If you would like to take a tour of Idaho, this wouldn't be a bad route. The town of Ketchum is home to Sun Valley, which claims to be America's first destination ski resort. I'm not sure what the additional qualifier of "destination" means, though I suspect it is to smooth over what amounts to a blatant lie. In any case, Ketchum is a cute town, and supposedly Ernest Hemingway completed "For Whom the Bell Tolls" in the Sun Valley lodge.

Speaking of lies, our local ski hill, Bogus Basin, is apparently so named because of area prospectors trying to pass of gold-painted lead bars as the real thing back in the 1800s. There's not too much to do up there when there isn't snow, but it's a place that's special to us, and it has a cool name.

The route also takes you through Stanley, which offers beautiful views of the Sawtooth mountains. The town of Stanley is tiny, with a permanent population of just over 100, but the surrounding area has some of the most beautiful hikes in Idaho, including ones that will take you up to some gorgeous Alpine Lakes.

Though not included in the loop, the town of McCall is only an hour or so north of the wedding venue. It's a nice drive and the town is a least vaguely charming. Salmon River Brewery is probably the best place to stop for a bite.

If you were to keep going north to Riggins and then on to Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint, my understanding is that things just keep getting prettier. I've actually never been up there, as apparently the number of hate groups per capita rises exponentially the further up you go.

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