For the week of February 12-18, 2003

Sun Valley rated most romantic ski resort

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By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer

A good way to keep abreast of the ski industry, as it relates to vacationing, is to check the Web site resortspace.com. It calls itself the "ultimate international site for ski resorts, snowboard resorts, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snow sports on the Internet."

Home to SkiSnowboardAmerica.com, SkiSnowboardCanada.com and SkiSnowboardEurope.com, it focuses on detailed destination information and provides seamless navigation between more than 150 resorts.

The most recent Top 10 list for the winter ski season 2002-2003 includes several mentions of Sun Valley and Ketchum, as well as the No. 1 "Best Kept Secret"—Schweitzer Mountain, near Sandpoint, Idaho, which also ranked fifth in "Views.

Sun Valley/Ketchum ranked third in "Town Dining," third in "Intermediates (skiing)," second in "On Mountain Dining," tenth in "Non-skiing Activities," and eighth in "Cross-country Skiing."

Ketchum ranked third in "Small Mountain Towns," and Sun Valley ranked eighth in "Full Service Lodging."

However, appropriate to the imminent Valentine’s Day, Sun Valley ranked No. 1 for "Most Romantic." Second was Aspen and third was Banff/Lake Louise, Canada.

Contributing to Sun Valley’s romantic appeal is its rich history as the first American ski resort, and the European feel of Sun Valley Village, said Resortspace.com. The Sun Valley Lodge is called "a beautifully kept-up property with a pronounced mid-20th century feel. The elegance of a bygone era is in the details: uniformed doormen; a formal dining room; a large second-floor drawing room with the piano in the center, overstuffed chairs and sofas in the middle, and fireplaces at either end; and an immense hot tub swimming pool that dates to the early days of the resort."

And let’s not forget martinis on a cozy sofa and dancing to the piano tinkling of Joe Foss in the Duchin Room, skating under the stars, breathtaking views, Valentine’s Dinner at Galena Lodge, and horse drawn sleigh rides over snowy trails.

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.