The summer season offers visitors the option of enjoying the splendor of the Wood River Valley’s scenic views from the comfort of some of the best patios and decks for dining. Whether it’s post-golfing on the patio of Sun Valley’s Clubhouse or enjoying free music on the deck at Bellevue’s Mahoney’s, these are the best spots to grab a sip or a bite and soak up some summer rays. Ketchum and Sun Valley When settling on a deck or patio to enjoy in the Ketchum and Sun Valley area, there are a few questions to consider. How much sun are you looking to get? Are you heading for an afternoon drink or want a full meal? Do you want to hear music? Lefty’s For those looking for the most sun for their buck, the deck at Lefty’s can’t be beat. With the afternoon rays hitting the area directly, you’ll find this deck packed with locals and visitors alike on weekday and weekend afternoons all summer. Musicians play here sporadically and fare includes basic pub food like burgers and drinks of the mostly beer persuasion. Grumpy’s Another mid-day local’s favorite is Grumpy’s, home of the schooner and classic pub fare. The …
This is the Sawtooth Botanical Garden
Discover the Sawtooth Botanical Garden in Ketchum, Idaho where you’ll find several south-central Idaho biomes, a prayer wheel blessed by the Dalai Lama, a variety of classes and more.
What We’re Made Of: Wood River Valley Studio Tour President – Suzanne Hazlett
Suzanne Hazlett personifies someone who is simultaneously left- and right-brained. The financial consultant and former vice president of Merrill Lynch is also an artist and co-founder and president of the Wood River Valley Studio Tour (WRVST), an annual event that allows the public to visit the working studios of the many professional artists in the Valley. Not an easy feat, Hazlett manages her own business while striving each year to elevate the experience of patrons of the Tour whether that means changing the time of year of the event to allow the maximum number of people to experience it or changing how information on the Tour is published. A powerhouse and expert multitask master, Hazlett truly personifies the entrepreneurial spirit of Sun Valley, furthering the town’s reputation as a world-class arts destination. Although deeply enmeshed in the Sun Valley arts scene—both as a professional artist and as president of the Tour—Hazlett has spent the majority of her life working in finance. After graduating from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, Hazlett went on to get a Master of Business Administration from the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University. She earned her Certified Investment Management Analyst, CIMA …
How to Maximize Your Dollar in Sun Valley This Summer
At the time, Sun Valley has the perception of being too expensive to enjoy. But like anything in life, there are usually affordable or free ways to find a good time, even especially in Sun Valley. And while we’re not saying you’re a dirtbag, the following are tips on how to live the most…money averse couple of days in Sun Valley in the summer. Getting Here Flying directly into Hailey’s Friedman Memorial Airport can be pricey over the 4th of July week but there are often deals run at various points throughout the year. We recommend checking out our Getting Here page or scoping airfarewatchdog.com for your best and most affordable options. Flying into Boise or Twin Falls and renting a car is also a viable route. Places to Stay Summer is full of inexpensive or free options to stay, the cheapest being camping. There are campsites out Sun Valley Road at both Boundary Campground, a traditional campground with bathroom facilities and grills that costs $10/night. This is a great spot as it is located close enough to town to bike if you’re really looking to cut costs. North of town by the SNRA is the North Fork Campgrounds for $16/night and have water and bathroom facilities. …
Sun Valley Resort Partnership With the Epic Pass
What the EPIC pass means for skiing and snowboarding at Sun Valley Resort
Weather Related Air Diversions in Sun Valley
Unpredictable Weather They say in the Wood River Valley…and well, a lot of places, if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes. At times it can work out handsomely in your favor yet it can also have a less desirable impact if you’re flying in and out of the Sun Valley area. We’re fortunate to have Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) located right here in the heart of the Valley, complete with nonstop commercial flights from 6-major cities. However, this amazing geographical location coupled with the unpredictable nature of weather in the mountains can interrupt the best laid air travel plans. We’ve compiled the ultimate guide to preparing for a possible weather-related delay or diversion when flying to and from Sun Valley. New Flight Approach Procedures The result of a multi-year collaboration between the Federal Aviation Administration, Friedman Memorial Airport, Flight Tech Engineering LLC, and SUN commercial carrier SkyWest and their partner airlines, Delta, and United, the new proprietary approach procedure is now in use. This allows flights to land with much lower ceiling and visibility than permitted by SUN’s past approach procedures. Alaska Airlines has used similar technology at SUN since 2016 and has seen a dramatic drop in their number of weather-related flight diversions. However, it is important to remember, this does not …
What We’re Made Of: Maude’s Coffee & Clothes Owners – Jacob & Tara
The Entrepreneurial Spirit Jacob and Tara Frehling are the newest generation of a host of entrepreneurial Frehlings in the Wood River Valley. Jacob’s mother Annette owns the clothing shop Sister in Ketchum, cousins Maeme and Callie Rasberry own the lunch spot Rasberry’s in Ketchum, and father James opened the original Esta’s restaurant on Main Street. Now Jacob and Tara own Maude’s, a combination coffee shop and vintage clothing store in the heart of Ketchum. After owning a food truck before Maude’s and with aspirations for future businesses, these Frehlings plan to leave a long legacy in Ketchum. “Our whole pastime in life as a couple is spit-balling business ideas,” says Jacob. The business-minded couple, who married in 2017, met while attending the same high school in Portland, Oregon. Although Jacob grew up in the Valley, he attended the last few years of high school at Northwest Academy and then attended Portland State University a year behind Tara. “We were living in a house with seven other people, a total teenager house,” explains Tara. The couple began dating during college and graduated with degrees in psychology (her) and sociology (him) before Jacob headed back to his hometown to open the first …
What We’re Made Of: Community Leader – Courtney Hamilton
Spending your 20’s in Ketchum, Idaho can look a lot of different ways. Many people dedicate themselves to ski-bum life, working at restaurants at night and crushing the pow all day. Some are dipping their toes into different types of jobs, trying to find what sticks. For Ketchum-native Courtney Hamilton, she still probably falls into the second category, but that hasn’t stopped her from wanting to make a difference in the community she’ll always call home. A city council woman, board member of the Ketchum Innovation Center, and board member of Sun Valley Economic Development, Hamilton has also worked for Sun Valley Trekking, as an Adventure Town Ambassador to Clif Bar, TEDxSunValley, home energy auditing, has lead outdoor trips for the Community School and is now the Projects Coordinator for Carson International. “I’m just your typical mountain town person, trying to find my way.” Hamilton grew up in Ketchum and after graduating from Community School headed to the west coast to attend college at Pomona College in Claremont, California where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy Analysis. Like many other kids who grow up in Ketchum, she felt that pull to go to big cities where the opportunities are. “After …
What We’re Made Of: First Lite Entrepreneur – Scott Robinson
Sun Valley, Idaho is no Silicon Valley but it has certainly seen its fair share of startups in its day. Smith Optics, Scott USA, Club Ride, DECKED, Powder Magazine, and Snowboard Magazine all got their start in this small town. Now a slew of new innovators is changing the economic scene of Ketchum including hunting apparel company First Lite. photo: courtesy First Lite Believe it or not, co-owner of First Lite, Scott Robinson, had never even hunted before moving to Ketchum when he was 23. Robinson grew up living in Seattle but ski racing and visiting Sun Valley often, so the place always held a spot in his heart. “Kenton [Carruth, co-owner of First Lite] and I both moved to Ketchum in 1993 or 1994 for the same reasons most people do—to take a break from the real world, do some skiing, and have fun in the outdoors,” says Robinson. The real world he desired to take a break from was working as a CPA in Seattle. He continued to work in financial management roles for 10 years in Ketchum before leaving Ketchum for a three-year stint at Nike. In 2004, he came back and worked for local company Smith Optics, running …
Guide to Renting Ski, Snowboard, Nordic and Snowshoe Equipment in Sun Valley
Whether you’re new to town and didn’t bring your own gear or a local just looking to try a new sport, there exist a myriad of rental options in the Wood River Valley for skis, snowboards, Nordic, and snowshoes as well as a host of shops waiting to tune, deliver, and help you learn more about all your gear! Check out our guide below for all your winter rental needs. Ski Rental Gear Sturtevant’s With locations in Ketchum, Hailey, Sun Valley and at the base of Warm Springs, Sturtevant’s is perhaps the easiest venue to find for ski gear rental. They offer rentals and demos and event season leases on their skis and snowboards. Ski rental options include their Adult Sport package for beginner to intermediate skiers, Adult Performance Demo package, a line-up of best-selling, all-mountain retail models, Adult Premium Demo for testing Sturtevant’s entire selection of skis, Junior Sport package for first-time skiers up to advanced junior skiers, and Junior Race and Twin Tip package for advanced and expert juniors. All types of rental reservations are available online through their online rental program. PK’s PK’s Ski and Sports offers ski rental packages for kids, adult sport (for softer, recreational skiers), adult performance (for …