Sun Valley is as different from Boise as France from Germany, the South Pacific from the East Coast.
For the visitor seeking an immediate, well-equipped and beautifully maintained paradise of snow, trails, fishing, restaurants, lodging, golf and hiking in a sublime climate with spectacular views, Steven Spielberg couldn't come up with a better vision and Bill Gates couldn't manage it with more dash and precision. And visitors couldn't be in better company as Clint Eastwood, Demi Moore, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Janet Leigh and many other stars choose to hide out and occasionally shine in Sun Valley. Visiting the Valley and its environs is a marvelous trip to yesterday today because of its preserved heritage within a modern capsule placed in the middle of nowhere. Anyone living in or visiting the Treasure Valley should make the effort to get there, just as anyone visiting Sun Valley should not neglect the magnificence of Boise now that it has so fully come into its own. In this chapter we look at the geography and history of the area before moving on to transportation, accommodations, restaurants and nightlife.