Experience ‘the American- Shangri-la’ at Sun Valley , Idaho
Sun Valley which is located in Blaine County in Central Idaho was founded in 1936 by Count Felix Schaffgotsch under the aegis of the chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad, Averell Harriman who desired to create a European style ski resort in the American Rockies. Since then this mountain resort which is composed of two mountains and a quaint village has attracted hordes of visitors every year including several Hollywood celebrities like of Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jean-Claude Van Damme who actually reside in Sun Valley for some months of the year. Sun Valley and its adjacent city of Ketchum offer a wide array of year round recreational activities skiing, ice skating, hiking, mountain biking and trail riding.
Sun Valley Vacation Rentals
Sun Valley has over the years gained a reputation for being a playground of the rich and famous for this mountain resort has always attracted tons of celebrities who enjoy its relative isolation though this does not mean that the resort is out of reach for the ordinary vacationer for the resort is equipped with a wide array of vacation rentals which offer a reasonable mode of accommodation in this alpine paradise. These Sun Valley vacation rentals take the form of town homes, condos, lodges and multi-room estate homes which offer gorgeous mountain or golf course views and are equipped with various ‘extras’ like daily maid service, saunas, private pools and modern conveniences like coffee makers, toasters and washer /dryers. Moreover many of these rentals are geared towards large groups so if you are planning a Sun Valley sojourn with friends or family then a vacation rental should be your preferred mode of accommodation in Sun Valley.
Year Round Activities in Sun Valley
Skiing and winter sports in Sun Valley are concentrated on its two main peaks, Bald Mountain which is affectionately known as ‘Baldy’ and Dollar Mountain. Bald Mountain which rises to a height of 9150 feet and has a vertical drop of 3400 feet offers some of the most challenging ski terrain in the country as it is known for its constant pitch that enables skiers to ski downhill smoothly. Bald Mountain is often described as the best single ski mountain in the world. The treeless Dollar Mountain which has a vertical drop of 628 feet tends to cater to less experienced skiers. The ski area in Sun Valley which extends 2054 acres and has 78 ski runs is also equipped with 17 lifts which have the capacity to transport more than 28,000 skiers per hour.
The ski season in Sun Valley typically extends from the months of April to November. However the resort also receives visitors in the summer months as it is well equipped to offer various summertime pursuits like white water rafting, para-gliding, biking, hiking, skating, or walking. In fact the trail system around the neighboring town of Ketchum offers miles of paved and unpaved trails which are perfect for hiking, biking or even walking. This mountain resort even offers golf at its four 18- hole golf courses two of which have been designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr and various other recreational activities like horse riding, tennis and fishing.
Sun Valley Sights
Aside from all these recreational pursuits, Sun Valley also offers various sight-seeing opportunities in the form of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area which is located north of Ketchum and the Craters of the Moon National Monument which features solidified lava fields and is a relatively young attraction that is only about 2000 years old . Other attractions in Sun Valley include Ernest Hemingway’s grave which is situated in the Ketchum cemetery and the Ernest Hemingway Memorial which is located in Trails Creek to the north of Sun Valley. This Memorial contains a bust of Hemingway and an epitaph that he wrote for a friend who died in a hunting accident during Hemingway's first visit to Idaho. Actually Ernest Hemingway spent many years in the Sun Valley area and he often called the area his ‘second home’. Yet another interesting site in Sun Valley that is worth visiting is the Heritage and Ski Museum in Ketchum which has intriguing displays that chronicle and catalogue the history of Idaho’s ski culture.
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Festivals and Events in Sun Valley
Beautiful Sun Valley hosts a wide array of festivals and events all throughout the year like the Sun Valley Wellness festival which is held in May every year at various venues in Sun Valley and is devoted to spiritual health and well being, the Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival which is held in September every year and is the celebration of human spirituality through film and the Sun Valley Jazz Festival which is held in October every year and is always a sellout event. All these various events give vacationers an additional reason to holiday in this peaceful and tranquil mountain resort which is often referred to as an ‘American Shangri-la’.
