Exploring Stanley, Idaho with One of My Best Friends! Part 1 of 3

Girl Time

I was ecstatic when my friend of nearly 30 years expressed interest in meeting me in Idaho. This was originally planned when Keith would be doing the Tour Divide and I would drive back from Banff, Canada. Unfortunately, an injury prevented him from doing the ride this year. However, it still worked out for me to keep the planned trip with my friend, Tiffany.

I’ve known Tiffany since middle school and we've grown into adults together. We’ve been there for each other’s life milestones, during the most important and often challenging parts of life. The opportunity to spend this time together felt like the stars aligning just right. We planned to explore Stanley, Idaho, and then I'd share my local area in Utah with her.

Boise, Idaho

Tiffany would be flying into Boise and since I was now coming from Utah instead of Canada to meet her, I decided to leave a day ahead. This would give me an entire day to reach Boise while enjoying some time alone instead of getting up early and driving all day. I left the house midmorning with my favorite road trip snacks and no real plan for the day. I cranked up some of my favorite music and sang along as I drove north and out of Utah. Making good time, I decided to stop for lunch at The Boathouse in Burley. It looked like a great option for lunch with a view of the Snake River. I knew that I just happened to have a couple of activities saved in my infamous Google map and stopping for a sit-down lunch would give me time to look into these options. After some research, Miracle Hot Springs would be the perfect way to enjoy a few hours.

Miracle Hot Springs

As soon as I saw a glimpse of the soaking pools at Miracle Hot Springs, I knew I made a great choice. There were several people in the water, but by no means was it crowded. There are four central pools, each with a different temperature, and twenty-one private pools. They also offer massages and accommodations. I decided on the general entry.

I love to swim, but by "swim" I mean floating around and sitting on a ledge. I also love warm water, but not hot tub "hot". This was the perfect afternoon for me. There were various sitting ledges in the pools, places in the sun and in the shade and I enjoyed each combination. I talked with a few locals and travelers. I also spent some serene moments with my eyes closed.

Before leaving the property I checked out the alligator on site.  Yes, you heard that right… an alligator in Idaho! It took me a few minutes to locate Lola. She was at the back of the enclosure and appeared to be taking an afternoon nap. Nearby are the glamping domes which would be a great option for lodging if you were in the area for a day or two. There is also a campground and park homes for rent on the property.

Downtown Boise

I don’t know what I was expecting, but downtown Boise is a great area for a night out, even if you are alone. It was easy to navigate the city, find parking, and get patio seating for dinner on a Friday night. Wild Root was an easy decision for the atmosphere and charcuterie board options. I chose the “Hunter” board which included meats, cheeses, pickles, and breads. It was amazing and gave me three meals!

Excitement Overload

When it comes to trips, especially with family or friends, I cannot contain my excitement! It was hard to wait for Tiffany’s flight to arrive. I just couldn’t believe I was going to get to spend time in Idaho with her and then show her my home in Utah.

I went to a local coffee shop, Zero Six Coffee Fix, and then sat by the Boise River to distract myself until it was time to pick her up. I always feel like I’m in a movie when I meet someone at the airport. Searching for them along the sidewalk, seeing them wave me down, the giant hug and greetings, packing luggage in the car, and then driving away while trying to say everything you’ve wanted to say in person!  It’s one of the highlights for me!

Hot Spring Stops to Stanley

We grabbed a quick lunch at Das Alpenhaus Delikatessen, a local Boise German deli, and then started the drive toward Stanley. There were a couple of hot springs we planned to stop at, breaking up the drive.

Pine Flat Hot Springs

Our first stop was Pine Flat Hot Springs. We changed into our swimsuits and took a short hike to the pools. It took a little scrambling between the upper hot springs before we chose one to enjoy. The water was so hot that I couldn’t even keep my feet in the water. There was no way we could try to sit in it. We weren’t sure if we should keep searching for a cooler spring or enjoy the area we were in. Honestly, we just wanted to keep talking and didn’t care where we were.  We had our toes in the water, and the views along the Payette River were so picturesque with the steep drop-offs, it was the relaxing trip with my friend that I imagined.

Kirkham Hot Springs

We made a quick stop at Kirkham Hot Springs to look around before heading toward our lodging in Stanley. It was getting later in the day and we knew we’d be hungry upon checking in so we didn’t get in the water. This would be a great place to check out more thoroughly if I were in the area again.

The drive into Stanley was stunning! The river is surrounded by forest with people sprinkled here and there rafting and enjoying the outdoors. We also saw several deer and were in awe of the beauty we were already seeing before even reaching our scenic destination. Unfortunately, we didn't stop to take pictures during the drive and I wish we would have.

Mountain Village Resort

We had booked a room at the Mountain Village Resort Lodge. We chose this lodge because of the timed access to the private hot spring on the property. Several weeks before the trip I received an email that the hot spring would be closed for construction. This was super disappointing, but an even better surprise when we checked in and secured a time slot for the next evening around sunset.

Online reviews revealed a mixture of good and bad reviews of the rooms since the lodge is currently being updated. It came down to glowing reviews for renovated rooms and poor reviews for the run-down rooms. I was relieved when we got to our room and it honestly looked like we were the first to stay in it as everything seemed brand new and most importantly, clean!

More Next Week

Check back next week as we spend the day at Redfish Lake and explore more in Stanley, Idaho!

Have you spent any time in Boise, Idaho? If so, what recommendations do you have for exploring the city and surrounding area? Let us know in the comments section below.👇 💬