Trunk or Treat: Meridian Speedway Style

We’re not claiming to be travel bloggers, but we know a good drive when we see one... especially when fall’s showing off. A few of our crew took a spontaneous weekend drive (the kind that starts with “let’s just see where this road goes”) and came back talking about waterfalls, winding backroads, and too many gas station snacks. Before winter wins, we wanted to share that route AND two more we heard about along the way. Each close enough for a day trip, but far enough to make you forget about work, emails, and that never-ending laundry pile waiting at home. more ----------------------------------------   Fall in Idaho is short, but man - it’s good while it lasts. The air smells like harvest, the fields go amber, and even a gas station donut somehow tastes better. If you’re itching for one more weekend escape before the snow hits, here are three routes worth your gas: the one our team just drove, plus two local favorites we heard about from fellow travelers along the way. Easy to get to, beautiful all the way through, and 100% worth the miles. 🍂 Thousand Springs Scenic Byway Hagerman → Bliss → Twin Falls Why go: Because you haven’t really seen “Idaho waterfalls” until you’ve seen these. The cliffs pour water straight into the Snake River... nature showing off at its best. Insider tip: Stop at Ritter Island for a picnic or a quick hot spring soak. Best light hits mid-afternoon when the basalt glows gold. ✨ Drive time: About 90 minutes from Boise to Hagerman, then 2–3 hours for the byway with stops. 🍂 Owyhee Uplands Backcountry Byway Grand View → Jordan Valley, OR Why go: Because solitude’s underrated. This is the drive you take when you want to see nothing but sky and golden sagebrush for miles. They call it “Oregon’s Grand Canyon,” but let’s be honest - it’s in Idaho’s backyard. Insider tip: Gas up early and pack snacks, it’s remote. Detour to Silver City ghost town for an Old West vibe and total cell-service detox. Drive time: About an hour from Boise to Grand View, then ~93 miles of backcountry road (plan for adventure). 🍂 City of Rocks Scenic Drive Almo → Castle Rocks → City of Rocks National Reserve Why go: Because it feels like another planet. Granite towers rise out of nowhere, framed by fall colors and crisp mountain air. Insider tip: The view from Pinnacle Pass at sunset? Unreal. Bring a thermos, good music, and your favorite co-pilot. Drive time: Around three hours from Boise to Almo, with about 49 miles of scenic roads inside the park.   Bottom line? Fall in Idaho doesn’t stick around long. Fill up the tank, throw on a wicked playlist, and make a memory that’ll outlast the autumn leaves. And if you remember, snap a pic and share it with us!

Our parody of a “ribbon cutting” for our new 6-bay shop. Yep, that is duct tape, and they are “cutting” with a blow torch, sledge hammer, pipe wrench, flashlight, and yes, even a banana 😜 So many of you have come to trust us with your vehicle maintenance and repairs, that we started running out of shop space. To keep up, we recently opened a second shop nearby just for prepping new inventory. That move freed up six service bays at our main location—dedicated entirely to you and your vehicles. And since you’re the reason we’ve been able to grow, we want to pay it forward in a meaningful way. So through the month of May, those freed up bays will be open for free diagnostics and repairs —for your friends and family in need of a mechanic’s helping hand. We can’t cover the parts cost, but our awesome crew is ready to roll up their sleeves and get the work done, to keep good people you know on the road. With your help, we’ll show them they’re not alone—and that Boise takes care of its own. more Who this is for: We know this would be “nice” for a lot of people. We’re looking to serve those who really need it. We're talking about f amilies who are really, truly struggling. Situations where this is their only car in the household, and they’re just trying to get to work, or to take care of their family—but can’t afford to fix what’s broken. So please help us serve those people specifically. Nomination Guidelines: To make sure this effort reaches those who truly need it most, here’s a quick look at who we’re aiming to serve: Nominations must come from someone else, not directly from the person needing the service You should know the person you’re nominating personally Their household has only one vehicle That vehicle has a serious issue they can’t afford to fix — it’s either undriveable or unsafe to drive There’s some means for covering the cost of parts needed for the repair. We understand that sometimes you may be in need yourself, but this time around we’re giving first priority to those who are nominated by someone else who knows their situation firsthand. Scheduling: We’ll be scheduling all free services in advance, and only through our nomination form below. Please don’t call the office or send someone down without an appointment - it will be a waste of a trip (and if they’re in this situation, the extra driving and expense for gas isn’t going to help). Click Here to nominate someone in this kind of need

After over a year in one of our free vehicles, Brad was able to save up and pay cash for his own car! In our next newsletter, we’ll share a short video highlighting his Journey from homelessness to financial self-reliance, getting custody back for his two girls, getting engaged, and buying his own car – and how our JumpStart program helped make it happen. Deb and Isaiah also completed their personal growth & financial courses, and have made great strides in life. We celebrated their graduation from the program, and their new found self-reliance, with an awesome dinner catered by one of our other program members who’s working toward starting her own tasty food business. We have one more minivan ready to go, for a single mother of 4 who just moved out of a shelter and is ready to finally break free of the poverty cycle she’s been caught in, and give her family a better life. Thank you for your continued support of Maverick, so we can keep JumpStart growing! more What is the JumpStart Program? Maverick takes low-dollar trade-ins that were destined for the auction, repairs them to safe and reliable condition, and then makes them available on a free lease, to struggling families that don’t have transportation. With these free cars, along with required education & mentorship, the Maverick JumpStart program empowers these families to break the poverty cycle, develop self-reliance, and open doors to brighter futures. (read more) We accomplish this by providing three crucial elements needed to create lasting change: key resources that are currently out of reach; education and guidance; and personal motivation & discipline to make good choices - the last being most critical. We do this by providing a free vehicle to use while in the program, along with other key resources, coupled with regular financial and personal growth classes, plus one-on-one mentoring. Where does the motivation and discipline come from – to save money, make good decisions, and work hard to create lasting change? When you don’t have any other transportation, having a free car to drive is a big deal. But this is a hand up, not a handout, so in this program, continued use of the vehicle requires active engagement in classes and mentorship, and making measurable strides in financial improvement. Thus, the vehicle serves as an invaluable resource for transportation and financial savings, and also as a powerful motivator for continued learning, and development of disciplines for personal growth. Combining these key elements gives our participants a jumpstart in personal growth and financial stability, to help overcome poverty and lead their families to brighter futures.