On February 6, 2020, I flew with my dad to Boise, Idaho to begin what I call a "mission." My mission was to be in Sun Valley when my son's property closed and also furnish and design his place for him while he traveled with his job with Disney On Ice.
Below is a summary of the very productive month I spent in Sun Valley.
Before I go on, I want to personally give a huge Thank You to Adam Pennington for helping me complete the task of furnishing and designing Joel's condo. Without Adam, my task would have not happened at all. Thank you Adam!
Thursday February 6, 2020
After landing at the Boise Airport, my dad and I headed to Homewood Suites in Boise. We had reserved a two bedroom and two bath suite which is similar to adjoining hotel rooms. It was delightful to eat the provided evening meal that was included with our hotel stay. I brought in the tremendous amount of luggage I took with me to Idaho: Three pairs of skis, two pair of ski boots, my figure skates, my ice hockey skates, and my Razor Lux Air scooter and of course all our clothes, so it was a quite a job for me to get all that stuff from Baggage Claim at the Airport into the rental car and also take all that stuff in and out of our Homewood Suites apartment, but I did it!
Friday, February 7, 2020
I went swimming first thing in the morning in the hotel's wonderful indoor pool. I recall the water wasn't especially warm, so I did a lot of aggressive lap swimming. Before waking my dad up and before my swim, I got breakfast from the hotel's breakfast buffet and took it to our room.
Finally, I woke up my dad and after he ate his breakfast and got dressed we left the hotel. I got a late check out I recall, and I think we drove away very close to the 12:30 pm check out time.
The drive away from Boise was easy. When I reached Mountain Home, I spend about an hour at the Walmart there since my dad needed new shoes. I noticed when we left Boise his shoes were worn out and I knew buying shoes in Sun Valley at a decent price might be impossible. I also stocked up on shampoo and conditioner and a few other essentials.
We arrived in Sun Valley at about 4:15 pm and I immediately went to Sun Valley Title to sign something related to Joel's purchase. Then, we headed to Joel's place and met our realtor Reid Sandborn. Reid gave us the key and showed us around Joel's place. It was all very exciting!
Then my dad and I headed to the Wood River Jewish Community's shabbat service. It was a special service that included a Tu B'Shevat seder. What a wonderful way to arrive in Sun Valley!
After the service, my dad and I headed to the Airbnb we reserved in The Bluffs, a part of Elkhorn in Sun Valley. We were delighted with our beautiful and very deluxe accommodations and after settling in went to bed.
Saturday, February 8, 2020
I was determined to go to Wood River Jewish Community's Torah Study, so we woke up early. I brought some breakfast food from Homewood Suites and fed my dad before we left. The Torah study was small but I learned so much. Rabbi Robbi Sherwin taught about the Song of the Sea and even unrolled a 200 year old Torah scroll for us to see!
After the Torah study, I thought I would get some grocery shopping done at Atkinson's Market in Ketchum, but things were so expensive there that I decided to go south to the Albertson's and Natural Grocers in Hailey. I ended up getting a good supply of food and headed back to our beautiful condo in The Bluffs.
I left my dad happily watching TV and decided to go to Joel's condo. I just sat on the floor and looked around and then I called two of my friends who are designers (Bernadette and Darlene). They both gave me lots of really good decorating ideas. When I finally left the condo I knew I was ready to call it a day.
Sunday, February 9, 2020
I knew there was not much work I could do on Joel's condo, so I spent most of the day at Sun Valley's Nordic Center and used my metal edge cross country skis and went way into the hills. I met a couple who owned a condo near Joel's and what I remember the most about our conversation was that they said, "Amazon will be your friend!" (Their statement turned out to be more than true! Every day, I would order things on Amazon, and every day, boxes and boxes were delivered. It seemed as if I spent hours every day just opening boxes, putting things away and together, and discarding cardboard!)
I spent the evening getting just a little bit stressed. I realized I needed to get a bed, bedding, basic supplies, towels, and furnishings and I'd only given myself two weeks. I think I may have done some online window shopping in bed that night!
Monday, February 10, 2020
Joel's place officially closed on Monday, 2-10-2020! He owned it!
I took my dad out to breakfast at The Kneadery and then we went to D.L. Evans Bank and I signed some papers with our loan officer Mason Frederickson. Then, I went to Sun Country Village Management and took care of more business and then I went off to Hailey to buy a bed.
Wood River Mattress reminded me of a Mattress Firm store, but it really was quite different. The owner, Scott, was so helpful and gave me a great deal on a queen mattress set that he had in stock.
I think I was so jazzed after the buying that bed that I decided to do some "serious shopping," so I drove all the way to Jerome (about and hour and fifteen minutes south of Hailey) to the Walmart.
I must have been in that Walmart for over three hours! I filled up the cart to the top with sheets, towels, wastebaskets, kitchenware, dishes, pots and pans, silverware, and other essential items. Once I put all those items in our rental car, I went back inside the store just to use the restroom, but ended up with another cartload that included a television, microwave, Keurig coffee maker, a coffee drawer, more towels, and more!
When I left Jerome, it was past 5 pm, so I knew I would be doing some of my drive back in the dark. That was okay, but it gets really dark on two-lane roads in Idaho. I was really glad when I hit Bellevue, then Hailey, and finally Ketchum. We drove directly to Joel's place and found one of the last parking places in the indoor garage.
I didn't want to leave all the things we bought in the car overnight even though Sun Valley is so safe that people don't lock their cars and doors, so little by little, my almost 91-year old father and I brought the things I bought into Joel's condo. I think we must have taken about four to five trips, but we did get everything inside.
We were both totally exhausted by the time we got back to our Bluffs Airbnb condo and I made my dad and I a late dinner.
I brought our family's Facebook Portal with me, so I spent the late evening talking to my husband Dan about my day.
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
I went to the Sun Valley recreation office and picked up the lift ticket I bought online (in advance) to go downhill skiing on Bald Mountain for the next day. Buying online was supposed to give me a discount, but I'm not sure there really was a discount.
I rode my scooter to the office from the ice rink's parking lot and also checked out the rink's public skating schedule.
Next, I took a trip to Cox Cable in Ketchum and got a cable box for Joel's television.
I then went to Joel's condo and put away all the things I bought from the Walmart in Jerome. That took some time, but once finished, I headed back to the Bluffs Airbnb, made dinner for me and my dad and called it a day. I wanted to be rested for skiing!
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
I woke up early and headed for Bald Mountain! Then...just as I got on the gondola at around 9 am when the lifts opened, I ran into Adam Pennington who had taken Joel and I on a fly fishing trip last August!
I had been in touch with Adam earlier and he had even suggested I ski on Wednesday since there would be better snow than Tuesday. (It turned out I would have been too tired to ski on Tuesday after my trip to Walmart in Jerome.)
Adam and I rode up the gondola together and then headed up another chair lift. I felt honored that the third person on the chair lift with us was a man named Eric who is the engineer who checks out Sun Valley's lifts every day!
Adam skied with me for awhile while he did his job of making sure that the people who are on the mountain are safe. He also checks the condition of the snow. I told him I thought he had the best job ever! Imagine skiing everyday as a job!
Eventually, Adam and I parted and I skied by myself. Eventually I rode up a lift that took me to an area where there was a restaurant where I ended up taking a good hour long rest.
I skied until the lifts closed at the end of the day. It was such a wonderful experience even though one of the hills I went down was really too hard for me.
Around 5 pm, I met Adam at Joel's condo and he agreed to allow me to hire him to put furniture together and decorate. I had no idea then how important a role Adam would play in my plan.
The bed was delivered while I was skiing!
Thursday, February 12, 2020
I knew I needed some time off from working on Joel's condo, so I headed to Sun Valley's ice rink and went skating. I got to the rink just before it opened at 11 am. Guess what? I had the entire outdoor rink to myself too! It was absolutely the most wonderful and amazing experience! I laid out figures on the entire ice and Nick, one of the rink's employees even stepped on the ice and took photos of me to remember that wonderful experience.
Cox Cable came to fix the cable television box.
I spent some more time putting away some of the things I purchased from the Walmart too. Although the bed was there, I didn't make it fully since I decided the mattress pad I purchased at Walmart was not comfortable enough.
Friday, February 13, 2020
Sadly, my dad and I had to wake up early on Friday morning since we had to move out of our Airbnb and move to another Airbnb in Hailey. Also, I'd arranged to go skate nordic skiing with Adam in the afternoon and I absolutely did not want to miss doing that!
Moving, I discovered, from one Airbnb to another was a lot of work and very exhausting. My dad really didn't understand what was going on either.
I got my dad breakfast at McDonalds before we entered our new lodging and that was good since this Airbnb did not have a microwave. (I'm lost without heat and serve meals.)
After I finished settling in to our new place, my dad and I headed to the Sun Valley Nordic Center to meet Adam who had already gone to Joel's condo to work on hanging the television on the wall. It was great to have both cable television and Roku TV. Adam hung up the television on the wall.
It was so fun skate skiing with Adam. I took him right away to a black run. Of course the fun part of our nordic skiing was skiing down after we climbed up. It was quite a workout.
Adam had hoped we could get the floating headboard and nightstands on the wall, but he needed a bigger drill, so that ended our work for the day.
The barstools arrived. My dad, Adam, and I went to KB Burritos for dinner. Both Adam and I had quite an appetite after our nordic skiing afternoon.
Saturday, February 14, 2020 and Sunday, Feb 15, 2020
I really don't remember what I did on Saturday. I probably put some things away at Joel's condo and lined shelves. I also recollect that I took a long scooter ride into Sun Valley's hills and may have done some grocery shopping in Hailey.
On Sunday, February 15, I went to Quigley Nordic Center right in Hailey and had a nice time skiing for only $10 and pretended I was a local. I would have probably skied longer than the two to three hours I spent there, but suddenly, the very warm weather turned to a sudden snowstorm. It was nice to get dressed and ready for cross country skiing right from "home."
Monday, February 16, 2020 through Thursday, February 19, 2020
I know that the Presidents Day holiday weekend took place during some of this time, so I tried to stay away from where things were crowded.
On one of those days, I went skating again at the rink on Wednesday February 18. It was really fun, but very different than the first time I skated at the rink since vacationers were still in Sun Valley.
I met two little girls while I was skating and had a lot of fun giving them tips and just skating in general but it was so cold.
After skating, my dad and I had lunch at Gretchen's Restaurant that is in the Sun Valley Lodge. It was so elegant and so good! I called my sister Lynnellen from Gretchen's since was her birthday.
On Thursday, February 19, I skied on the free Wood River bike trail that is groomed. It was so cold, but great exercise and fun.
In the evening, we had a wonderful time at the annual Wood River Jewish Community's winter gathering. While we were at the gathering Adam finished putting together a dresser.
Friday, February 20, 2020
I had a really special day on Friday, February 20, since I learned how to Telemark Ski at Dollar Mountain. Telemark expert Chris Cook spent two hours with me teaching me how to Tele ski! Then, after a rest, I was back on Quarter Dollar practicing what I learned. I skied the entire day!
After I was done, I headed to Joel's place where several packages were delivered and put things away and then finally headed back to our townhome in Hailey.
Saturday, February 21, 2020
I was determined to go to the free downhill ski area in Hailey to practice my Telemark skills, but first, I had to run some errands.
When I went to Albertsons in Hailey to get shopping done, the most delightful thing happened as I checked out! My groceries were not bagged for me, but the lady behind me helped me bag them. Then she said, "Are you JO ANN?"
It turned out she knew me from skating! It was figure skating judge and ice dancer Janet Becht from Los Angeles. We talked and talked and finally I had to get going so I could enjoy the free skiing.
Roturun ski area in Hailey just has a rope tow, but it is free! It took me awhile to get my stuff on, but once I got going, I got really good at my Telemark skills and even got compliments from the lift operator and pointers from another Telemark skier!
I had to go to Joel's place after going skiing since there were packages to put away. Also, the Airbnb we stayed at in Hailey did not have a microwave so I didn't do much cooking there and I recall taking my dad to eat out that night.
Sunday, February 22, 2020
I don't remember much about Sunday, but I knew we had to leave our current Airbnb lodging on Monday morning, so I imagine I did some packing in preparation. In the morning, we met my friend Donna who we had stayed with in the summer of 2017 at Java On 4th. We spent the evening at Joel's Airbnb and left kind of late. I was really scared on the drive back to Hailey since it was snowing really hard when we left Sun Valley and Ketchum. It cleared up a bit as we got into Hailey and I was so glad to be safe and warm inside.
Monday, February 23, 2020
Monday morning was another moving to a new Airbnb day. I had discovered by now that loading and unloading the car, getting my dad out and fed, and moving to another lodging was exhausting. This time we were at an Atelier condo right on the Sun Valley hotel's grounds. I looked forward to that since the drive every night to Hailey had been really hard on me. It was just so cold when we got into our lodging every night after my long drive from Hailey and I had to go through ice to get my dad into our place, so I was glad to be moving closer to Joel's Elkhorn condo.
I had made a choice during the previous week, that I needed to stay in the area for at least another week since not everything, including the fireplace, was done. I had arranged this place until Saturday, February 29, but it turned out I had to stay even longer.
I probably put more things together later in the afternoon at Joel's place. I do recall taking a trip to the fireplace store in Hailey and also going to the copy store to make copies before we headed back to Sun Valley.
Tuesday, February 24, 2020 through Friday, February 28, 2020
I bought a ticket in advance to ski down Dollar Mountain for Thursday, February 27, so the rest of the week was centered around that. The fireplace was scheduled for a fix on Friday and also I had an appointment arranged with Vacasa.
On Tuesday 2-24, I slept in and decided I needed to go for a swim. At first I was going to just go to the YMCA, but then I realized our Airbnb included swimming at the Sun Valley Lodge! I was sceptical since it is an outdoor pool, but wow....I am so glad I went since the pool is heated to over 100 degrees and is totally awesome! I also pretty much had the pool to myself. I enjoyed the pool so much and did laps and then went into the hot tub.
I think I returned to the pool again on Wednesday. I also did some scootering around Sun Valley and picked up my lift ticket either on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon.
Skiing Dollar Mountain was really fun on Thursday since I really had no commute! I was all ready to go when I left our Airbnb at about 8:15 am and got on the lifts as soon as I got my skis on. I went all the way to the top several times, but my favorite skiing on Dollar Mountain was really Quarter Dollar. I truly believe my Telemark skills improved quite a bit that day and wow, was I tired. Bending takes a lot more effort than traditional Alpine skiing. I took a long lunch break and even had a meeting with a potential property manager named Fabian who met me during my break at Dollar. I ran into Natalia, one of the skating coaches from the Sun Valley rink and Natalia's mother and daughter.
On Friday afternoon, I met with Fraser from Vacasa and also got to enjoy the fix I did to the unit's fireplace since now it turns on and off with a remote control.
I did more last minute finishing touches on Joel's condo since I knew I only had a couple more days left in Sun Valley.
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Saturday morning was another moving day. I woke up early but seemed to race against the clock to get out of our Atelier condo before the 11 am check out time. At 10:45 am we were out, but I realized after I locked up and returned the key to the lockbox, that my dad had left his hat and gloves inside. Fortunately, the housekeeper arrived just as I was trying to figure out how to get back in and I retrieved the missing hat and gloves and then we headed for another Airbnb at a complex in Elkhorn called Fairway Nine.
It was very cold, but eventually, after I fed my dad breakfast, I got us settled again. In the afternoon, I decided since our pool pass to use the Sun Valley Lodge pool was still good, to spend the afternoon at the pool, but this time I took my dad along.
Once I got him settled sitting next to the firepit, I got ready to swim and did more laps in the pool. This time it was really crowded since it was Saturday. It seems that Sun Valley explodes with visitors on the weekends.
When I finally finished laps, I enjoyed the hot tub. This time, no one was really talking in the hot tub until a lady entered who said it was hot. The two of us started making small talk and as the woman started talking about her life in Sun Valley, I realized I knew her late ex-husband, Charles Fetter! The two of us exchanged contact info and got someone to take our photo together in the hot tub.
After I finally changed into dry clothes, my dad and I ate out at Gretchen's at the Sun Valley Lodge. It was a wonderful meal too!
Sunday, March 1, 2020
On Sunday, after sleeping late, I went on a scooter-hike with a friend while my dad had lunch at the Sun Valley Gold Club in the Sun Valley Nordic Center. Then, in the late afternoon, I met with Dan and Rachel Spence of Mountain View Property Solutions about managing Joel's property and Adam came over and hung the last painting up. I gave Adam a good-bye hug and we took some good bye to the hard work at the condo photos.
I spent the evening making sure everything was as good as it could be at the condo and then my dad and I went out to dinner at the Sun Valley hotel once again.
Monday, March 2, 2020
It was another "moving day" but this time we were moving to Boise to the Homewood Suites in preparation to leave on a plane from Boise to Denver on Tuesday, March 3. I spent most of the morning getting our belongings packed so they were ready to get on the plane. I was really tired by the time I completed that task and I wasn't at all pleased that I also had to strip the beds at the Airbnb.
After leaving the Airbnb at Fairway Nine at around 11:30-45 am (we arranged for a late check out), I headed to Ketchum to get some last minute things for Joel's condo including a roll of quarters for the coin laundry in the building. I made my dad some lunch at Joel's condo and did the last bit of making sure all was perfect and put away in his unit.
It was hard to say good-bye to Joel's place. My reason for spending a month in Sun Valley was working hard on Joel's property and I had completed my task.
We left Sun Valley fairly late in the afternoon and I knew that we would not arrive at the Homewood Suites in Boise. I only had to do a bit of driving facing into the setting sun. I was really glad when we arrived in Boise that night and was very happy to take my dad to Cracker Barrel near our hotel for a late dinner. The food was so good!
We had a similar two bedroom, two bath suite to the one we stayed in when the trip began. I stayed up a bit after my dad went to sleep to make sure all was packed correctly since I wanted to get to the airport a bit early to return the rental car.
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
I got up early and got my dad breakfast from the breakfast buffet and took it to the room. I got all our packing done before I woke my dad, fed him breakfast, packed the car , and finally got us going to the Boise Airport.
I was excited to get home to see my dog and husband! Wow...what a productive and fun month I had in Idaho!
