Visitors staying in Sun Valley's venerable lodge can often be heard whistling the theme music to "Sun Valley Serenade," a musical romp made in 1941 that featured the attributes of Sonja Henie, Glenn Miller, and the resort - in that order. The movie has become such a part of the history of this fabled place that they play it nonstop and, as a result, the music can get into your head. Sun Valley is known for its skiing but summers are a wonder. There are nearly a million acres of surrounding wilderness to be explored in this part of Southern Idaho, and guests are drawn to the fly fishing in beautiful Silver Creek, hiking through waist-high fields of wildflowers on Bald Mountain, or riding the rapids of the Salmon River. Thirty paved miles of bike trails, award-winning golf courses, a skateboard park and chairlift rides add an extra dimension to the resort's already sizable allure.

You may know about "Sun Valley Serenade," that Ernest Hemingway penned "For Whom The Bell Tolls" while a guest of the resort, and that a ragtag crew of Hemingway's pals (Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, etc.) drank at the bar. You may not know that along with a colorful past Sun Valley has an active and bustling art scene, great music, and fine restaurants.

Sun Valley is the name of the original resort, first discovered by Count Felix von Schaffgotsch. A trapper/packer named David Ketchum discovered silver in 1879 and touched off a brisk but brief mining boom. The resort was the brainchild of Union Pacific railroad scion Averill Harriman, who looked at the area during the height of the Great Depression and boldly decided to make a ski resort out of it.

Nestled in the scenic Wood River Valley, Sun Valley Resort is bordered by the much larger town of Ketchum, though "Sun Valley" has over time been accepted to mean the entire valley.

The Sun Valley/Ketchum vibe still carries a little Hollywood glamor, with high-end art galleries, an active theatre circuit, summer festivals and posh boutique stores competing for your time and money.

Plane, car, or bus, it's easy to get to Sun Valley. The Boise, Idaho airport is the main gateway from cities like Seattle, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. You can then connect to either of Sun Valley's connecting carriers (Horizon Air, which also flies direct to Sun Valley from Los Angeles, Oakland and Seattle, and SkyWest), or take the more leisurely option of the Sun Valley Express bus or van to the resort. Once you get to the village, a car is totally unnecessary as there is both complimentary bus service within the village and shuttles to the mountains.