We were recently invited to be the first guests to stay in the newest addition of a bed and breakfast in Burley called The Gate House. Living just 40 miles away it felt kind of weird staying the night in a town so close to our home but the photos looked great and the owner was super sweet, so we said "A stay-cation! Sweet, let's do it!".
We did a little research, packed up our overnight bag and made our way east to Burley! If you've ever driven through the Mini Cassia area, you know that it is perfectly placed along the Snake River with a picturesque view Mount Harrison in the background. This area is wildly underrated so we've come up with a list of our favorite things to add to your
Mini Cassia, Idaho Bucket List!
Most of these things aren't actually located in Burley, but since it's the most recognized name in the Mini Cassia area, we figured the locals would let it slide.
1. Stay and Play - Our bed and breakfast was a charming cottage home in the heart of downtown Burley called the
Miller Gate House. The Miller Gate House and the rest of
The Gate House rentals are owned by an interior decorated named Andi and boy does it show! The house we stayed in and the other 3 rentals that we got to tour were set up and decorated so perfectly, I felt like I was walking through Pinterest.
Our house was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house that sleeps 8 people. Andi offers short term or long term stays so whether you're coming for the weekend or staying for a few months, she can accommodate you! One of my favorite parts of the Miller Gate House was in the sitting nook where Andi had written out on the chalkboard things to do and places to eat in the area. It's personal touches like that that make a place feel like a home. You can find Andi's listings on
Airbnb and
VRBO or the easiest way is to just give her a call at 208-219-2050.
2. Ice Cream at Gossner's Magic Valley Chalet - It was a warm evening and we were on the hunt for some ice cream. Gossner's Food Inc is a dairy manufacturing company in Heyburn that sells their products to locals at a cute little shop called
Gossner's Magic Valley Chalet right under the Upper Crust restaurant. Pizza and ice cream? Sounds perfect.
When we got to Gossner's we ran into literally the only people we know in the Mini-Cassia area (Hello again Hailee and Luke!). Idaho really is a small town. They gave us the scoop (pun very much intended) on how good the flavored milk cartons are. We ended up getting a few flavors to try later: a vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream, and root beer milk. They were all super good but the root beer one was our favorite because it tasted like a root beer float. The ice cream was so good, we will definitely be back!
3. Walk along the Heyburn Greenbelt - Once we had our ice cream cones in hand, we trotted across the street to what we thought was just a little playground but soon realized was a beautiful park along the Heyburn greenbelt. The city of Heyburn has been working on this greenbelt project for some time and when it is completed it will created a 10 mile loop through Heyburn and Burley. The section we found was right along the river in front of the Mini-Cassia Chamber of Commerce building. According to Google Maps, it is labeled Lincoln Blvd.
4. Kayak the Snake River - One great thing about Burley is the easy access to the Snake River. You can walk along the river, fish it, boat it, kayak it or float it! There are a few different rental shops in town where you can rent SUPs and kayaks but we found that
Idaho Water Sports is right along the river and has a bunch of kayak launches right next to their rental area.
5. Visit the Rupert Square - The
Rupert Town Square has seen a lot of change in the last few months. The square underwent a three-phase renovation project that includes restoring the fountain, adding a gazebo, new clock tower and turning part of the road in front of the Historic Wilson Theater into a plaza where community events can be held. They've also added more seating, parking and handicap access to the area along with new shade trees and landscaping. The place is basically brand new but still has that adorable old town feel. There are some great little shops and eateries around the square like my favorite gift shop -
Mad River Laser.
 |
| Photo by Rupert Police Department |
6. Eat the Hangover Omelette at Sofie's Chatterbox - While you're in Rupert you've got to eat breakfast at
Sofie's Chatterbox. We tried the hangover omelette which is biscuits and gravy INSIDE of an omelette. Whoa. It's huge and of course comes with more hash browns and toast than a person could ever eat. Hello leftovers!
7. Watch a show at the Historic Wilson Theater - Rupert is such a supersizing little town that has many great things centered around their beautifully renovated town square.
The Historic Wilson Theater is located at the north/west corner of the square in a unique corner building that is as ornate on the outside as it is on the inside. The theater has had a lot of community support as it has been renovated and restored into a stunning, working theater house. You can find a list of shows and community events on their
website here.
8. Take a drive to Lake Cleveland - Lake Cleveland is one of my favorite hidden gems in southern Idaho. It's located near the top of Mt Harrison, past Pomerelle Ski Resort. It is about 35 miles from Burley, through the adorable and oddly creepy town of Albion and it is totally worth the drive. Because of the high elevation it is typically only open from early July to late September. The lake is for non-motorized vessels only so it's perfect for cruising around on a SUP or kayak and lazy day fishing.
9. Get a large side of fries from Stevo's - I cannot even explain to you how good Stevo's is. This locally owned restaurant knows how to handle a potato. Their
cheeseburger spud is a glorious Idaho superspud covered in ground beef, topped with gooey, melted cheese. It's one of the favorites in our party. Even though this place is famous for their huge spuds and tasty steak fries, my favorite dish is their
creamy chicken alfredo pasta. I may need to go there soon for "research".
 |
| Photo by Randy Jackson |
10. Take an adventure with Kanes Kove - Every year from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Captain Ron flies his pirate flags high and offers a one of a kind kayaking/tubing float trip along the Snake River. The trip starts at Ron's paradise where patrons load up in the "mystery mobile" and are dropped off 7 miles upstream with their rentals in tow. Kayakers are encouraged to make the trip last as long or as short as they’d like. Most groups can finish the trip in about 3 hours and Captain Ron provides cooler floats so you can bring your own lunch or something cold to drink. There are small islands and sand bars along the 7 mile route to beach and snack or sun bathe. To book a trip call Captain Ron at 208-431-5896 or check out the
Kane's Kove FB page here.
11. Watch a $2 movie at the Burley Theatre - The old
Burley Theatre on West Main Street now offers $2 movies! Each week they show a movie that has recently been in theaters but is majorly discounted. We can finally afford to take the whole family AND get popcorn! Check out what movies they have coming up on their
Facebook page here.
12. Explore the City of Rocks National Reserve - The City of Rocks is an adventurers playground. There are walking trails, hiking trails, rock climbing routes and photo ops galore #doingitforthegram. From Burley you can get to the east or west side of the National Reserve and if you have your
Idaho State Parks Passport, you can get in for free! While you're there make sure to do the Bath Rock trail and go find the Window Arch rock!
 |
| Photo by Charlene Wiscombe |
#idahobucketlist #bucketlist #visitburley #burleyidaho #idaho
1. Stay and Play - Our bed and breakfast was a charming cottage home in the heart of downtown Burley called the Miller Gate House. The Miller Gate House and the rest of The Gate House rentals are owned by an interior decorated named Andi and boy does it show! The house we stayed in and the other 3 rentals that we got to tour were set up and decorated so perfectly, I felt like I was walking through Pinterest.
Our house was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house that sleeps 8 people. Andi offers short term or long term stays so whether you're coming for the weekend or staying for a few months, she can accommodate you! One of my favorite parts of the Miller Gate House was in the sitting nook where Andi had written out on the chalkboard things to do and places to eat in the area. It's personal touches like that that make a place feel like a home. You can find Andi's listings on Airbnb and VRBO or the easiest way is to just give her a call at 208-219-2050.
2. Ice Cream at Gossner's Magic Valley Chalet - It was a warm evening and we were on the hunt for some ice cream. Gossner's Food Inc is a dairy manufacturing company in Heyburn that sells their products to locals at a cute little shop called Gossner's Magic Valley Chalet right under the Upper Crust restaurant. Pizza and ice cream? Sounds perfect.
When we got to Gossner's we ran into literally the only people we know in the Mini-Cassia area (Hello again Hailee and Luke!). Idaho really is a small town. They gave us the scoop (pun very much intended) on how good the flavored milk cartons are. We ended up getting a few flavors to try later: a vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream, and root beer milk. They were all super good but the root beer one was our favorite because it tasted like a root beer float. The ice cream was so good, we will definitely be back!
3. Walk along the Heyburn Greenbelt - Once we had our ice cream cones in hand, we trotted across the street to what we thought was just a little playground but soon realized was a beautiful park along the Heyburn greenbelt. The city of Heyburn has been working on this greenbelt project for some time and when it is completed it will created a 10 mile loop through Heyburn and Burley. The section we found was right along the river in front of the Mini-Cassia Chamber of Commerce building. According to Google Maps, it is labeled Lincoln Blvd.
4. Kayak the Snake River - One great thing about Burley is the easy access to the Snake River. You can walk along the river, fish it, boat it, kayak it or float it! There are a few different rental shops in town where you can rent SUPs and kayaks but we found that Idaho Water Sports is right along the river and has a bunch of kayak launches right next to their rental area.
5. Visit the Rupert Square - The Rupert Town Square has seen a lot of change in the last few months. The square underwent a three-phase renovation project that includes restoring the fountain, adding a gazebo, new clock tower and turning part of the road in front of the Historic Wilson Theater into a plaza where community events can be held. They've also added more seating, parking and handicap access to the area along with new shade trees and landscaping. The place is basically brand new but still has that adorable old town feel. There are some great little shops and eateries around the square like my favorite gift shop - Mad River Laser.
7. Watch a show at the Historic Wilson Theater - Rupert is such a supersizing little town that has many great things centered around their beautifully renovated town square. The Historic Wilson Theater is located at the north/west corner of the square in a unique corner building that is as ornate on the outside as it is on the inside. The theater has had a lot of community support as it has been renovated and restored into a stunning, working theater house. You can find a list of shows and community events on their website here.
8. Take a drive to Lake Cleveland - Lake Cleveland is one of my favorite hidden gems in southern Idaho. It's located near the top of Mt Harrison, past Pomerelle Ski Resort. It is about 35 miles from Burley, through the adorable and oddly creepy town of Albion and it is totally worth the drive. Because of the high elevation it is typically only open from early July to late September. The lake is for non-motorized vessels only so it's perfect for cruising around on a SUP or kayak and lazy day fishing.
9. Get a large side of fries from Stevo's - I cannot even explain to you how good Stevo's is. This locally owned restaurant knows how to handle a potato. Their cheeseburger spud is a glorious Idaho superspud covered in ground beef, topped with gooey, melted cheese. It's one of the favorites in our party. Even though this place is famous for their huge spuds and tasty steak fries, my favorite dish is their creamy chicken alfredo pasta. I may need to go there soon for "research".
11. Watch a $2 movie at the Burley Theatre - The old Burley Theatre on West Main Street now offers $2 movies! Each week they show a movie that has recently been in theaters but is majorly discounted. We can finally afford to take the whole family AND get popcorn! Check out what movies they have coming up on their Facebook page here.
12. Explore the City of Rocks National Reserve - The City of Rocks is an adventurers playground. There are walking trails, hiking trails, rock climbing routes and photo ops galore #doingitforthegram. From Burley you can get to the east or west side of the National Reserve and if you have your Idaho State Parks Passport, you can get in for free! While you're there make sure to do the Bath Rock trail and go find the Window Arch rock!
I recently read a post about how Burley is one of the top ten worst cities in Idaho, I am glad to see some positive vibes about the town on your page! Great post, thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this informative information, Explurger: Get Out Get Social! Watch this video to learn how you can get a chance to meet Sonu Sood by following a few simple steps using the Explurger app. Join the adventure and connect with Sonu Sood through Explurger
ReplyDeletetoday! #Explurger #MeetSonuSood #GetOutGetSocial
Thanks for sharing this informative information, Join Explurger: Get Out Get Socialand take your travel experience to the next level. Automatically track your travels, build your bucket list, and share your journey with friends. With gamified features and rewards, this app makes exploring the world more fun and social. Start your adventure with Explurger today!
ReplyDelete