When visiting Idaho, there are plenty of different options for where to go: Boise, Stanley, Pocatello. But when deciding between a small resort town, you might come down to the decision between McCall and Sun Valley. Which to choose? There are many similarities between the two small resorts towns, but a bevy of differences to separate the winter experiences you might have in each. The populations of McCall and Ketchum are roughly the same (just under 3,000) though “Sun Valley” as a whole area encompasses a much higher number. McCall’s terrain focuses on lake life (Payette Lake being a major draw for the area especially in the summer) with more subtle mountain peaks surrounding it and a greater density of Ponderosa Pines. In Sun Valley, the terrain is ALL about the mountains—jagged peaks at high elevation surrounding you in every direction. McCall definitly sees peak traffic during the summer holidays with its large lake and boating activities. On the other hand Sun Valley is a winter Mecca that sees thousands of skiers descend on the town during December. Both towns are about 2.5 hours from the state capitol of Boise. Although the Boise airport is the main access point for …
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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, …
24hrs with a Local: Susan Nieves, December
Originally visitors to Sun Valley from Seattle, Susan and Mark Nieves, the owners of retail shop Independent Goods, were so enthralled with the area that in 2013 they packed up and came to Ketchum to live, raise their family, and open their own store. Ever-present in their store is the importance of connection: to customers, to craft makers, to each other. And that same priority of connection is apparent in Susan’s perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley where much of the day is spent forming and strengthening bonds to others in this town. How does your perfect day start? Susan: We start by playing vinyl—anything from Mary Popins to Blondie—having coffee, and possibly a special treat of pastries from Hank & Sylvies or Konditorie or a Bigwood Bread Ham & Cheese croissant. That gets us and our 4-year-old going. After that, I head into the shop to help customers find gifts for themselves, loved ones, or clients. What’s a day in the shop like? Susan: People hang out here for a really long time and we get to know our customers or tourists really well. Mark and I write the story cards on display with each product; writing them connects …
Salt Lake City to Sun Valley Travel
A fellow ski resort town, Salt Lake has lots of great winter activities to keep residents happy. But at such close proximity to Sun Valley—potentially just a one-hour flight—it’s worth it to invest in a little winter vacay time at this Idaho resort. Whether traveling here entails flying or driving, it’s a quick trip to come experience a fellow western ski resort, albeit one with its own delights and attractions. Flying Direct to Sun Valley If you want to book a flight to Sun Valley, you have two options: fly direct into Sun Valley’s Friedman Memorial Airport (actually located in Hailey, 13.5 miles south of Sun Valley) or into Boise which is 2 ½ hours away by car. The easiest and quickest way from Salt Lake to Sun Valley is the direct flight from Delta, flying nonstop three times daily this winter. While this option is the easiest, keep in mind that occasionally extreme winter weather will affect flights into and out of our airport (SUN). Weather-related diversions into the Friedman Memorial Airport have been drastically reduced thanks to new landing system approach technology. As a result, there is no longer a winter busing program. If you are traveling by …
24hrs with a Local: Wild Rye’s Cassie Abel, October
Cassie Abel is the CEO and co-founder of Wild Rye, a company dedicated to creating mountain apparel for women of all sizes, ages, and skill levels—an area she saw was decidedly lacking after spending years working in the outdoor apparel industry. Though Abel didn’t found the Ketchum-based company until 2015, she has been living here fulltime for about 10 years and spent much of her life in and out of the Valley; she’s held down jobs at local favorites like Java, the Cellar Pub, and Smith. As the kind of woman her brand targets—mountain biker, skier, busy mom—Cassie is the perfect mountain lady to tell us how to spend an ideal day in Ketchum, Idaho. How do you start your ideal day? Can I give you two ideal days? Cause one’s going to involve my toddler, and one will not! So if I don’t have my toddler, I wake up and drink some coffee on my porch. If I’m heading out for coffee, go to Lizzie’s or Maude’s and get a really delicious latte. Then I’d go for a big bike ride like Osberg’s, Alden, or Greenhorn/Imperial. How do you refuel after a long bike ride like that? Probably grab …
Late Night Eats in Sun Valley
While the Sun Valley area is synonymous with restaurant options that close early, there are a surprising number of spot do stay open until 10pm or later (especially in the summer) and are happy to take in the late-night foodies. We’ve has compiled a list of places to go for a late night eats for those not accustomed to the early
24hrs with a Local: Sawtooth Brewery’s Kevin Jones, September
In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. Back-to-school vibes are in the air, and just last week, the peaks around Sun Valley had their first dusting of early snow. Fall comes a bit early here in the mountains, but you won’t find us complaining—it’s a magical season. With perfectly warm days and deliciously cool nights, fall is the perfect time to experience Sun Valley’s natural beauty and cultural events, including Wagon Days, the Gallery Walk, the Ernest Hemingway Seminar, the Baldy Hill Climb, and Oktoberfest. To hear more about this year’s Oktoberfest, we reached out to Kevin Jones, co-founder and Business Director of Sawtooth Brewery. Sawtooth Brewery, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in November, began as a small taproom in a hotel in Ketchum. “We started the brewery when we were young and single,” says Kevin. “We had a vision of a place where people could drink local beer after a day of skiing or biking.” Now, Kevin and his business partner, head brewer and CEO Paul Holle, have two restaurants, the Public House in Ketchum and the Tap Room …
24hrs with a Local:Sun Valley Culinary Institute’s Karl Uri, July
In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24hrs in Sun Valley for July. (photo above: Idaho Mt. Express) Hold onto your horses—summer is here! This is the season for hiking, riding, strolling, listening, gathering, and soaking in all the beauty and fun of a mountain town in its warmest months. After a summer of few events in 2020, organizers and organizations are pulling out all the stops to create an action-packed schedule of music, exhibits, speakers, and activities. So clear your calendar, slather on the sunscreen, and let’s do this. For this month’s edition of 24Hrs in Sun Valley, we caught up with Karl Uri, Director of the Sun Valley Culinary Institute. The Sun Valley Culinary Institute, or SVCI as its known, is a culinary hub for the Wood River Valley, providing culinary education and experiences for residents and visitors. Their popular cooking classes present seasonal and relevant culinary experiences in the form of chef demonstrations, skills development, wine tasting, and hands-on time in their professional kitchen. SVCI’s other offerings include a one-year professional program for culinary arts and beautiful event space in their iconic brick building on Main Street in Ketchum, built …
24hrs with a Local: BCRD’s Mark Davidson, June
In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. The days are getting longer, the temperatures are warming up, and if summer hasn’t officially arrived, it will soon. June is a special month in Sun Valley—warm enough to break out the summer clothing, but early enough in the season to have the trails and rivers all to yourself. For our 24hrs Sun Valley – June edition, we reached out to Mark Davidson, Executive Director of the Blaine County Recreation District. Known locally as the BCRD, the Blaine County Recreation District’s mission is to enhance Blaine County’s quality of life by creating healthy, active recreational opportunities for all. They do this through a mix of programming, including youth sports leagues, adult fitness classes, and HUB after-school care, and facilities such as the outdoor Aquatic Center, FitWorks fitness center, Galena Lodge, and a network of summer and winter trails. Though perhaps best known for their extensive groomed Nordic trail network, it’s a different trail system that has captured the attention of trail lovers this spring—BCRD’s new Quigley Trails Park in Hailey. Quigley Trails Park …
Locals Guide to Art Galleries in Sun Valley
Ketchum local Rudi Broschofsky grew up with art—after all, his parents opened Broschofsky Galleries in 1987 when he was just 5 years old. Spending days in the gallery after school and helping with Gallery Walks enmeshed him in Ketchum’s art scene and gave him an appreciation for art that would last a lifetime. After becoming partnered into the gallery in 2005, Rudi moved to Portland for several years where he started his own street art gallery, Flat Blak, before moving back to Ketchum almost two years ago to take over the majority of day-to-day operations at Broshofsky Galleries. An artist himself, Rudi’s street art approach to western art can be seen in various spots around town like his “Roper” sculpture on Main and Fourth in Ketchum. As a lifelong local, artist, and gallery owner, Rudi is the best man in town to give you the 411 on Ketchum’s art gallery scene. How would you describe the gallery scene in this town generally? Rudi: I’d say the gallery scene here is better than most cities actually. A lot of people don’t realize the magnitude of the art scene here in Ketchum, it’s world-class and conveniently stuffed within a few short blocks. …