Whitetail Club & Resort lobby
I am sitting on a large hay bale in an old wooden wagon driven by a
grizzled local named Joe in central Idaho’s Valley County. Out of a
nearby pine grove, a herd of elk, some with startlingly long
antlers, slowly make their way over to our wagon. Eventually, they
surround us and start munching on the hay which we still happen to
be sitting on. Their oversized heads are no more than inches away
from our feet. As I am snapping away with my camera and secretly
hoping they don’t come to think of me as lunch I realize this
encounter is not your everyday occurrence, especially for a city
girl like me. However, for those living in McCall, a tiny mountain
town 2½ hours from Boise, hanging with elk is par for the course.
McCall, a former mining and timber town, was founded in the
1880s and sits on the shore of glacier-carved Payette Lake
surrounded by pine forests with the northern Rockies as a backdrop.
There are just a handful of streets lined with rustic
log-cabin-style buildings and old pickup trucks parked out front.
The population (around 2,500) is an interesting mix of old-timers,
forest-service workers, nature-lovers and wealthy Idahoan and
Californian families with second homes on the lake. It’s virtually
chain-free there’s just one Subway but no Starbucks or
McDonald’s.
The winds of change are blowing, however. Valley County is going
through a building boom brought on by the opening of Tamarack
Resort, one of the Gem State’s largest developments (a 20-minute
drive from McCall). The $1.5 billion year-round complex opened in
2004 and will take a decade to complete. The Village Plaza with
condos, restaurants and shops will open by next ski season and a
five-star Fairmont, backed by Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, is on
the horizon. The developers envision it as an alternative to
Idaho’s ritzy Sun Valley resort, and due to its proximity, McCall
will share some of that spotlight.
Presidential suite at Whitetail Club &
Resort
Some locals understandably have mixed feelings about all the
changes. Markets now sell organic foods and therapists administer
hot-stone massages, but one gets the sense that despite the growth
in the valley, it will retain its small-town atmosphere. Places
like the no-frills Pancake House and Bistro 45, a funky wine bar
where patrons play board games while sipping merlot, are always
packed.
There are a handful of motels along the main street, but the
best place to stay is the Whitetail Club & Resort on the lake’s
southern shore. Originally opened in 1948 as the rustic Shore
Lodge, the property was purchased by San Diego-based Manchester
Grand Resorts (which owns several San Diego hotels including the
new Grand Del Mar) in 1993 and underwent a $25 million renovation.
Many of the original elements remain, including river-rock slabs
and pinewood planks in the lobby, and walls lined with old
black-and-white photos of McCall, lend a nostalgic touch. The 77
European-style suites feature Italian linens, mahogany furnishings
and marble baths, and many have balconies overlooking the lake.
Throughout the lodge, there are stone fireplaces and cozy
sitting rooms where guests can unwind after a day of activity,
which might include swimming, kayaking or boating on the lake.
There’s also tennis courts, four ponds stocked with trout where
anglers can try their luck, and an Andy North-designed 18-hole
championship golf course. (Nearby Tamarack has great golf too a
Robert Trent Jones Jr. Signature course.) Also scattered about the
property’s 1,300 acres are numerous hikes and biking paths. Just a
few minutes from the hotel is Ponderosa State Park, a 1,000-acre
peninsula jutting into Payette Lake. It’s the area’s most popular
spot for hiking mountain biking and, in the winter, you can
snowshoe through the forest to a teepee-like yurt, where a
four-course meal with wine is served.
You won’t have to work quite as hard when dining at Whitetail’s
Narrows restaurant, which has lovely views across the lake. The
newly installed executive chef Ian Fulton who has worked as a
personal chef for Hollywood celebrities including Jack Nicholson
offers Pacific Northwest-inspired dishes incorporating local
products like rainbow trout, game, Snake River Farms beef,
huckleberries and, of course, potatoes. I ordered a pear salad with
pecan-encrusted goat cheese and venison prepared osso buco-style,
both of which were delicious. The dishes were paired with a
selection of fine wines including an Idahoan Ste. Chapelle
Riesling.
Who knew Idaho produced wine? It’s just one more reason to plan
a visit.
