Notes: Sun Valley was literally the nation’s first destination ski resort, with the world’s first chairlifts, where the very idea of the American ski vacation was born. Sun Valley immediately became a hot spot for the biggest celebrities, the most important VIPs, and the world’s best skiers (and later snowboarders), and they have all been coming back ever since. While the resort attracts a lot of celebrities and very wealthy regulars, it is no Aspen or Deer Valley, and in winter people come here primarily to ski. More understated than glitzy, it has a rural flair, with a fiercely self-sufficient mountain spirit among the locals. It is a “must-ski” destination for any serious skier’s bucket list.
