Business
Boise Not A “Tourist Friendly Town”
May 9, 2010 
Our good friend Tim Woodward over at the DAILY PAPER posted a story Sunday with suggestions of “what to do in Boise” for a visitor with a 6 hour layover.
What my nice guy friend didn’t mention is the Boise Depot–which he suggested as worthy of a visit–is CLOSED TO VISITORS most of the time! Another formerly spectacular view is from Table Rock where one can see nearly 100 miles, but that too is closed to visitors–unless you are able to hike up a steep dirt road. The state-owned vacant hilltop Governor’s Mansion is also closed to the public.
Despite repeated (admittedly negative) comments from the GUARDIAN no one wants to step up and put directional signs around our city. Every major intersection should have directional signs like the one we saw in Sacramento last week. Until we can get our act together to tell folks what there is to see and how to get there, it is premature to even THINK about a convention center or expanded air service.
The GUARDIAN editor travels the world and Boise has to be one of the least “tourist friendly” places when it comes to directional signs. We have posted stories and images from Spain, Italy, Cleveland, Michigan, and California. All our tourist officials can come up with is plans to build a convention center.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
May 10, 2010, 12:06 am
Please don’t call it the “governor’s mansion.” It is the governor’s late ex father-in-law’s mansion. Or the overpriced and underused waste of money mansion. Only in Idaho. Sigh.
May 10, 2010, 6:06 am
Very true. You wouldn’t know where half the landmarks in Boise are unless you lived here. Honestly, a 6-hour layover is really nothing more than just “hanging around time”. I would recommend just strolling about the downtown core. Boise is one of few cities I know where you can do that and feel comfortable.
May 10, 2010, 8:26 am
Why is the gate on the road to Table Rock closed?
EDITOR NOTE–Same reason for everything else in today’s society: SECURITY and MONEY. Idaho Historical Society owns the site and they say there are problems with drinking up there and they can’t afford security patrols. Seems to us there is a similar problem at 6th and Main, but someone is able to pay for the coppers there.
May 10, 2010, 8:50 pm
Is the turf really blue? Or, does it just look that way because it is not as red as the rest of the state?
May 10, 2010, 10:58 pm
Printed maps of walking / driving “tours” left in places such as the airport might be a good idea. A low-cost souvenir, a useful guide. If they marked both time and distance for both walking and driving, and indicated bus routes (and times) maybe even some business could be generated, certainly a “feel good” device for visitors. And, on the back could be a list of web addresses and telephone numbers for “further information”; along with a paragraph or two of the histories of Boise and of Idaho.
May 12, 2010, 9:55 pm
I guess I don’t really want tourists to come here… because then they want to move here…
May 20, 2010, 12:14 am
The reason the road to table rock is closed is due to the levels of RF energy from all the communications gear up there.. The FCC mandates that any area that has such high amounts of RF energy must be off limits to the general public who don’t know what safety precautions need to be taken. Add in all the communications site vandalism/stolen materials that have been walking off recently. FYI I believe all the land up there is all privately owned by the various communications shops.
EDITOR NOTE–Tammy, simply not true. Table Rock is OPEN to humans during the day on foot. It is closed to cars which means no elderly, women in heels after dinner, young children, etc. The place is owned by the IDAHO HISTORICAL SOCIETY which also owns the old prison down below. The IHS claims security problems with drinkers and vandals–just like 6th and Main.