Big Bear Lake or Sun Valley?

Neither place is a beach destination, but Big Bear Lake makes swimming simpler. The lake is right in town, the water reaches around 19°C in high summer, and Meadow Park has a supervised swim beach that works well for children.

In Sun Valley the best natural swim is at Redfish Lake, about an hour's drive away, where there is sand but the water stays cold. Closer to home, the heated outdoor pools are the more dependable choice.

Ketchum gives Sun Valley the better table. Alongside the après-ski grills and pizza places, a few ambitious kitchens cook Idaho trout, lamb and elk, and summer adds a farmers' market and dining on patios.

Big Bear Lake sticks to mountain comfort food, with log-cabin diner breakfasts, barbecue, Mexican plates and brewpub pints, and many visitors simply cook in their cabins. It is filling and easy, but plainer.

Sightseeing is thin in both places, though Sun Valley has a bit more story to tell. The 1936 lodge, built with the world's first chairlifts, the film-star photographs along its corridors and Hemingway's grave in Ketchum make for an interesting afternoon, along with a modest art museum and galleries.

Big Bear's past is the 1860s gold rush in Holcomb Valley, best seen on a dirt-road drive past old cabins and mining remains, plus a small history museum and the forest-focused Discovery Center.

Both are early-to-bed mountain towns with no clubs, so the difference is one of atmosphere. Ketchum's saloons, wine bars and hotel lounges have a slightly more polished après-ski scene, and a couple of old western bars stay loud until closing. Big Bear's evenings centre on brewpubs, sports bars and Village pubs, and many nights end in the cabin's hot tub.

Big Bear Lake is built around its lake, ringed by pine and oak and busy in summer with kayaks, paddleboards, fishing and sailing boats. The Pacific Crest Trail runs along the north side, Castle Rock and Cougar Crest make short, rewarding climbs, and the San Gorgonio Wilderness is close by. In winter its two modest ski areas rely on plenty of snowmaking to keep the runs dependable.

Sun Valley offers more and goes deeper. Bald Mountain's long, steep runs drop straight down the hill and are in a different class, and the valley adds groomed Nordic trails, backcountry touring in the Boulder and Smoky Mountains, and fly fishing on the Big Wood and Silver Creek. An hour north, the Sawtooths have alpine lakes, long hikes, climbing and rafting on the Salmon River, and in autumn the aspens turn gold.

Big Bear Lake has the wider choice of outings, though the winding mountain roads slow every one of them. Lake Arrowhead's lakeside village is about an hour along the Rim of the World road, Oak Glen's orchards and farm stands lie down the eastern side, and Redlands or Riverside, with the Mission Inn and its old citrus-era streets, make a fuller day about an hour and a half away.

From Sun Valley, most outings lead into wild country rather than to other towns: Hailey's small historic main street just down the valley, the log-cabin outpost of Stanley beyond the Sawtooths, and Shoshone Falls on the Snake River about two hours south. Boise is too far for an easy day.

Big Bear Lake is the more family-minded resort. Snow play for lowland children, an alpine zoo of rescued bears and bobcats, an alpine slide, mini-golf and a supervised lake beach give plenty to do, and roomy cabins with kitchens make the stay easy.

Sun Valley works best for families who already ski or spend time outdoors. Its separate beginner hill and good ski school are real assets, but there are no attractions built for children, and teenagers who don't ski may find it dull.

Sun Valley is easier once you are there. Ketchum's flat grid is walkable, a free bus links the town, the village and the lift bases, and a paved bike path runs down the valley, so a ski week without a car is realistic.

At Big Bear Lake, you drive almost everything. The access highways are steep and can need snow chains, and although the Village is walkable and a trolley serves the slopes in season, most cabins sit on hilly forest roads away from the centre.

Sun Valley has the more rewarding few blocks. Ketchum's fine and western art galleries, serious fly-fishing and ski shops and boutiques selling cashmere and western wear give a narrow but upmarket choice, with gallery walks in the main seasons.

Big Bear's Village is mostly fudge shops, bear-themed souvenirs and gear-hire outfitters, enough for an hour's browsing.

Big Bear Lake is clearly the cheaper of the two. A group sharing a cabin midweek or out of season can keep costs fairly low, and sledding, hiking and the lakeshore cost little, though winter weekends push rates up sharply.

Sun Valley is expensive at every point, because its wealthy second-home owners set the price of lodging, meals and lift access. Staying down the valley and travelling in spring or autumn softens the bill, but only a little.

Sun Valley has a real summer season. A full professional orchestra plays several weeks of free symphony and chamber concerts in the pavilion by the lodge, with picnics on the lawn, and star figure skaters perform on the outdoor rink on summer evenings.

Big Bear Lake has a community arts centre, free lakeside concerts in summer and an Oktoberfest beer hall with Bavarian bands. Outside summer, neither town offers much.

Sun Valley is better set up for unwinding. The resort and larger hotels have full spas and heated outdoor pools that steam in the snow, and there are rough natural hot springs by the creek up the Warm Springs valley.

At Big Bear Lake, relaxing mostly means the cabin's private hot tub, a wood stove and a deck in the pines. There are a few day spas but no hot springs, and busy winter weekends are anything but peaceful.