Travel Diary: Skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho

While in previous years, I wanted to visit as many other countries as possible, I'm increasingly interested in exploring the beauty of the United States too. After coming across some photos on social media of Idaho during different seasons, I knew that I wanted to visit -- and I got my opportunity when I learned that the Sun Valley Resort was on the Epic Pass for the 2021-2022 ski season! Since we have the Epic Pass, my husband and I decided to book a few days of skiing in Sun Valley in mid-March.

We spent 3 nights in Ketchum, Idaho, and 2 days skiing Sun Valley, and while it never feels like a trip is long enough, it certainly felt that way in Idaho -- there was so much natural beauty that I could have spent days just soaking it in. I don't even know how to describe it, but I just didn't feel like I was in the United States but in a snowy version of The Sound of Music. 

It was so beautiful that Sun Valley instantly became my favorite ski resort, even if I'm now a little scaredy-cat when it comes to skiing. When I was younger, I was fearless and would fly down the mountain, but now I feel out of control with even the slightest speed, so I prefer to stick to the greens and blues that I know (especially out West, where the slopes are usually steeper and faster than their color counterparts in the East).

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tips and general info:

  • When we were planning our trip, it was a little confusing seeing both "Ketchum" and "Sun Valley" used for the area. The cities of Ketchum and Sun Valley are right next to each other, and people generally use the term "Sun Valley" to speak of the entire region (including Ketchum). We stayed at a hotel located in Ketchum, and all the restaurants we went to were in Ketchum.
  • Sun Valley is the site of the world's first chairlifts!
  • Celebrities have long been fans of Sun Valley, and Ernest Hemingway's summer residence (and location of his death) was in Ketchum.
  • One thing I was so excited about -- the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve. When I was looking into stargazing on our honeymoon in New Zealand, I learned that Idaho has its own dark-sky preserve -- and it's the first (and only) gold-tier dark sky preserve in the United States and one of just 11 in the world. I was a little confused because in New Zealand, it seemed like there were specific places to go in order to stargaze, but the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve spans over Ketchum, Sun Valley, and Stanley, and anywhere from within the boundaries is likely to be a good spot to stargaze.

itinerary:

  • Sun Valley isn't the most convenient ski resort to get to -- it was a ~2.5 hour drive from Boise, where we flew into. However, the drive was pretty scenic and went by quickly. (You can also fly to the Hailey airport, about 15 miles away, or fly into Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, or even Salt Lake City and drive from any of them.) 
  • We stayed at the Best Western Tyrolean Lodge in Ketchum. While I would have loved to stay at the Sun Valley Lodge, we knew we wouldn't spend too much time in our rooms and figured we should save money where we could. This Best Western was practically within walking distance of the base of the mountain (there's another Best Western on the main street), and it was perfect for our needs. (Just FYI, there is no elevator, so we were glad we were on the first floor!)
  • We decided to fly in on a Saturday, ski Sunday and Monday, and leave Tuesday.
  • We learned from our honeymoon to always schedule weather-dependent things at the beginning of the trip, in case the weather isn't right and you need to reschedule. So we tried to stargaze the first day and drove about 40 minutes to the Galena Overlook, but it was unfortunately cloudy. The second night was most clear, but unfortunately we were tired from skiing and had indulged in a few beverages, so we weren't up for driving to the overlook again. However, we could easily see the stars as we walked back to our hotel from dinner!

photo diary:


View from the Galena Overlook -- we went at night on a cloudy day, but it was still a stunning experience, and I could tell this view would have been gorgeous on a clear night -- or even during the day.

Hat: Kyi Kyi (affiliate link) | Jacket: Sam Edelman (affiliate link, similar here) | Fleece-lined leggings: Plush (affiliate link, non-stirrup available here) | Shoes: Adidas (affiliate link)

On the first chairlift the first day and seriously overwhelmed by the beauty of Sun Valley.

I can never find glasses or goggles that actually fit my face, sadly, but I almost prefer not to wear my googles when skiing so I can see the snow with clear eyes (and the air on my face helps keep me from overheating).

This view!!! Another one of those moments when I wish I were a better photographer so I could actually do these sights justice.

I have a very dumb sense of humor and I kept joking this ski patrol flag was actually a Switzerland flag and we were skiing in Switzerland (even though I have never even been to Switzerland... another bucket list trip!)



Lunch at the Roundhouse! We decided to order the fondue and charcuterie... and of course I got a hot chocolate, too :-)


Outside at the Roundhouse, which was amazing and made us feel so fancy.

Overlooking Broadway Face.
Jacket: L.L. Bean (affiliate link) | Ski pants: Arctix (affiliate link)

Gretchen's Gold, Muffy's Medals, and Christin's Silver




Ear muffs: Amazon (affiliate link) | Sweater: Old Navy | Scarf: J. Crew



Jacket: L.L. Bean | Ski pants: Arctix (affiliate link)

I was constantly in awe of how pretty the views were!


On the first day, I accidentally filmed another man in a black jacket and mirrored goggles thinking it was my husband... so he decided to make sure that couldn't happen again on the second day, haha! (Plus it was warmer than the first day!)




Lunch on Monday was at the Seattle Ridge Day Lodge, which was so cute and surprisingly not crowded!

Tank top: Etsy (affiliate link), from a bachelorette!

Between my chicken fingers and this view, I was a happy girl.



Can you spot my husband on this catwalk? ;-)

Poncho: Pink Lily (affiliate link) | Shirt: Gap Factory (affiliate link) | Nail polish: Essie (affiliate link)

Hat: Kyi Kyi (affiliate link) | Poncho: Pink Lily (affiliate link) | Shirt: Gap Factory (affiliate link)

On our drive back to the airport Tuesday! I would have liked to have stopped even more for photos on the drive, but on Saturday we wanted to get to town and thought we'd have the return trip, and on Tuesday, the overlooks hadn't been plowed yet.

Hat: Kyi Kyi (affiliate link) | Shirt: Gap Factory (affiliate link) | Vest: Old Navy | Fleece-lined leggings: Plush (affiliate link) | Boots: Sorel, also available on Amazon (affiliate links)

where to eat and drink:

what to do:

  • Ski or snowboard, obviously!
  • Stargaze -- we loved the Galena Overlook but also considered going to the Sawtooth National Recreation Area Visitor Center or the Craters of the Moon National Monument.
  • Take a sleigh ride
  • Winter fly fishing

links I used or recommend:

Next year, Sun Valley will be on the Ikon ski pass, along with several other resorts I want to visit (Sunday River in Maine, Snowshoe in West Virginia, Big Sky in Montana) -- so I'm hoping we'll get to go back!

My next goal is to visit the Sun Valley area in the summer or fall. There are so many hikes I'd like to do. Luckily, husband saw that one of his favorite country artists will be performing in Ketchum in June, so I'm hoping he's willing to go back for a summer trip...

love from


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