Located on Sun Valley Road is a small business that packs a big punch: 4 Roots, a breakfast andlunch café that serves up food for any and all dietary restrictions, from gluten-free to paleo andvegan and everything in between. What started for owners Beth Sluder and Chris Steen as ahealth journey through diet for their daughter with an autoimmune disease became an endeavorinto providing healthy, sustainable dining options for patrons—an embodiment of the café’sslogan “We have your health in mind.” How it Started Twin Falls locals, Beth and Chris began eating at 4 Roots in Twin after their now seventeen-year-old daughter began getting sick starting at the age of two. After learning that their daughter’snutrition may affect her symptoms, they became obsessed with cleaning up her diet, which ledthem to the café they would eventually buy years later. At the time, 4 Roots was a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant, with a small menu, lawn furniture for seating, and a kitchen set up for basichome cooking. But the family of three loved eating there, to the point that the owner eventuallyoffered to sell them 4 Roots in 2017.Thought it wasn’t what either Beth or Chris were involved with at the time the …
24 Hours with a Local: Monarch’s Blair Brown
January is a time of resolutions and new beginnings, when the promise of a new year drives us all to do better—especially for our minds and bodies. Blair Brown is no stranger to incorporating wellness for mind, body, and soul into her daily life. In 2023, Blair founded Monarch in Ketchum, a full-body wellness center with a variety of practitioners, devices, and treatments (like cold plunge, infrared sauna, lymphatic massage, etc.). After moving to Ketchum from Alaska when she was 11, Blair grew up skiing and playing in the mountains, instilling in her a lifelong love of both nature and this town. Before moving back to the Valley part time in 2016 (and full time in 2019), she lived in New York, working in the wellness space, with a particular focus on artisan cannabis and CBD apothecary products (her company Verté Essentials was featured in Forbes), even writing two books on CBD and hemp-derived wellness. The birth of her son, Rhodes, in 2019 spurred her move back to Ketchum full time, where she channeled her expertise in the intersection of wellness, beauty, and sustainability into creating Monarch. She and her five-year-old Rhodes live in Elkhorn with their dog Biggie and …
How to Travel Responsibly
Traveling allows people to explore new places, experience different cultures, and enjoy unforgettable moments. However, it also comes with a responsibility to protect the environment, respect local communities, and support sustainable tourism. Responsible travel ensures that future generations can enjoy the beauty of the world without harming it. If you want to make a positive impact while traveling, here are some key ways to do so. Choose Eco-Friendly Transportation The way you travel affects the environment in many ways. Airplanes contribute significantly to carbon emissions, which harm the planet. Choosing trains, buses, or shared rides whenever possible is a more eco-friendly option. For shorter distances, walking or biking is a great way to explore while reducing pollution. Travelers renting cars can opt for electric or hybrid vehicles to minimize their environmental impact. Public transport is another smart choice. Many cities have efficient metro or bus systems that help reduce traffic and emissions. Not only does this lower your carbon footprint, but it also allows you to experience the destination like a local. Support Local Communities Tourism can bring economic benefits to local communities, but only if travelers make conscious decisions. Staying in locally owned hotels, dining at family-run restaurants, and …
Eat Local! In Sun Valley, Idaho
There’s no end to the variety of restaurants, cafes, and bakeries in the Sun Valley area and greater Wood River Valley, and complementing those eats are a bounty of fresh, locally grown ingredients as well as homemade creations from area bakers and cooks. Whether you’d like to enjoy a meal completely cooked from scratch while you dine out or simply want to pick up locally made cooks to enjoy at home or on the road, Ketchum, Sun Valley, and Hailey are home to many spots to eat local made and sourced food. Restaurants So many restaurants within the Wood River Valley make many of their ingredients from scratch, source locally grown food, or buy already made products from local producers. It would take up this whole blog entry to go into each in depth, but here’s just a selection of the best spots to eat local goods. In Hailey, try dinner spot CK’s for globally inspired farm-to-table cuisine made with sustainable ingredients and lots of Idaho suppliers. Also in Hailey is high-end bike shop and pub the Powerhouse, which offers a selection of burgers, tacos, salads, and fries made with house-made, locally sourced ingredients. Ketchum dinner restaurant The Covey makes …
24 Hours With Local Amy Mattias
Practically everything that Amy Mattias does, from her job to her hobbies, revolves around locally grown food. The newly appointed Executive Director for the non-profit Sun Valley Institute for Resilience has been with the organization for five years and before that worked for Nourish Me, Lava Lake Lamb, Idaho’s Bounty, the Wood River Sustainability Center, and Kray’s Market. As the ED of the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience, Mattias manages three programs that the institute is the overarching body of: the Impact Idaho Fund, which invests in locally rooted ideas and entrepreneurs; the Local Food Alliance, which raises awareness of the local food system and puts out the Wood River Valley Locally Grown Guide, which lists all the farms, ranchers, restaurants, retail stores, and farmers’ markets that source local food; and 5B Resilient, a program about empowering everyday climate action at the individual and household level. Amy Mattias has lived in the Valley for almost ten years, the last two of which have been spent in her new home in the Bellevue Triangle, where she lives with her husband and born-and-raised local Chris Mattias, their dogs Susie B and Ripper, and eight hens and one rooster. Their property has lots …
24hrs with a Local: The Flourish Foundation’s Ryan Redman, March
Flourish Foundation’s executive director and co-founder (with his wife, Paige) Ryan Redman leads the kind of calming, wellness-centered lifestyle many in Sun Valley strive for. From dedicating hours of his early mornings to himself before work to just truly cherishing every part of living in this town, Ryan exudes contentment. Ryan’s Flourish Foundation is no different, with its vision to inspiring systemic change through heartmind cultivation, promoting personal well-being, benevolent social action, and environmental stewardship. Since its conception in 2010, the Flourish Foundation has facilitated programs that nurture life skills and transformation through ethics and values like meditation. Ryan has studied meditation and Yoga from an early age and teaches yoga in Sun Valley in addition to his work at the foundation. We asked the passionate leader, yogi, devoted husband and father of two boys what his perfect 24hrs for March in Sun Valley looks like. How does your ideal day in Sun Valley start? Ryan: After an incredible night’s sleep, I open my eyes and feel tremendous gratitude to have a human body, to live in such a beautiful place, and to be healthy and capable of providing service to the world and serving myself. Then, after my thoughts …
24hrs with a Local: 5b Fruit’s Katja Peller, February
Wellness-focused couple Parker Morris and Katja Peller have taken their passions and turned them into two thriving businesses, 5B Fruit and 5B Floatation. After hiking Baldy on a hot summer day, the two were craving a healthy smoothie. Not finding one that satisfied them, the two opened what they thought would be a small smoothie stand and turned it into the popular shop it is today. While their days are busy behind the counter at 5B making delicious smoothies and bowls, they still have time to enjoy raising chickens and their dogs Tilly and Garth on their farm south of Bellevue where they’ll be getting married this summer. Learn how Katja spends the perfect day in Sun Valley! How does your perfect day start? Coffee/breakfast somewhere? Easy morning at home? Katja: Usually, mornings start very early to make sure things are taken care of around the farm. The drive from my house to Ketchum is about 40 minutes so I listen to a podcast to start the day off. Then I stop at Lizzy’s on my way into town. A day can’t start and is not complete without a cup of coffee. My favorite way to start the day is …
24hrs with a Local: Gather Yoga’s Danielle Fuller, January
Going into the new year, Danielle Fuller has her intentions set around being mindful and grateful, especially for this beautiful town we live in. The mom of three (and three step kids!) is often busy running errands, doing the pick-up/drop-off for her kids, as well as running her business, Gather Yoga & Studio. After completing her yoga teacher training in 2009 and moving from Portland to Ketchum the same year, Danielle opened her studio in 2013 and since then has been teaching yoga alongside her studio’s other teachers. See how this busy woman does it all while still having fun and staying healthy in this editions of 24hrs in Sun Valley, January edition. How does your morning start? Danielle: Just coming off the holidays, I’m trying to stay true to my New Year’s intentions around health and well-being. I start the day early, around 6:30, with a morning dog walk in the sunshine and snow out East Fork, where I live, while listening to my favorite podcast. I walk my favorite loop and get in the mindset for the day before heading up to town to catch a yoga class with Cathie Caccia at Gather to get my body, mind, …
Sun Valley: A Spiritual Vortex
There’s a certain magnetism to Sun Valley, a pull that draws in people from all walks of life. People come to vacation here for a few days and decide to move here. Celebrities, athletes, chefs, artists, and all manner of passionate people are drawn to this special place. The reason, according to Life Purpose Shaman, the owner of the Crystal Healing Room in Ketchum, is a positive energy vortex at the center of Sun Valley which she discovered 25 years ago. Shaman has had 30-plus years of experience healing, including receiving mentoring from Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and the Dalai Lama. Shaman explains how and why she came to Sun Valley and the impact of the vortex on the energy of our town and its inhabitants. What originally brought you to Sun Valley? Shaman: Over 25 years ago, I actually saw a vision of the energy and vibration that’s in Sun Valley. I am an intuitive, spiritual healer who connects with the vibration or frequency of the earth’s vortexes. Since I was very young, I’ve studied with many different shamans and healers and spiritual leaders because of my abilities. When I had this vision, I knew it was …
5 Ways to Immerse Yourself in Sun Valley’s Wellness
With fresh mountain air invigorating your soul and the sun shining deep into your subconsciousness, you will come to know why Sun Valley revels in a level of wellness and health not found many places. From healing hot springs to meditative botanic gardens to day spas and health food stores, it’s place where the words “clean living” take on real meaning. We have gathered the five best ways to dive into all of Sun Valley’s wellness offerings so that you can make the most of your visit and return refreshed and recharged. Yoga Spas If you simply need to chill, pamper yourself with a hot-stone massage, facial or acupuncture treatment to relax your mind and revive your senses, you can do that, too. Fitness and Exercise Sure, Sun Valley has trails that go on for miles, and hiking up or skiing down Bald Mountain is a sure-fire way to torch some calories. But, if you’re more in the mood for a good stretch, a core/muscle building workout or a trainer pushing you to try even harder, there are several world class gyms and studios for you to choose from that offer everything from yoga mats to salt water swim lanes. …