By Chris Langrill

Special to the Idaho Statesman

As one beautiful sunset serves as a prelude to another stunning sunrise, it can be easy to take the Treasure Valley for granted.

Whether you've been here for years and years or just moved here last month, we should thank our lucky stars for the lifestyle we enjoy.

The 2016 Best of Treasure Valley, a special project of the Idaho Statesman's advertising and production departments, serves as a perfect reminder of all the shining examples of the things we enjoy about our community.

More than 80,000 votes were cast in this year's Best of Treasure Valley survey and almost 250 businesses were honored with first-, second- or third-place finishes.

"I love having dinner in Downtown Boise," said Grant Petersen Jr., the president and CEO of Bronco Motors, which was voted Best Place to Buy a Car and Best Auto Repair Shop. "I love Bronco basketball and Bronco football (Best Sporting Event). I love going for a bicycle ride along Hill Road. I love mountain biking in the Foothills. … I love all four seasons, and I love the mountains and I love the city. We've got a really special place that's unique in the world."

The Best of Treasure Valley is broken into five categories.

• There's Arts and Entertainment, which singled out Anthony Doerr as Best Author and Curtis Stigers as Best Musician/Band.

• Then there's Shopping, which covers everything from Best Grocery Store (WinCo) to Best Local Pet Store (Zamzows).

• The Services and Weddings category runs the gamut, from Best Car Wash (Mister Car Wash) to Best Bridal Shop (David's Bridal).

• Outdoors and Sports highlights all the activities we enjoy, such as the Best Place to Hike (Boise Foothills), and the shops that help us enjoy them.

• And finally, there's Dining, which will make any Treasure Valley resident hungry reading about all the great options, such as Goodwood Barbecue Company (Best Local Barbecue) or Shige Japanese Cuisine (Best Sushi).

Taken as a whole, the survey shines a light on many of the stars that shimmer throughout the Treasure Valley.

Brad Wilson moved to Boise this past fall to become the general manager of Bogus Basin (Best Idaho Ski Area). Since then, he's enjoyed skiing at his favorite new resort and discovering what the Treasure Valley has to offer.

"Throughout the wintertime I went walking downtown," Wilson said. "I live by the Co-op (Best Local Gluten-Free Menu), so I'm able to just walk downtown, which is just an amazing experience for me. Just two weeks ago, I got on my bike to ride downtown and I was thinking, 'I didn't even break a sweat before I was in the middle of the city.' It was so accessible by bike I was floored. So, the accessibility and the bike- and walking-friendliness of the town are just amazing to me, still.

"(Downtown) is just terrific and there's so much energy down there. I have a long list of restaurants to go to. … I'm going to be busy this summer trying all the restaurants."

Luckily for Wilson, that list comes in a handy format: It's called the Best of Treasure Valley.

Source: www.idahostatesman.com