Summer Ski Resorts

Things to do, places to stay when the white turns green

When the ski slopes wear summer green, restaurateurs pull tables onto patios, mountain bikes get hooked to the side of ski lifts carrying T-shirt-clad vacationers and ski-turned-summer resorts have a relaxed aura. Here are three resorts—Sun Valley, Beaver Creek and Park City—where there’s even more to do in the summertime than during the ski/snowboard season.

The hardest part is deciding what to do first. Do your clients want to stay within city limits browsing boutiques, being pampered in a spa and listening to renowned musicians at concerts? Or would they like to play in the surrounding wilderness areas, hiking or mountain biking on trails threading through forests, fly fishing in gold-medal streams or watching the sun rise over mountain peaks while floating in a hot-air balloon?

The clubhouse at the White Cloud Course in Sun Valley.

The list of summertime activities in these resorts is rivaled only by the number of festivals put on  to encourage visitors. These resorts all offer packages wrapped around weekend festivals and sporting events.

Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley (866-305-0408) has been a popular vacation spot for the rich and famous since 1936, and with good reason. The town is filled with interesting art galleries and high-end boutiques, and it’s surrounded by a million acres of wilderness. Visitors picnic while listening to free concerts or Jazz in the Park in nearby Ketchum. Skating fans plan trips around the ice shows in neighboring Sun Valley Resort. (Kurt Browning skates July 4 and 5; Brian Boitano on August 2 and Sasha Cohen on August 16.) Visitors pedal along 30 miles of paved bike trails, take chairlift rides and hike or mountain bike back down the slopes and fish in Silver Creek. This summer, golfers can play on the award-winning 18-hole Robert Trent Jones, Jr., course or challenge the first nine holes of the new White Cloud Course.

Sun Valley guests enjoy the 26-room Knob Hill Inn (208-726 8010) for its European styling and service. The inn sits in a quiet part of Ketchum, but it’s easy walking distance to downtown shops and restaurants. The north-facing rooms have great views of the Sawtooth Mountain range. The fireplace rooms are the most requested, especially in wintertime. For VIP clients, contact the general manager, Jean Luc Naumus (maumus@msn.com; 208-726-8010). The American Alpine cuisine served in the Knob Hill Restaurant is as popular with locals as with vacationers.

The Sun Valley Lodge (208-622-2001) is a golden oldie that revels in its history. Photos on the walls show the stream of famous visitors since the lodge opened in 1936, and in the Hemingway Suite, the legendary author wrote chapters of For Whom the Bell Tolls. The two-room Parlour Suites (some named after famous guests) are among the most requested accommodations. The Hemingway Suite has two decks; one overlooks the ice-skating rink and the other the ski slopes. For reservations, call 800-786-8259; for VIP clients, contact Director of Hotels Dick Andersen (dandersen@sunvalley.com, 208-622-2034). Make advance reservations for clients to dine at the rustic Trail Creek Cabin, now open for dinner year-round. Advance reservations are strongly recommended for the hotel’s elaborate Sunday Brunch.

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