Though we live out here, nestled in the heart of the west, we are not great westerners. There are many places on our list we have yet to explore! Here is just a sampling of where we still have not been:
-Yellowstone
-Moab
-Mesa Verde
-The Great Sand Dunes
-The Grand Canyon
Two summers ago, we did get out to South Dakota and had a wonderful trip. We checked off Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse and did a little glamping along the way. It really was quite fun.
This summer, we wanted to add to our head out west list. We visited Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons for the 4th and enjoyed a great little town and some very beautiful scenery.
We left on a Monday and drove the seven and half hours from the Denver area to the town of Jackson. We stayed at The Lodge at Jackson Hole which was spacious and clean, in a great location, and included breakfast.
We discovered that the town of Jackson is bustling, full of good restaurants, and easy to navigate. At its center, of course, is its iconic square with the elk antler arches. Tourists, like us, were constantly maneuvering for a just-right photo opp, and the square was filled with people strolling and the occasional balloon artist or musician. The surrounding stores were a mix of your standard vacation t-shirt hot spots and more high-end art and fashion. But, in our opinion, the stars of this mountain town show were its dining options. There were offerings for everyone, from cowboy cuisine to gourmet eats, to pizza and milkshakes. Our favorites included:
The Local (I ate a panzanella with filet that was umptious!)
Jackson Drug (The kids claim it is home to the best milkshake ever.)
Hand Fire Pizza (You can watch them make the pizza while you wait.)
The Bunnery (Mmm, pastries!)
Cowboy Coffee (Solid lattes … a treat after hotel coffee.)
Our first full day in town was the 4th of July. Jackson put on a sweet, classic Americana* show, and we enjoyed every minute. It was a beautiful day with clear blue skies and temperatures hovering around 74 degrees, a nice break from Colorado’s hot July. Our morning started off in the square where we hit up the pancake breakfast and listened to the town symphony. Gradually, we made our way to the other side of the square and claimed a spot to watch the parade. Jason and I realized that we had never taken our children to a parade, and so Harper and Jameson found this show entirely amusing and a little bit wonderful. “They throw candy?!” The town showed up with local floats and great music. Our favorite moment was when the farmer’s market float threw out ears of corn. Darn it, though, we didn’t get our hands on one.
After the parade, we put on our hiking shoes and drove out to Teton Village. This ski village is on the outskirts of Jackson but not inside the national park. During the summer, they run their aerial tram and gondolas to the top of the mountain so visitors can hike or mountain bike. We hopped on the tram and spied a moose on our way to the top. Brrrr! It was chilly up there … and still spotted with snow! We hiked the Top of the World Trail and then treated ourselves to waffles at Corbet’s Cabin way up at 10,000 feet. Eager for the sun’s warmth, we descended a bit and hiked mid-mountain where the wildflowers were blooming and the bikers were whizzing by. It was a great way to spend a 4th of July afternoon. Our day ended with pizza and fireworks in town** with friends. We were a tired but happy bunch.
The next day, we trekked out to Grand Teton National Park. Yowza, it’s purdy. We did not need reservations, as some national parks continue to require, but we did need to purchase a vehicle pass. Though we did this online ahead of time, we also learned that you could drive up and buy one at the entrance, as well.
This area of Wyoming is really quite beautiful. The Teton Forest that surrounds Jackson is soft and vibrantly green. The Tetons, themselves, are of course rocky and dramatic. Our first stop inside the park was Jenny Lake. We took a boat across the lake to hike the other side, which was gorgeous and undisturbed. Hiking to the waterfall and having a picnic was a very memorable highlight for us.
We also explored String Lake which was captivatingly green and nestled into this little canyon of peace. We were so envious of the people who brought in their paddle boards. We don’t own any, but we assumed there might be a place to rent them. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. If we come again, we would definitely plan to swim or paddle at String.
We left Teton by way of its scenic route, a winding road that shows off its views in a series of turnouts for cars to enjoy. We appreciated this park for its natural scenery, of course, but also because it did not feel overwhelming in size or difficult to navigate. It is really a special place.
We are happy we went to adventure a bit. It was a quick trip, but we enjoyed it. If you are a westerner yourself, it’s worth the visit.
And just like that, the summer is winding down (rapidly, I might add), and so our travels are complete. What’s next is still to be determined, but you know me, the list of possibilities is long and exciting.
Happy summer travels to you!
*It feels harder and harder to celebrate America’s birthday with gusto. Anyone else? I can’t seem to muster as much enthusiasm. It’s like the Supreme Court has put us all in a time machine.
**Even so, there are good people everywhere. Many of them live in Jackson!
