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Tourists
will find tons of excuses to visit Sun Valley in the summer.
Skiers
who have sampled Sun Valley during the winter might want to
check out what’s
going on off-slope when the weather warms.
The Sun
Valley resort, Ketchum, Idaho area regularly receives rave
reviews
from gourmet travelers who tout it as one of tdhe best locales
for cuisine in
the USA. To really work up an appetite you’ll find many
activities available
at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area near Ketchum. The
756,000-acre
area is the largest unit of Sawtooth National Forest. You’ll
find three mountain ranges and more than 1,000 lakes to hike
around as well as swimming, fishing, backpacking, horseback
riding, trail biking and interpretive activities.
If you're
in search of something a little slower, Big Wood River, which
runs
right though Ketchum, offers 25 miles of trout fishing territory.
For an exotic exploration of the outdoors, call Venture Outdoors
at (800) 528-5262
for llama leading in the area --- it has a short “take
a llama to lunch”
trek for folks who’d like a taste of adventure without
camping out.
Literature
lovers can visit Hemingway’s haunts. The Ketchum/Sun
Valley
Heritage and Ski Museum often hosts Hemingway-related exhibits
as well as
informative displays relating to the history of the town and
skiing. The Ore Wagon Museum reveals Ketchum’s mining
history. Sun Valley Gallery’s offers excellent opportunities
for seeing exquisite art and occasionally catching a glimpse
of a high-profile celebrity. Jan Wilson Gallery in Ketchum
is the area’s only lithography gallery. You’ll also
see an eclectic mix of sculpture, studio glass, and original
paintings. The African Fine Arts Gallery offers an exciting
range of collectables, including beautiful Zulu baskets and
ceremonial masks; it’s a great place for an afternoon
of browsing and buying.
If you
just have to have a taste of Sun Valley winter magic in the
summer,
there is always the Sun Valley Resort Ice Skating rink. This
venue offers
year-round, outdoor ice skating and a myriad of shows, including
performances by Olympians. Following a full day of hiking,
biking, skating,
or shopping, you’ll find Sun Valley’s watering holes
and luxurious hotels
provide a relaxing end to a busy day.
The Sun
Valley area has attracted a population of talented artists,
resulting in a thriving performing arts and fine arts scene.
Further
a field, three beautifully designed day-lodge facilities have
been added to Bald Mountain: Seattle Ridge (at an elevation
of 8,680 feet), Warm Springs (at the base of Challenger quad
lift) and River Run (at the base of River Run
quad lift).
On offer
in the area are over 1,500 "beds", over 70 restaurants,
dozens of chic shops, over 80 tennis courts, four 18-hole
golf courses, including two designed by Robert Trent Jones,
Jr., world-class ice shows, a skateboard park and hot springs.
There are over 100 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails
and skating lanes in the area. Two cross-country ski centers
in Ketchum and Sun Valley are complimented by two more in
the Sawtooth National Recreation Center to the north. About
30 miles of paved trails for biking, in-line skating, running
and
walking, joins the communities along the length of Wood River
Valley. Silver Creek, the Big Wood River and its tributaries
have some of the finest fishing in the Western United States.
And of
course there are the 78 ski runs. Bald Mountain is considered
to offer some of the best and most challenging skiing in the
country in its 3,400 vertical feet of ski runs. "Baldy",
as it is affectionately called, is known for its constant
pitch enabling skiers to ski smoothly all the way down. Dollar
Mountain, developed as part of the original resort, is ideal
for beginners. Another reason Sun Valley continues to rank
at the top in ski resorts is that the number and speed of
lifts result in shorter lines. In all, 17- lifts have the
capacity to carry 28,180 people per hour. The ski season typically
runs from November/December
to March/April.
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