Adam’s post: On Wednesday we drove into Boise, Idaho. Brenda wanted to spend a couple of days visiting with her childhood friend, Claire, and her family.
After eating lunch the group split up – I went back to check us in at the hotel while Brenda and the kids visited the Worlds Center for Birds of Prey with Clair and her son, Malcolm (Holden’s age).
Afterwards, they all returned to Claire’s house for an evening cookout. Claire’s extended family (parents, siblings/spouses, nieces/nephews) all came by to visit with Brenda and our kids and everyone had a great time.
The next morning, we visited the old Boise Territorial and State Penitentiary. This place was open from 1872 to 1973 and reaffirmed everyone’s beliefs that it is much better to be outside the walls than in.
Josie closing up one of the doors on Holden and Isabella in the “Solitary Confinement” wing.
“Enjoy the dark, Maggot!”
Scaling the wall.
One of the more “modern” areas of the grounds. The prison continued to expand through the years, but you can now see how inmates lived by time period – from the 1870’s on up through to the 1970’s.
This was a very popular area. They also show off the room where hanging executions took place – complete with trap door, large lever and pit below.
Many of the cells were left “as is” after shut down in 1973. Inmates here lived 4 to a cell, with running water and toilet.
One of the older wings. No plumbing, just a bucket they could shove into a “ventilation shaft” which was just a hole in the corner of the cell with a chimney pipe leading up to the ceiling.
The cell doors in the older wing. Prisoners spent most of their time in the dark.
Out in the Yard.
One bright spot in an otherwise wretched place; from 1910 on, they cultivated roses in the outdoor areas.
We spent the rest of the day trying out various great restaurants in Boise’s downtown area, doing some shopping for clothing (coat for Josie, pants for Isabella) and getting prepared for our drive north to Grangeville.
That’s where we are now – at Jim and Sharon’s house – and will be here having fun for the next 10 +/- days. Their internet is spotty, so we won’t be doing daily updates this week.
MayseStomp 