, piccolos) are all well represented. lots of different styles of panniers, some with just back packs, some with fully loaded front and back bike packs, saw some personal water packs as well as simple sports bottles mounted on the bikes. personal wear is also a varied as the population. everything from the "Lance Armstrong' wannabees to the starving college student recycled shorts and t-shirt are well represented. Grandma and Grandpa are right there as well. there is no generation barrier, no culture barrier, no language barrier and no class barrier to discriminate between the citizens of the greenbelt. it is as varied as it's suburban automobile driving counterpart, but with a friendlier twist and a nicer smile. people actually make eye contact and say Hello out there.
The Greenbelt goes on for MILES and it has lots of side loops, almost all through kid friendly parks. there is just so much stuff to do along the beltway: zoo's, parks, fountains, play area, access to the river with sandy beaches, Frisbee golf, BMX tracks, we just can't see how anyone gets any WORK done. found security in all types of vehicles. volunteers in white golf carts, police on TREKS, parks & recs in red 'lil mules' as well as mounted police on horses. all in all I would say that it makes them more 'approachable' and part of the community instead of farting around in their a/c cars with their cell phones 'lurking'. I felt safe, but not imposed on by 'big brother'. Erik and Magnus have not been bored yet, just frustrated when I tear them away to get to the next adventure. there was a very brave squirrel that climbed up into the back of the cart, swiped not one but two blue berry pancakes and hauled his bushy tail out of there. THIEF! there are not enough hours in the day. we have to limit ourselves to 1-2 hours at each stop, just to get 7 miles down the road, and 7 miles back. Erik found the BMX park to be both extremely cool and somewhat dangerous. Erik wiped out three times on the BMX track and needed first aid. picked up deli chicken at Albertsons on State Street and Glenwood along with some juice and milk for breakfast and some more bread for PBJ for lunches. After we ate dinner, we got a HOT cleansing shower and with some first aid, pj's and a story from the local 'free press' magazine, the boys were out for the night. One of the notables about these parks is that they are not 'sportsplexs' they are PARKS. the play area is a play area, the trees are restful and you dont have a baseball game going on competing with the peace and quiet. the kids are giggling and laughing, but it is not an unpleasant noise. while there is a sports plex near the BMX bike trails, and it has a children's park adjacent to it as well, the main parks, Veterans, Morrison, Albertson and Julia's are all very tranquil and modestly populated. there is literally enough 'space' for everyone to enjoy, it is not 'empty' it is utilized, maybe under utilized, but during the work week I am sure we are not seeing the full population, like there would be on the weekends.
Wednesday
feeling very brave, pedaled all the way in to the university via the greenbelt and back. 15 miles. farthest either Erik or I have ever gone in one day. the city is a not only a diverse melting pot of cultures and classes, there is an Oscar Meyer wiener song going through my head. the greenbelt is utilized by big kids, little kids, kids that climb on rocks, smart kids, sissy kids, even kids with chicken pox. tall kids, fat kids, some kids are 6 months old and others are 60 years old. it is very diverse! After touring four major parks, we were pretty bushed when we finished. The Boise greenbelt is the ultimate in family recreation. the road way it self is as carefully marked as a busy thoroughfare, with white dashed lines for passing, double yellow lines for no passing, underpasses that bypass all the auto roads, and yield markers to let everyone know who has the right of way. all interactions are pointedly polite and civilized. roller blades, skateboards, walkers, runners, joggers, street bikes, mountain bikes, double bikes, bikes with trailers, bikes with tandem bikes (hitchhikers, piccolos) are all well represented. lots of different styles of panniers, some with just back packs, some with fully loaded front and back bike packs, saw some personal water packs as well as simple sports bottles mounted on the bikes. personal wear is also a varied as the population. everything from the "Lance Armstrong' wannabees to the starving college student recycled shorts and t-shirt are well represented. Grandma and Grandpa are right there as well. there is no generation barrier, no culture barrier, no language barrier and no class barrier to discriminate between the citizens of the greenbelt. it is as varied as it's suburban automobile driving counterpart, but with a friendlier twist and a nicer smile. people actually make eye contact and say Hello out there.
The Greenbelt goes on for MILES and it has lots of side loops, almost all through kid friendly parks. there is just so much stuff to do along the beltway: zoo's, parks, fountains, play area, access to the river with sandy beaches, Frisbee golf, BMX tracks, we just can't see how anyone gets any WORK done. found security in all types of vehicles. volunteers in white golf carts, police on TREKS, parks & recs in red 'lil mules' as well as mounted police on horses. all in all I would say that it makes them more 'approachable' and part of the community instead of farting around in their a/c cars with their cell phones 'lurking'. I felt safe, but not imposed on by 'big brother'. Erik and Magnus have not been bored yet, just frustrated when I tear them away to get to the next adventure. there was a very brave squirrel that climbed up into the back of the cart, swiped not one but two blue berry pancakes and hauled his bushy tail out of there. THIEF! there are not enough hours in the day. we have to limit ourselves to 1-2 hours at each stop, just to get 7 miles down the road, and 7 miles back. Erik found the BMX park to be both extremely cool and somewhat dangerous. Erik wiped out three times on the BMX track and needed first aid. picked up deli chicken at Albertsons on State Street and Glenwood along with some juice and milk for breakfast and some more bread for PBJ for lunches. After we ate dinner, we got a HOT cleansing shower and with some first aid, pj's and a story from the local 'free press' magazine, the boys were out for the night. One of the notables about these parks is that they are not 'sportsplexs' they are PARKS. the play area is a play area, the trees are restful and you dont have a baseball game going on competing with the peace and quiet. the kids are giggling and laughing, but it is not an unpleasant noise. while there is a sports plex near the BMX bike trails, and it has a children's park adjacent to it as well, the main parks, Veterans, Morrison, Albertson and Julia's are all very tranquil and modestly populated. there is literally enough 'space' for everyone to enjoy, it is not 'empty' it is utilized, maybe under utilized, but during the work week I am sure we are not seeing the full population, like there would be on the weekends.
posted by Kat @ 9:28 PM
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