Taco Bell Arena
Taco Bell Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. It is the home of the Boise State Broncos of the Western Athletic Conference. Current seating capacity is 12,820 for basketball.

Its central location between major markets (Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas) makes Taco Bell Arena the perfect venue to host national events and major concert tours. The city of Boise provides an accessible location for residents from Idaho, Eastern Oregon and Northern Nevada to experience the best in entertainment and cultural events.

Tamarack Resort
Tamarack Resort is a new four-season mountain resort in the Long Valley of west central Idaho about 90 miles north of Boise, west of the village of Donnelly and located on the west shore of Lake Cascade in Idaho's gorgeous and largely untouched Payette River Mountains region.

Tamarack's alpine ski area officially opened with chairlift service in December 2004. The first two seasons, Tamarack offered only snowcat-serviced terrain, enough to familiarize skiers and riders with the mountain's bounty and make them want to come back for more. It now has Discovery Way, a group of dome buildings that house necessary rental, retail and repair shops, eateries, skier services, children's center, food market and clinic. Its first hotel, The Lodge at Osprey Meadows, sits nearby with luxury rooms and condos, gourmet dining, hot tub and pools, fitness center and the full-service Sante Spa. Other lodging options include a neighborhood of Hansel & Gretel cottages, each with a private hot tub, and estate homes and chalets. All are within walking distance of the village, but a free Dial-A-Ride shuttle is available with a phone call.

Tamarack has a lift-served summit elevation of 7,660 feet above sea level on West Mountain and a vertical drop of over 2,700 feet. It's above tree line, but not by much. The top third is sparsely treed, but farther down the mountain, trails lace their way through the forest. Eventually the resort plans to have eleven lifts - seven of them high-speed - and 2,100 skiable acres. Seven lifts are presently running - three high-speed quads - accessing 39 runs and several pockets of glades, one that is a grove of Tamarack trees (hence the name), where the composition of that tree species provides excellent tree skiing and riding. Grooming on the cruisers is impeccable, and improvements to snowmaking focus high-traffic areas. The resort limits Alpine tickets to 2,000 people per day. The summit receives an average of 300 inches of snowfall, and snowmaking is available on the lower runs, due to poor snow cover. The terrain is rated at 17% novice, 44% intermediate, and 39% advanced. For the cross country skier, there are over 18 miles of Nordic trails. Lodging packages include backcountry experience trips, lift tickets, and snowmobile trips.

Summertime at Tamarack is also truly a magical time. The mountains offer crystalline alpine lakes filled with trout. Trails traverse the meadow and mountain slopes for hiking and biking to your heart's contents. Summer activities (available mid-May through October) at Tamarack include golf, mountain biking, waterfront activities, guided hiking tours, rafting and fishing.

Golf
Osprey Meadows, a Robert Trent Jones II signature 18-hole golf course, opened in May 2006. The course is just southeast of the village and ski area base, at an average elevation of 4,850 feet. The back tees play at 7,319 yards, with 100 bunkers distributed on the course. Instruction at the golf course is provided by the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf.

Lake Cascade

• Large selection of boat rentals: water-ski and wakeboard boat, pontoon boats, fishing boats, kayaks, Hobie Cats, and sailboats
• Guided and instructional services, including water-skiing, wakeboarding, sailing, kayaking, fishing, lake tours, and wine cruises
• Swimming, beach volleyball, horseshoes, and bocce ball
• Sunning area and group-meeting area with BBQs
• Beachfront cabana that serves beer, wine, soda, sandwiches, ice cream, and other snacks
• Fishing licenses, rods, bait, and tackle available here as well

Zipline Tours
A zip-line tour is a harnessed ride on steel wire cables stretched from tree to tree, which consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline. The user is propelled by gravity as he traverses from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable by holding on to the free-moving pulley.

Distance from Boise: 100 miles from Boise Airport on Hwy. 55. A shuttle between the airport and resort can be reserved by calling 208-325-1005 48 hours before pickup.

Thunder Mountain Line
This train ride offers amazing scenery as it winds around a narrow canyon along the beautiful Payette River. Depending on your route, the train ride will venture through sagebrush covered hill sides, pristine national forest, mountain meadows and range lands.

As you roll out of the station, you will travel along the same mountain trails as the settlers did in the early part of the last century. The railroad was completed in 1914 to serve the mining and timber industry. You can enjoy fresh mountain air and scenery on open air cars while you relive a piece of Idaho railroad history...

The Thunder Mountain Ride offers four different routes throughout the year: the Horseshoe Bend Route, the Carbarton Route, the Cascade Route, and the Mountour Route.

These different routes feature wonderful events throughout the year. Dinner train rides offer an evening of wonderful food and local musicians as you experience the nostalgia of a train ride. Mystery dinners engage guests in hilarious role-solving story lines presented my Starlight Mountain Theatre.

www.thundermountainline.com
Horseshoe Bend Depot
120 Mill Road
Horseshoe Bend, Idaho 83629
(208) 793-4425
(208) 866-6894
(877) 432-7245

Horseshoe Bend Route: Adult $24.50, Senior $23.00 and Child (3-12) $15.00
Begins in historic Horseshoe Bend and travels along the scenic Payette River. The route is on the Old Wagon Road to the settlement of Banks. Train rides are 2.5 hours roundtrip.

Carbarton Flyer Route: Adult $24.50, Senior $23.00 and Child (3-12) $15.00
Begins in the mountain community of Cascade and travels along remote stretches of the pristine Payette River, under and through the shortest rock tunnel in the nation. Train rides are 2.5 hours roundtrip.

Cascade Limited Route: Adult $63.00, Senior $58.00 and Child (3-12) $48.00
A one way five-hour train ride from historic Horseshoe Bend to the mountain community of Cascade. Your journey will begin the sagebrush hills and wind its way up steep grades as the train passes through the Boise National Forest. The train will pass through multiple tunnels as you enjoy watching rafters navigate the rapid filled Payette River. A one hour bus trip will bring you back to Horseshoe Bend. Boxed lunch is provided on your trip.

Treasure Valley Rollergirls
Women's roller derby is an American-invented contact sport based on formation roller skating around an oval track. Imagine a hockey game, but replace the ice with a roller rink. Swap out the baggy jerseys for fishnet hose and tank tops, and abandon ordinary names in favor of pseudonyms like Tanya Hyde and Demi Gore. What you have is a reasonable facsimile of women's roller derby. The scoring is completely different, but both sports are rowdy, raucous and sometimes punctuated with fights between the players. Unlike professional hockey players, the vast majority of roller derby participants are unpaid. Most actually spend money on the sport -- they purchase their own equipment and pay monthly dues to support their leagues. Teams usually practice several times a week, and injuries are common.

The roller derbies take place on a circuit track. The two teams playing send five players each onto the track - three blockers (defense), one pivot (last line of defense) and one jammer (scorer). Helmet covers are used to display the players' positions: a striped cover is used for pivots, a cover with two stars is used for jammers, and no cover is used for blockers.

Pivots and blockers from both teams start the game by forming a single pack. In a pack, all players face counterclockwise. The pivots line up next to each other, followed by a layer of four blockers, followed by a layer of two blockers. The two jammers, who are not considered to be part of the pack, are positioned 20 feet behind the pack. At this point, no differentiation need be made between the two teams; as long as the pack formation is as described above, it does not matter if the team members are interspersed randomly in the pack.

There are two 20 minute bouts. Each team is trying to stay inside the lines of the track and outscore their opponents.

The Treasure Valley Rollergirls are a not-for-profit league, who give a portion of all ticket sales to local charities. League members also participate in community service. In 2007 they were featured on KTVB Channel 7 in Boise, and on the TV station's web site is a short news video one can watch. Here's the link: KTVB

 

Visit Idaho
Many people don't know much about Idaho except "famous potatoes". But, since you are here, you would probably like to know more.

Adjacent to Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest, Idaho is a big state. It's been said if you flatten all the mountains in Idaho, the state would be the size of Texas. Idaho covers two time zones, runs from Canada to Nevada, and encompasses the western side of the continental divide of the Rocky Mountains. Rivers, mountains and farmland dominate the state's landscape. The panhandle has emerald green hillsides, timbered mountains and pristine lakes. Central Idaho is covered with jagged peaks. The Snake River Plain, with its wide open vistas, irrigated farm lands and vibrant cities forms the character of Southern Idaho.

The visitidaho.org web site has "Go" "Do" "Stay" and "Deals" section pages. The "Go" section list places to go in Idaho, where you can browse by attractions, cities, parks or scenic byways, as well as by the part of the state you can choose. The "Do" section list things to do in Idaho by attractions, outdoor recreation, or events. This is the most comprehensive part of the web site. Under attractions, for instance, are listed 28 items (i.e. amusement parks, ghost/mining era towns, waterfalls), while under outdoor recreation are listed 31 items (i.e. dog sledding, horseback riding, wildlife viewing), and under events are listed 9 items (i.e. arts & culture events, fairs & festivals, rodeos).

The "Stays" sections lists places to stay in Idaho: hotels and motels, bed & breakfast inns, guest ranches, vacation rentals, and RV Parks/Campgrounds. Finally, the "Deals" section lists vacation deals for lodging, golf, family activities, and events.

Warhawk Museum
Warhawk Air Museum is an educational museum dedicated to the preservation of American World War II aviation history. Rare and unusual World War II aviation artifacts are on display in the 20,000 sq. ft. facility. You will see WWII airplanes, war memorabilia and artifacts, memorabilia from the home front, German and Japanese memorabilia and much more. This museum is also the official NASA Space Place Club of Southwestern Idaho. The museum has a research library and gift shop. The two P-40s, on display at the museum, were used in the film "Pearl Harbor."

The Warhawk Air Museum also offers age-appropriate tours and classroom activities for students 3rd to 12th grade.

War veterans are available for guided tours, which is the best approach if you're interested in more than just a superficial tour, but call ahead to see if someone will be there on the day you visit, as they do this on their own unpaid time.

Western Idaho Fair
Expo Idaho is home to the Western Idaho Fair, one of a few Fairs in the Pacific Northwest that can boast about conducting an annual event in three different centuries, with the first Fair in 1897. The Western Idaho Fair still focuses on agriculture and family fun. You can expect to see the finest Idaho livestock and competitive exhibits of any State Fair in the Pacific Northwest. This nine-day affair in late August offers a variety of events, games, rides, live entertainment, food courts, trade shows, a rodeo and much more. Usual annual attendance reaches 260,000. Past Grandstand shows have included entertainers such as the Statler Brothers, Dwight Yoakum, Neal McCoy, Charlie Daniels Band, REO Speedwagon, Josh Turner and Creedence Clearwater Revival, just to name a few. Offering a purely Idaho experience, fairgoers can wander through animal exhibits admiring prize-winning pigs or climb aboard gravity-defying rides.

Throughout the rest of the year, Expo Idaho hosts concerts, home shows, flea markets, roller derby bouts, spa, pool and BBQ shows, sportsman shows, state gymnastics, ski, snowboard and snowmobile shows, Christmas shows, job expos, golf shows, gem shows, horse shows, RV shows, gun shows, new and used car shows, dairy and pygmy goat shows, dog shows, garage sale shows, pet expos, and health and fitness shows.

Wings Center
Wings Center is Idaho's most diverse children's education, instructional, and entertainment facility. It is Idaho's largest indoor soft playground. Their "never ending" maze of tunnels, ballpits, rope climbs, slides, incredible inflatables, and climbing tubes will have children playing for hours. The newly renovated Planet Kid playground was designed to promote children's cardiovascular fitness and upper body strength, so you can be assured they'll get a great workout while having a blast. The Rock Gym is the only climbing facility in southern Idaho dedicated to groups, parties, and special events. Beginner-friendly walls are set up perfectly for anyone with up to 25 top-rope sections, numerous bouldering challenges, a rope ladder, a huge "Spider Web" cargo net, and a unique hoop 'n pole climbing course. 

World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame and Museum
The World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame, located on the Boise State University campus in Idaho, recognizes individuals and organizations from the world of amateur and professional athletics who, through their humanitarian efforts, distinguish themselves as role models in the community.

More than 35 sports-humanitarians have been enshrined in Boise, including tennis great Arthur Ashe, MLB pioneer Jackie Robinson, NFL coaching legend Tom Landry, the NBA's David Robinson, soccer great Pele and the Harlem Globetrotters.

The Hall was the inspiration behind Boise's Humanitarian Bowl, and its Humanitarian Awards program annually recognizes exceptional community-focused organizations and leaders from Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, NCAA College Football and other organizations.

YMCA Boise
The Downtown Family YMCA was built in 1968 and has been renovated or expanded several times, most recently in 2005. Fitness: cardio equipment, Technogym equipment, Keiser equipment, Cybex equipment, free weights. Space: 2 gymnasiums, 2 cardio/weight room, 3 racquetball courts (2 convertible to squash), climbing wall, multi-purpose room, Teen and Family Activity Center ages 12-18, Youth Activity Center ages 6 - 12, and drop-in nursery for ages 6 weeks to 6 years. Locker rooms: adult locker rooms upstairs, youth and family locker rooms downstairs, special needs locker rooms on both levels, elevator access to all levels, laundry service available with membership.

Zim's Hot Springs
Zim's is located in scenic New Meadows, just 13 miles north of McCall. Open year-round, these natural hot springs surface 90 to 95 degrees, depending on weather. One of the pools is Olympic size and kept at a cool 93 degrees, while the other soaking pool is a muscle-relaxing 104 degrees.

Zip Idaho
Zip Idaho, along with our partner Experience Based Learning (EBL), have built a tour with 7 zip lines. We are based in Horseshoe Bend, Idaho and provide a unique eco-adventure that combines tree based canopy-tour style zip lines with Idaho's longest zip lines. We are conveniently located just a half-hour north of Boise on Highway 55. This location is a nature lovers dream; whitewater rafting, swimming from sandy beaches, mountain biking, fishing, and train rides are a few other activities that you can enjoy while you are in the area.

Zip lining is a great half-day activity for CORPORATE GROUPS, FAMILIES, PARTIES, REUNIONS, and DATES.  Also, give the Gift of Zipping for birthdays, weddings, graduations and any other occasion!    While fun is our goal, safety is our #1 priority. EBL is the premier builder/operator of zip line courses in the United States with courses in Hawaii, Alaska, North Carolina and others. Their safety record is unsurpassed. More at http://www.canopytours.us/.

Zoo Boise
Located in beautiful Julia Davis Park in the heart of Downtown Boise, Zoo Boise is one of the most popular attractions in Southern Idaho, as well as a living science facility that is home to over 201 animals from 83 various species. The mission of Zoo Boise is to serve as an education and conservation institution that safely and humanely exhibits living animals.