Winter travel destinations in Idaho few short hours away

The American Automobile Association is predicting that a record number of Americans- more than 34 million- will hit the road for thier vacations this summer. (ROBERTO GONZALEZ/ORLANDO SENTINEL)

Idaho is a great place to live when it comes to winter activities and travel. With winter break just around the corner, many of us will have a the opportunity to venture off campus and see what else Idaho has to offer. Just make sure you pack warm for these Idaho winter destinations.

Sun Valley

Sun Valley is about a three hour drive from Boise. The town is filled many possibilities for the winter. There are two main mountains: Dollar Mountain and Bald Mountain. Behind the famous Sun Valley Lodge, snowshoeing can be found for the whole family. Whether going to the resort with a friend or a significant other, sleigh rides are memorable and entertaining. The newest addition to Dollar Mountain is a tubing hill. After a day of skiing, tubing, snowshoeing or sleigh riding there is plenty of hot chocolate at Seattle Ridge Lodge elevated 8,800 feet. For lodging in Sun Valley, there is Sun Valley Lodge, Sun Valley Inn, condominiums and cottages. Sun Valley offers restaurants to accommodate any style from classy to sassy. For a complete list of the restaurants, activities, and much more visit www.sunvalley.com.

McCall

Famous for its Winter Carnival and man-made ice sculptures, McCall is located on the southern shore of Payette Lake near the center of Payette National Forest. The scenic drive on Highway 55 will takes anyone right to the resort town, approximately 100 miles north of Boise. The Winter Carnival is only one of many attractions in McCall. There are many other winter festivities such as skiing, snowshoeing, tubing and snowboarding. Brundage Mountain is a great destination for downhill skiing and Ponderosa State Park for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Snowmobiling is also available. The Activity Barn has four runs for tubing. When you’re ready to warm up, there are three natural hot springs near McCall to help relax and soak those tired muscles. Gold Fork Hot Springs offers six chlorine-free pools. Burgdorf Hot Springs and  Zims Hot Springs are also a short drive away. The Shore Lodge is a great place to stay, they offer packages for skiing on the mountain with stay at the loge. The Hunt Lodge-Holiday Inn Express and Hotel McCall are some other lodging options. For more information visit www.discovermccall.com, and mccallchamber.org.

Tamarack Resort

Less than 100 miles from Boise, Tamarack Resort can be a perfect winter destination. Alpine skiing, sports school and luxury lodging are all located in Tamarack Resort. Tamarack Resort has a lot to offer the whole family. The mountain, at the resort has 32 runs, five lifts–including three high-speed quads. “Stay and Play” packages are available for those who like to save money. You can stay at the Lodge at Osprey Meadows, where townhomes, chalets, estate homes and cottages are available to rent. Season passes are also available. For more information visit www.tamarackidaho.com and www.idahoresortrentals.com where you can learn more about Tamarack and rent a cabin or a room.

Coeur d’Alene

If you are not afraid to travel north 447 miles from Boise, Coeur d’Alene is the way to go. There, you will experience a winter wonderland. The Coeur d’Alene Resort offers many activities for the whole family. The spectacular display of more than 1.5 million lights on Lake Coeur d’Alene comes to life every night. It is the biggest on-the-water display of lights in the country. Dinner cruises are available to take kids to the “North Pole” where they can meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus. The highlight of this year’s light show is the 161-foot Christmas tree, the world’s largest living tree laden with more than 30,000 LED lights. Winter activities at Coeur d’Alene include, skiing, snowboarding, sledding, tubing, sleigh rides, snowcat skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing. The resort offers many room types to accommodate all, however other hotels are also available in the city. For more information about activities and the resort visit www.cdaresort.com.

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Posted by larisagavrilyuk on Dec 12 2011. Filed under Culture, Sub Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.