We have been fans of the pulsating fountain at the Boise Centre (on the Grove) for years. It has delighted the young and old for the past 19 years, as it refreshes downtown bike riders looking for a cool spray in the hot sun as well as countless toddlers at the Capital City Public Market each Saturday morning. Our family has spent much of our time at the Farmers Market around the fountain and learned quickly to bring towels and extra clothes on these shopping adventures. Those Saturdays, however, are packed with people and we often find the fountain is much too crowded for playing. But any other hot day of the week, the fountain is a quiet respite in the middle of a bustling city.
A few weeks ago I packed a picnic lunch and Lucy brought a friend along for a fun, free water-filled afternoon. There are plenty of picnic tables in the shade and I enjoyed my iced coffee while the girls trotted between the fountain and the pump, running and playing like mad, as they pretty much had the whole place to themselves. I enjoyed watching the downtown sites - business men and women bustling about on their lunch breaks and the bike taxi making casual loops around the Grove Plaza. It was truly one of my favorite leisurely afternoons of the summer and a great (and free) way to remind me why I love living in the city with kids.