Sun Valley
The rich and famous have a habit of coming to the ski resort of Sun Valley in Idaho. The affluent area attracts many tourists and most people with property here, buy in to second homes. In addition to skiing, there are other activities to enjoy, such as hiking, ice skating, trail riding and tennis.
It was the first winter resort of its kind to open in the US. Visitors began to come on a big scale when accommodation was offered at the Sun Valley Lodge from 1936. Hollywood stars, such as Clark Gable and Gary Cooper, were invited along to publicize the destination. The first chairlifts in the world were installed on Proctor and Dollar Mountains.
World War II caused Sun Valley to close for the duration and a convalescent hospital opened, which was used by US Navy personnel. It re-opened as a ski resort in December 1946. The resort continued to have ties with the famous and Ernest Hemingway famously stayed long enough to write For Whom the Bell Tolls there. Actors who frequent the resort have included Bruce Willis, Arnold Swarzennegger and Adam West.
The resort hosted many ski competitions before the World Cup races were organized and then hosted the World Cup itself in 1975. These events, along with the introduction of snowmaking equipment in the 1980s boosted the number of visitors each year. The main ski area in Sun Valley is Bald Mountain, which peaks at 2,789m. Skiers consider it to be one of the finest mountains in the world for skiing on, largely due to its absence of wind. There are 75 runs and 19 ski lifts. Dollar Mountain is also popular, especially with novices. It is without trees and has gentle slopes. There is a tubing hill and a magic carpet for first time skiers A new day lodge opened in 2005, constructed in timber, rock and glass.
There is plenty to do here in summer as well as winter. There are trails for horseback riding and day hikes with llamas carrying the equipment! The River Salmon and River Payette are popular with people fishing for trout and the adventurous who like to river raft or go by kayak or tube over the rapids. There are also some large Alpine lakes, north of Sun Valley, where visitors can windsurf, water ski, swim or go canoeing or scuba diving. There are a few golf courses too, to the south at Elkhorn.
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