In recent years, there has been a resurgence in our national fascination with the Western Wilderness. As life for us city-dwellers becomes increasingly hectic and time-pressed, our longing has grown for wide open spaces, mountain vistas and cool, crisp air. Outside of Sun Valley, Idaho, one of the nation's most revered ski resorts, sits Ketchum, a small, peaceful and geographically blessed city with a population hovering just below 4,000. Situated at 5,750 feet in the Central Idaho Rockies, Ketchum's location couldn't be better for skiing enthusiasts -- or R&R enthusiasts.

Ketchum (named after David Ketchum, a local trapper) played a key role in our nation's mining history. In fact, the region in and around Ketchum was considered a premier destination during the 1880s for miners exploring the Northwestern states. The boom was rather short-lived, however. Before the turn of the century, prices had declined, and it was time for Ketchum to find itself a new source of income, which it did: sheepherding. Within 30 years, Ketchum held the distinction of being the United States' largest sheep and lamb shipping station.

Then, during the mid-1930s, Ketchum found itself yet another calling. Sun Valley Ski Resort opened to large success, and the Union Pacific Railroad began delivering hordes of tourists to the mountain, many of whom came to Sun Valley to gamble (a practice that was later outlawed in the mid-1950s). Ketchum was close enough to benefit from this newfound tourism industry.

That industry received another boost in 1973, when the Sawtooth Recreation Area opened just north of Ketchum -- again benefitting the city's tourism business. Today, Ketchum is considered a resort town in its own right. Regardless of the season, you'll find an incredible array of recreational activities in Ketchum. Right now during the summer months, you can choose from fly fishing, white water river rafting, hiking, tennis, paragliding, rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, golf and kayaking, to name just a sampling. If you like the outdoors, but adventure sports aren't for you, the Ketchum Zoo presents an opportunity for a more leisurely paced afternoon.

The housing market in Ketchum is tight, much like neighboring Sun Valley. New construction has been taking place outside the city in towns like Hailey, and prices there tend to be less expensive. Prices for single-family homes in Ketchum average between $550,000 and $600,000. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment can run anywhere from $750 to $900 per month. A significant percentage of Ketchum's local populace works in the tourism and retail sectors, as well as real estate, medicine, banking and finance industries.

A visit to Ketchum presents you with numerous opportunities to spend money -- on antiques, art (Ketchum and Sun Valley are home to a thriving artist community), jewelry, ski equipment and clothing, gourmet foods, various home accessories and gifts, and for those who really want to treat themselves, spa treatments. The city knows its tourists well and accommodates their every whim.

On the cultural side, Ketchum and nearby Sun Valley are home to local theatre groups, symphonic (the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, the largest free admission symphony in the Rockies) and jazz ensembles, and museums including the Ketchum/Sun Valley Historical Society Heritage & Ski Museum; the Sun Valley Center for the Arts; and the Ore Wagon Museum, containing 1880's wagons which used to transport gold and silver ore. The wagons have been preserved and are with a team of 18 horses each year in Ketchum's annual Labor Day Wagon Days parade, a tribute to the city's mining heritage.

With a present daytime high temperature that rarely hits 80 degrees, spectacular scenery and a wealth of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors, it's quite likely that Ketchum's home prices will remain steep and its inventory tight. Its proximity to neighboring Sun Valley is also an insurance policy for Ketchum's future. As Sun Valley's reputation grows for attracting the rich and famous, Ketchum and its residential real estate market will continue to reap the benefits of a thriving tourism industry.