Dear friends and family, You may be wondering why we asked you to travel to a remote ski town in central Idaho for Lea and John’s wedding, when we could have done it (literally) in our back yard. My parents, Chicken and Hurdle, first visited Sun Valley in the late 1980s at the recommendation of a good friend who insisted Sun Valley was the last unspoiled ski town in the west. They spent a week here, decided Sun Valley lived up to the hype and made it their ski home for the next thirty or so years, and by extension ours. When Lea graduated Davidson, she moved to SV for what was meant to be a one-year impact fellowship for Higher Ground (a nonprofit organization that pioneered an adaptive ski program for disabled veterans), that turned into three. Here's what we love about it: Locals rule – Just stop by Grumpy’s (“Sorry, we’re open”) for a schooner and fowl burger (the best chicken sandwich you will ever eat), and you’ll see what I mean. There will be a line to order, the bartender will likely be wearing a profane t-shirt (I’d share a few of my favorites but for propriety’s sake, won’t), and he or she, recognizing you are not local, will likely insult you. (not so) Fine Dining – While there are several excellent fine-dining establishments (Enoteca, Cookbook, the Pioneer, Rickshaw, Knob Hill, Vintage, Fiamma’s), West Ketchum is home to a slew of outstanding casual eateries that offer honest, well- prepared food at a fair price. Our favorites are the aforementioned Grumpy’s, Apples, Lefties, Jonny G’s (for lunch) and Big Wood Bread (for breakfast and lunch). A river runs through it – You’ll see the Big Wood River and its offshoots running all over town. JP and I love to finish a hike, take off our shoes and wade in. Hiking trails – JP and I usually spend a couple of weeks here in the summer and, in spite of eating and drinking as much (arguably more) as we do at home, we leave in better shape than when we arrived. There are a number of great hikes within a few miles of town, and some extraordinary hikes a little further north if you’re up for a scenic drive. Here’s our top five – Taylor Canyon Loop, Procter Loop, Adam’s Gulch, Pioneer Cabin and Norton Lakes. Sun Valley Lodge – it’s worth a visit to see the collection of old photographs of (mostly dead) luminaries (e.g. Marilyn Monroe, Hemingway, Jackie Onassis, etc.), all candids snapped in and around the valley. There’re several good bars in the Lodge, though my personal favorite is the Peter Duchin room. They make the world’s best Manhattan (trust me, one’ll do you). The Gold Mine – If your forgot your tux pants or changed your mind about that dress you were going wear Friday, Sun Valley boasts a slew of incredible secondhand clothing stores. My favorite, the Gold Mine (331 Walnut Ave) is literally a gold mine. JP found a $1200 pair of (never-worn) brown-suede loafers for $28, stop by and you might find a treasure of your own. There’s a more curated and pricier version next door if you’re too proud to dig. There are three or so other secondhand shops in West Ketchum (Capulet, Consign Design, Sweet Repeats. Hemingway’s gravesite – just on the outskirts of town, adjacent to the Knob Hill hotel, lies the graveyard where Hemingway and his wife Mary are buried, along with his granddaughter Margaux and a few lesser Hemingways. You’ll find Papa and Mary resting beneath a row of pine trees, needles likely strewn across their graves. Hemingway first visited the valley in 1939, holing up at the Lodge with his new lady friend, Martha Gelhorn, to start “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” He returned the following year to the same room to finish it (who completes a masterpiece in a year) and decided he might like to stay awhile. Hemingway chose to end his life here in July of 1961, after a fierce battle with depression. Sounds cheesy, but I’ve sat beneath the three pines and read from a book of Hemingway’s short stories and it was sublime.