Snow and Sun Finale

Could we ask any more from the weather here in Sun Valley? Earlier in the week it was overcast but fairly warm. Then we got some snow, followed by a bit of sun. We took Wednesday off to let our legs recuperate (this is a relentless mountain!) and by mid-morning on Thursday we had 5 new inches of snow. Then the sun came out and the winds kicked in. It made for near first-tracks conditions almost every time we came down certain runs as the wind would blow the snow into the tracks left by earlier skiers. It was wonderful to have such great visibility! Today it was much colder but we had sun all day long and we pretty much skied 'til we dropped. For most of us it was our final ski day of the season so we stayed out as long as our legs could hold us. We weren't alone as the bus back to the lodge was packed!

We've been staying at the world-famous Sun Valley Lodge and it's been wonderful. The staff has been amazingly helpful and polite - we really couldn't ask for more from them. The condos are spacious and we happened to be right near the hot tub/pool, which was great. There's a huge amount of history to this place and it's fascinating to look at the old photos and see what this place used to look like. The movie Sun Valley Serenade (1941) plays 24x7 on a TV channel here at the resort and we've gotten a kick out of spotting familiar buildings - and seeing that our hot tub/pool used to have a diving board. Check out this LINK to learn a bit more about the history of the resort town where the stars used to take the train directly from Hollywood.

It's back to reality tomorrow as we catch our plane out of Boise and head back home.

Here Comes The Sun

Finally, we got to see the sun! Tuesday started out with a bit of snow and fog again but by late morning the sun was shining. Our first run featured large amounts of powder due to the overnight snow and then lots of push-piles down towards the end of the run. After stopping for a break (after all, that first run covered over 3000 vertical feet!) we went back to the top and finally saw the sun. It made a huge difference in our skiing as we were finally able to see where we were skiing! I was especially glad as I was able to put the goggles up and just use my glasses. I promise never to forget to bring my contacts on a trip again!

Looking forward to a day off tomorrow, that's for sure. I plan to get a massage!

Not-so-sunny Sun Valley

Arrived safely in Sun Valley yesterday evening and got settled into our condos. Up early this morning, anxious for a first day on the hill. Unfortunately we didn't see the sun all day and it's looking like we might not see it all week - or at least until Saturday, on the ride home! Lovely accommodations adjacent to the world-famous Sun Valley Lodge.

Skiing was pretty good though the light was quite flat and it was a challenge to see the dips in the terrain some time. I'd better get used to it though!

The Short Version

I took my photos from the cruise and combined them with those that other people took and created a short version of the cruise scrapbook. I use the term "short" very loosely as, while it's half the size of my two-volume set, it's still 90 pages!



As usual, I recommend using the arrow keys to turn the pages instead of using the PLAY button - though this version is a lot more photos than text. If you want to see it full-screen-sized, click HERE to view at the scrapblog site where you can do that and even order a hard-copy if you wish. Leave me a comment here or at the scrapblog site to let me know what you think!

Finally Complete

I finally completed the online version of my scrapbook for our Western Med Cruise last fall. You can view them below or click the link following each of them to go to the scrapblog site to view them full-screen-sized. Warning: they're both REALLY LONG, over 80 pages each.

Part 1 - Rome & the Vatican, Pompeii & the Amalfi Coast, Dubrovnik



Or click HERE for Part 1 at scrapblog.com

Part 2 - Venice, Messina (Sicily), Barcelona, Nice, Eze, Monaco, Pisa & Florence



Or click HERE for Part 2 at scrapblog.com

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!