Sun Valley

Sun Valley sits in a high mountain valley in central Idaho, hundreds of kilometres from any coast, so beach life is not part of a stay here. In July and August people swim in mountain lakes, mostly Redfish Lake under the Sawtooths, about an hour's drive north, where there is a sandy shore but the water is cold even at the height of summer. Closer to town there are reservoirs and river eddies on the Big Wood. Outdoor heated pools are the most reliable place to swim. Anyone who wants a proper beach should look elsewhere.

Eating out happens mostly in Ketchum, the old mining town next to the resort. For a place this small it has a surprising number of restaurants, from après-ski grills and pizza places to a few ambitious kitchens cooking Idaho trout, lamb and elk for a wealthy second-home crowd. Breakfast and coffee spots fill up early on ski mornings, and summer brings a farmers' market and patio dining.

The range is still that of a small resort town. There is no regional cuisine to seek out, little street food and few cheap options, and some kitchens close or shorten their hours in the quiet spring and autumn months.

Sun Valley's history is short but has some interest. The resort was built in 1936 by the Union Pacific railroad as America's first destination ski resort, with the world's first chairlifts. The Sun Valley Lodge and its photo-lined corridors of mid-century film stars recall that era. Ernest Hemingway spent his last years in Ketchum. His grave is in the town cemetery, and a small memorial stands by Trail Creek.

Add a local history museum, a modest art museum and a cluster of commercial galleries, and that is most of what there is to see. Nobody comes here for sightseeing, and an afternoon covers it.

Going out here means après-ski. Skiers come off the mountain into Ketchum's handful of saloons, wine bars and hotel lounges, where there might be a band on a busy winter weekend. A couple of old western bars stay loud until closing time. There are no clubs, and outside the ski season and midsummer most evenings are over not long after dinner.

This is a place you come to for the outdoors. Bald Mountain rises straight out of Ketchum. Its runs are steep and long and fall straight down the hill, with almost no flat traverses, and a separate gentle hill on the edge of town suits beginners. There is groomed Nordic skiing up the side valleys and backcountry touring in the Boulder and Smoky Mountains. Winters are cold and sunny, with dry snow.

In summer the same hills become a dense network of singletrack for mountain biking and hiking, and a paved trail runs down the valley through town. Fly fishers work the Big Wood River and the spring creek at Silver Creek. About an hour north, the jagged Sawtooth range has alpine lakes, long hikes and climbing, and there is rafting on the Salmon River. Wildflowers are everywhere in early summer and elk are often seen. In autumn the aspens turn gold.

The country around Sun Valley is wild, so there are few towns or heritage sites to visit. Hailey, a few kilometres down the valley, has a small historic main street. Stanley, beyond the Sawtooths, is a log-cabin outpost worth the drive for its setting. Twin Falls and Shoshone Falls on the Snake River are about two hours south. Boise, the nearest real city, is too far for an easy day. Most outings from here are into the mountains rather than to other places.

For families who ski or like the outdoors, Sun Valley is easy, safe and relaxed. A low, gentle hill at the edge of town is set aside for beginners, so children can learn to ski away from the main mountain, and the ski school is well run. In summer there are bike paths, an outdoor ice rink, horse rides, fishing and pools. Ketchum's streets are quiet and simple to manage with children.

Nothing here is built just for children, though. There is no zoo, no aquarium and no theme park, and rainy days are hard to fill. The altitude and the midwinter cold can be hard on toddlers, and teenagers who don't ski may find it quiet.

Within the resort area, getting around is easy. Ketchum's grid is small and flat enough to walk, a free local bus links the town, the Sun Valley village and the ski lift bases, and a paved bike path runs the length of the valley. Many visitors spend a ski week without driving.

Beyond that, you need a car. Trailheads, hot springs, the Sawtooths and fishing spots are spread along long valley roads with no public transport, and the nearest airport, in Hailey, is small. The bigger airports are a long drive away, over roads that can be snowy in winter.

Shopping is concentrated in a few blocks of Ketchum. There are fine art and western art galleries, well-stocked ski, fly-fishing and outdoor gear shops, and a handful of upmarket boutiques selling cashmere, western wear and home decor aimed at second-home owners. The galleries hold evening walks during the main seasons. The range is narrow and prices are high, and there are no department stores or markets worth planning around.

Sun Valley is an expensive place to stay. Its wealthy second-home community sets the price of rooms, restaurant meals and lift access. Peak ski weeks and midsummer are the costliest times, and there is little budget lodging in the valley. Staying further down the valley, coming in the quiet spring or autumn months and using the free local buses all help, but it is never a cheap trip.

Summer is when performances happen here. The Sun Valley Music Festival brings a full professional orchestra to an open-sided pavilion on the lawn by the lodge for several weeks of symphony and chamber concerts, and admission is free. People picnic on the grass to listen. On summer evenings, star figure skaters perform on the outdoor rink, a tradition that goes back to the resort's early years.

The rest of the year there is little: a small community theatre company down the valley, occasional bands in the bars and the odd touring act. Outside summer, visitors who care about live performance will find almost nothing.

Sun Valley has a slow, restful pace once the lifts close. The resort and the larger hotels have full spas and steaming outdoor heated pools, which are especially good under falling snow. Up the Warm Springs valley west of Ketchum, natural hot springs pool beside the creek. These are rough, undeveloped soaks reached by a dirt road, and they feel nothing like a spa. North of town there is a simple hot springs pool.

There is no historic bathing tradition here, though, and rest mostly means quiet mornings, mountain air and an early night rather than a culture built around wellness.