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Bucket List, Summer

Finding Water in a Desert: A Guide to Sun Valley’s Swimming Spots

Sure Sun Valley might technically be considered a desert region, but believe me, there is no shortage of natural water sources. Keep in mind I’m still far from the highly acclaimed local status but if a fellow Out-of-Towner asked me, my top 5 spots thus far would have to be:

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Summer

My First Rodeo Sun Valley Style

July 4, 2014: For weeks I’d been hearing about how ‘hard’ Sun Valley goes on the day of America’s independence. “Just wait for the Fourth”, people kept saying. So after experiencing the 4th of July madness firsthand, I’m here to tell the tale.

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Biking, Summer

Ride Sun Valley: The Best Time on Two Wheels Anywhere!

The Smith Optics Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival brought some of the best racers and good timers out there to Sun Valley. Headlining the festival was the Scott Sports Enduro Cup presented by GoPro   And yes, all the way down there, way below, where the cars look like little ants, yep that’s the finish.   It began four years ago with a dream we had to put together a chemistry experiment of sorts.  Why wouldn’t the perfect organism of mountain biking, Sun Valley, thrive with a concoction of one part fun, one part silliness, and one part competition mixed with good food and great beer injected into its vein just around the time it ripens into the ideal host?   Mountain biking’s unknown paradise needed a festival and so we cooked one up.  This summer, the Smith Optics Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival elevated the health of the creature to an all time high, putting together the perfect elixir encompassing four nights and three days of riding, racing, live music, beer drinking and, most importantly, just generally goofing off. The weekend began with the Sheeptown Drag Races, a time honored underground event in the valley which was cooked up …

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Arts & Culture, Summer

DEATH TO DAY JOBS 3: A Preview and Not-So-Subtle Invitation to Come Out!

When some people think of Sun Valley, it’s any guess what comes to mind, but one image the might catch one unexpectedly by the scruff of the neck, is the very real and very rad young artist community which calls this place home.  Forget the image of Golden Girls meets Lawrence Welk in the mountains, we’ve got it going on. Being an artist in Sun Valley sounds about like nirvana, except living here has its challenges, like getting by.  Which is the theme of a now in its third installment art show, Death to Day Jobs which is about creating that escape from working the daily grind in paradise.  It’s about getting elevated to a higher level of paradise which sounds like a fantasy role playing game… but whatever.  The art and artists not to mention super fun group that comes out for this show each year makes it without a doubt the place to be.  All cozied up at Ochi Gallery on Lewis Street you will catch a beer buzz and revel in the hum of creativity, ironic eyeglasses, body ink, and people who look like the belong in the city, living life in the rad lane right here in Sun Valley.  So be there, tonight, July 3rd at OCHI Gallery on Lewis Street, 7:00 pm sharp!

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INTRODUCING THE SUMMER INTERN: A Young Seattleite’s First Taste of Sun Valley

Living the dream is a phrase which we hear frequently, but truly experience rarely.  Yet the stars aligned and here I am, the summer intern, in mountain paradise.  For the next four weeks I am going to be giving you the first person, no holds barred experience of getting to know Sun Valley. Classic mountain biker pose at the top of Bald Mountain w/ Teddy Oram For those of you who haven’t met me, which I would imagine is most of you, my name is Asa Redfield. On June 15th I pulled into Sun Valley riding my golden steed of a car with minimal knowledge of the area or even the state of Idaho. I’m here answer an ad for a summer internship on behalf of an online-marketing role with a local start-up called PlayHard GiveBack whose mission is, you guessed it, to help others keep playing hard while simultaneously giving back. It’s a pretty rad company and you can check more of them out here: Play Hard Give Back. En route to Sun Valley from Seattle! (Taking pictures while driving is not recommended…) So basically it’s been just over two weeks now that I’ve been living here in Sun …