Location, Location, Location
Here Comes the Sun WHERE: Sun Valley Lodge in Sun Valley, Idaho WHY: Sun Valley celebrates 80 years with a newly refurbished lodge and spa and a plethora of restaurants and year-round activities. The historic mining town was ranked #2 Ski Resort by Ski Magazine, with two major ski resorts: 9,150-foot-high Bald Mountain, or “Baldy Mountain,” for intermediate and advanced skiers, and 6,638-foot-high Dollar Mountain, geared more for beginners. HOW: Fly LAX to Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) on Alaska and United. 1 Sun Valley Road in Sun Valley, Idaho, 800-786-8259, sunvalley.com WHAT: Once a preferred spot for the likes of Warren Miller, Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood and Frank Sinatra, the iconic, 108-room Sun Valley Lodge has undergone a major renovation (brought completely down to the original studs) with upgrades including expanded guestrooms—some with dual-sided fireplaces—and bathrooms with walk-in showers and bathtubs. Rooms feature flat-screen TVs flashing the iconic film Sun Valley Serenade, crisp white linens, writing desks, and Keurig coffee and tea makers. (Ernest Hemingway penned part of For Whom the Bell Tolls in the office of the Hemingway Suite.) The property, originally built in 1935 by Stanley Underwood, also boasts an updated fitness center, a heated outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, a refurbished bowling alley and arcade, and a 20,000-square-foot spa lined with historic black-andwhite photos. Treatments range from the Cloud Nine Massage (customized to target specific tight or sore muscles) to the detoxifying Green Tea Wrap to help promote immunity. Sign up for a private ice skating lesson with local pro and Disney Ice dancer Natalia Zeitseva. Book a walking tour of Ketchum with husband-and-wife duo Jim and Wendy Jaquet (wendyjaquet@yahoo.com) and explore history, art galleries and must-see sights such as the Sun Valley Museum of History (comlib.org), where exhibits have included a Ski Hall of Fame with hometown heroes including Picabo Street and a display of ski gear through the decades. From Trail Creek Cabin—a rustic, log cabin-gone-restaurant accessible via a horse-drawn sleigh ride—to an Austrianinspired bakery recalling a ski chalet, there are plenty of restaurant options around town. Start early with a hearty breakfast at Gretchen’s at the Sun Valley Lodge. The recently revamped eatery, aptly named for Olympic Alpine medalist Gretchen Fraser—the first American to win a gold medal in skiing in 1948, serves organic steel-cut oatmeal; egg white frittatas with cherry tomatoes and spinach; “Power Bowls” with quinoa, edamame and baby kale; and cinnamon bread pudding French toast drizzled with walnut and brown sugar. For a leisurely afternoon lunch or dinner après skiing, take the gondola to the top of Bald Mountain to Roundhouse. (Comfy Pendleton-style blankets are included for the ride to and from the base.) Lunch options range from fondue paired with apple slices, bread and pears to duck salad, while dinner offers items from apple cider bisque with cardamom to branzino with celery root velouté. l
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SOUTHBAY, APRIL 2016
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