Boy-Zee

Day 1 of the NWL East has come to a close. In a re-attempt of success, I'm resting at my hostel and getting ready for tomorrow's events. Today, on the other hand, was a whirlwind tour of this city and the sights she has to offer.

After a 4am wake-up call for the train, I got into Portland and boarded the short 50 minute flight into Boise. What essentially amounted to a quick jaunt, I ended up getting into Boise early enough to catch an earlier bus into Downtown.

It was at this point where I began to see Boise as a city. If I were to make comparisons, I'd have to say that Boise reminds me of a cross between Colorado Springs and San Jose. Nothing major sticks out as significant, but this is a nice enough town.

After getting checked into the hostel, I decided to stroll down to the Boise State campus to check out the famous blue turf of Bronco Stadium.

No matter what your opinion is of the "Smurf Turf", it truly is a sight to see the football field is a deep shade of blue with the end zones a bright orange. It is rumored that ducks will mistake the turf for a lake and fly head-long into it. While I have always seen it on tv, seeing it in person gave me the first impression of humor. Is this really a playing surface for a successful college football team?

I walked back north to Main Street, grabbed some lunch, and boarded another bus for my second excursion of the day out to the Old Idaho State Penitentiary.

The old territorial prison has been closed since the 1970's. Yet, during its tenure, it played host to some of the most violent and heinous offenders in Idaho's history. Featured prominently on death row is inmate Ray Snowden. Convicted of the death penalty and hung in 1957, Snowden brutally murdered a young Boise resident with a pocket knife. He was the last man executed at the prison and is still said to haunt Death Row.

The self-guided tour allowed the opportunity for me to tour the complex in solitude. Not a lot of people were there, so seeing the prison, sometimes when I was the only person in the building, was extremely creepy. Combined with the whipping wind echoing through the cell blocks, I felt uneasy, apprehensive, and on-guard.

Even with all that, I still was incredibly fascinated by the grounds and exhibits. I especially like the large exhibit on firearms through American history. All in all, one of the better attractions I have seen on a baseball road trip.

After busing back into downtown, I fielded a conference call for a City Council meeting on the way to the ballpark. I never would have thought I would need to multi-task like this while on a road trip, but I succeeded in making it work.

After about a 30 minute bus ride through the streets and neighborhoods of Boise, I got to Memorial Stadium. The home of the Hawks is a very interesting facility unlike anything I have ever seen before.
Before I go into more depth of the facility, I met up with an old friend from high school who lives here in Boise. In another example of how I am using these road trips as a social outing, I found that my friend and I talked and chatted for most of the game. I didn't keep score, and I only paid passing attention to the game. It was totally worth it and I am so glad that I got to see her.

Ok, now on to the stadium. In what basically amounted to a fancy high school ballpark, Memorial Stadium really didn't impress me. I would have thought that a city of such a large size would build a ballpark that had, at least, some charm. Three separate concrete sections aligned with first and third base and behind home plate comprised the seating. Underneath held the concession stands and clubhouses. It lacked any imaginative property, but didn't really leave me with a "wow!" feeling.

The Vancouver Canadiens got a bases-clearing double in the seventh as the came back to beat the Boise Hawks 4-3.

If you thought today was busy, just wait for tomorrow. An 0630 wake-up call will have me back out at the Boise Airport for a flight out to Spokane. Once I get to Spokane, I'll make my way to the Central Spokane YMCA for a tour of the facility and a shower. Once that's done, I'll eat some lunch and go to the Spokane Interplayer's Theater for a performance of Greater Tuna at 2pm. I'll make my way out to Avista Stadium for the 6pm game between Eugene and Spokane. Before boarding the Empire Builder back home, I'll catch a late night movie and a quiet drink.

It'll be busy, busy, busy, but I'm having a great time and I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)