I am super excited to have Danielle from Letters to a Military Spouse to tell us all about what it is like to be stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. If you would like to guest post about your duty station, please let me know! I would love to hear about your experiences.
Welcome to Mountain Home!
When I first found out, during my husband’s tech school, that we would be going to Mountain Home AFB, I’m not going to lie; I was slightly disappointed. Maybe I felt this way because we were only moving 4 1/2 hours away from where we both grew up or maybe it was because I had this image in my head that we would be going overseas. Either way, I was pleasantly surprised after I did some exploring of the base and the town surrounding it.
Since we lived a driving distance away, I decided to take a trip up and see it before my husband arrived home from tech school. I wanted to know what we had gotten ourselves into and I hoped I would be pleasantly surprised.
The base itself is a very nice and clean base. From what I could tell the housing on base is well kept and clean. In size, the base is comparable to any other base, but technically it is a smaller base as far as how many people live on it.
For families, you get more for your money living on base than you would renting a house off base. There is an elementary school for your children on base, but they will have to attend middle school and high school off base.
The housing office on base offers a craft for your kids once a week. There is also an indoor play gym that you can take your children to that will help them run off some of their energy. On sunny days you can spend the afternoon at one of the beautiful parks. The youth center offers before and after school care for your children, and during the spring and fall, you can enroll your children in sporting activities.
My husband and I decided to live off base because we live in an RV. So, because we chose to live off base, I would like to share with you what there is to offer off base. You should know that this town is rather small. I think I timed it once, and you can drive west and reach the end of the town within fifteen minutes or so. In town, you have all sorts of mom and pop shops. My all-time favorite restaurant in town is Apple Barrel. It’s this cute little restaurant that probably only has five tables. When you eat here, you take a trip back in time as you look at all the antiques that cover the walls. The food is to die for. They serve a variety of panini’s and sandwiches, homemade desserts, and yummy soups and chilies.
In town, we have two grocery stores, Walmart, directly off the exit, and Albertsons which is in town. For a small town, we have quite a few restaurants to choose from such as Wingers, Jack in the Box, KFC, Arby’s, AJ’s, Taco Johns, a deli, a sit-down Mexican restaurant, Smokey Mountain Pizza, and a drive-through Chinese restaurant.
Depending on where you live off base, you may have about a thirty-minute drive to the base. Once you reach the end of town, you have a long two-lane high way that takes you out to the base. Mountain Home is in the desert, so you should expect a lot of sagebrushes and tumbleweeds. You can see mountains from both base and town, but they are a decent distance away.
In the winter it gets decently cold, and you can expect to see snow. Since my husband and I are from Utah, I am used to the cold weather that winter brings, but if you are from a warmer climate and are PCSing during the winter months, I highly suggest investing in some warm clothing.
Mountain Home is located around 45 minutes south of Boise. Boise is a larger city that offers all the amenities you may miss while living in a small town. When you first arrive in Mountain Home, it may seem like you are in the middle of nowhere, but you will be happily surprised with all the outdoor activities that this area offers.
Bogus Basin ski resort is located right out of Boise. If you decide that you would like to go skiing, you can speak with Outdoor Rec on base and get slightly discounted tickets. If you are looking for a fun weekend trip, Sun Valley Ski Resort is about a two-hour drive from town. The Bruneau dunes are located 15 miles from town. You can see the Snake River in Glens Ferry. CJ Strike Reservoir, located 30 minutes away, makes for a fun day trip in the summer. Three Island state park in Glens Ferry is one of my favorite places to spend a fall or summer afternoon with the family.
For all you moving to Mountain Home AFB, I hope you enjoy what this cozy small town has to offer. Good luck on your upcoming adventure, and breath, you will get through this PCS!
My name is Danielle, I was born and raised in Utah but currently, reside in Idaho where my husband and I are stationed. Writing has been a passion of mine for about 11 years now. My background is primarily in both creative writing and journalism. Blogging is something I have always wanted to venture into, and I am finally taking the plunge in doing so. I never expected to become a military wife when my husband and I got married, but I have grown to love this crazy, fun, and sometimes trying life that we lead. On my blog, you will find both military related posts along with posts that pertain to writing tips as well as my creative work. Blog Link: Letterstoamilitaryspouse.com