5 minute read
Living in a Snow Globe
Enjoying the holiday season in Sun Valley
BY MIKE MCKENNA
There’s an old saying in Sun Valley that you sometimes hear on snowy winter days, and it goes: “We’re living in a snow globe.”
The slopes and Austrian-inspired village at Sun Valley, as well as the quaint mountain towns of Ketchum, Hailey, and Bellevue that line the Wood River Valley can be downright dreamy during the holiday season. Not only are the towns all gussied up in lights and decorations, but there are all kinds of festive ways to have fun for folks of every age and ability—indoors and out.
PHOTO BY CAROL WALLER
Few know and love the holidays in Sun Valley more than Hailey’s beloved Mayor, Martha “Beaver” Burke.
“What I love most about the holiday season here are the wonderful smells of wood smoke from fireplaces and the scent of fresh cut Christmas trees. The sounds of groups like the high school choir, Colla Voce, singing and the crunch of fresh snow under your feet as you walk. The lights that line the trees along Main Street and the beautifully decorated shops and stores. The mountain skyline in the winter and, of course, the stars at night,” Burke said. “It becomes a fairyland around here. It looks like we’re living in one of those decorative villages people put under their Christmas trees.”
Sun Valley celebrated its first Christmas in 1936 and most of the resort still looks the same as it did that star-studded first holiday. But you don’t have to be as famous as Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert once were to enjoy the same stunning spots to eat, drink, and be merry. From the slopes to the hot tubs to all the tasty places to dine and drink, or shop and play, it’s tough to top the holiday season in Sun Valley.
Hailey’s Main Street lights up with down-home holiday spirit and plenty of local revelry.
PHOTO BY CAROL WALLER
The holiday festivities kick off with tree lightings and appearances by Santa in Hailey, Ketchum, and Sun Valley as December storms in. The famous Torch Light Parade rings in Christmas Eve, as skiers alight the slopes of Dollar Mountain and offer a guiding light for Santa to find this little slice of wintry heaven.
PHOTO BY CAROL WALLER
The lights that line Main Street in Hailey were the guiding lights for current Sun Valley Mayor Peter Hendricks for years, back when he and his family would make the trek from California to the Wood River Valley each winter for the holidays.
“We’d get so excited when we’d see them. They were our welcome to Sun Valley,” Hendricks said about a tradition that began in the 1980s, nearly 30 years before he would move to Sun Valley full time and eventually be elected as mayor of the small town (population 1,814).
“Part of the charm of the place is that you had to go out of the way to get here,” Hendricks fondly recalled, “But when you got here, boy it was worth it. This is a really cool, a really special place.”
PHOTO BY CAROL WALLER
Besides all the traditional holiday fun, there are a lot of unique ways to enjoy the season in Sun Valley. Of course, there’s plenty of skiing—Sun Valley is America’s original ski resort and was named “Best in the Country” by the Ski Magazine Readers Poll for the third consecutive year. Sun Valley was also once again selected to host the U.S. Alpine Nationals in April.
Baldy, as locals call Sun Valley’s largest ski hill, offers over 2,000 acres and 3,400 vertical feet of skiing. Meanwhile, Dollar Mountain is a great place for beginners as well as fans of parks and pipes. There are also over 40 kilometers of groomed Nordic ski trails that offer snowshoeing, fat tire mountain biking, and idyllic winter walking.
PHOTO BY CAROL WALLER
There are lots of sledding options, too. The sledding hill in Sun Valley is very popular as are spots to the north of town at Baker Creek and in the hillsides of Hailey.
Playing hard during the day is part of the Sun Valley tradition, but so is partying hard afterwards. Après options abound as well, from classic ski town bars like the “the Pio” or “the Pioneer Saloon,” Grumpy’s, and the Casino to more modern hot spots like Enoteca, The Covey, and Sun Valley Wine Company.
PHOTO BY CAROL WALLER
While all the fun things to do and gorgeous mountain views in the winter make Sun Valley a sweet spot, it’s the community that really makes the place special.
“The natural beauty of this place is really inspiring, but it’s the attitude of the people here. They’re friendly, welcoming. They really put a smile on your face,” Hendricks said. “People here have an attitude of being fun, hopeful, positive, optimistic. It makes this an upbeat place.”
Sun Valley is especially upbeat during the holiday season when the snow is falling, the lights are glimmering, and you feel all snuggled up deep in the heart of the mountains of Idaho.
As Mayor Burke said, “It really is a snow globe come to life.”
