Scarecrow Stroll

Introducing the bride of crow. Also known as Mrs. Scarecrow.

That's the name we gave her when we met her for the first time at the Scarecrow Stroll in the Idaho Botanical Garden.

I always want to say gardens with an s.

If you're like me and you don't like crowds-- go to places you want to go on game day. Unless you're going to the game. Then by all means have a great time and go broncos. If you're not going to the football game, go somewhere you've been wanting to go. Trust me, you'll have the whole place to yourself.

This is what happened to us on Friday evening when we ventured out to the Idaho Botanical Garden and the rest of Boise ventured to the BSU/Hawaii game. It was 70 degrees that day and the weather was perfect. The fall colors were beautiful and there were still many flowers in bloom. The kids had a great time running around. The boy liked to throw rocks into various streams, ponds, waterfalls, and fountains.

And run and run and run and run.

The girl liked taking pictures of the decorated scarecrows.

And the baby liked sticking her hands into the streams.

I quite enjoyed the peace and quiet and the beautiful fall foliage.

We were the only, only, only, people there. Except for the family that was there for like 10 minutes. So that doesn't really count. We saw lots of birds and quail and squirrels. There we many flowers still in bloom. And even though we have been there before, we still spent almost two hours there. What did you do for two hours?

We just walked around and explored nature. Snapped a few pictures.

And it was fun. And quiet.

And not crowded. And not hot. And really fun.

We went between the hours of 5 and 7 pm and toward the end of the evening the sun was setting and I was able to get a cool picture of the girl.

I am by no means a photographer, but I thought it turned out cool.

The cost to get in was so cheap I had to ask the lady, "Did you charge for me?" Yes. Four dollars for an adult, two dollars for kids four and older. So it cost us six dollars to get in. Six dollars for two hours of family entertainment. Think Mastercard commercial. Priceless.

****Four out of four stars. Click here for the The Idaho Botanical Garden website.

Idaho Botanical Garden

Small streams. Large boulders. Butterflies. Bridges. Flowers. Bugs. Winding trails. Fountains. Quail. Waterfalls. Dirt paths. Rocks. Wooden swing. Old bell. Skippers, frogs, and lilly pads. What kid doesn't love all those things? Those are all the things we saw today at the Idaho Botanical Garden. I've never been there before. I guess the word "botanical" has always scared me off. Reminds me of my botany class in college. But I am so glad we went there today. We had so much fun.

I was surprised by how few people there were. (You know I love that.) We were the only family. The other people were adults trying to enjoy the peace and quiet. My explorers and tired baby probably messed that up.

The relaxed atmosphere and the large area to explore made this a place a winner for my kids. They enjoyed climbing to the top of the Promontory and dipping their toes in every pond, stream, waterfall, and fountain. I loved the stark contrast between the lush, green gardens and the native, desert plants in one space. And the flowers and foliage were beautiful.

What a wonderful place for the kids to be kids (while still minding their manners of course.)

Advice--bring a stroller for when the kids get tired and can't make it back to the car. Admission is very reasonable--$ 4 for an adult and $2 for kids age 6-12.

****4 out of 4 stars. Can't wait to come back again.

Have you been here before? Tell me about it. Make a comment. I dare you.