Ah, Jackson Hole, how you slay me.
When I went to Wyoming one year ago, I didn't fully realize the love affair that would commence.
I just got back less than 12 hours ago from two weeks in my very favorite place in the whole wide world, and I already miss it. I traveled the first week with my friend Kristen, mostly through Yellowstone before we ended up in Bozeman, Montana. After I shipped her back to the East Coast, I kept on trucking through Idaho and then back over to Jackson.
I realize probably no one else is going to want to listen to me drone on about all things Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons, so for you, my dear readers, I made you a list. Think of it like a greatest hits. This is the abbreviated version of the things that stood out to me about the trip - favorite moments, favorite memories, things I don't want to forget. Here I present to you my top 30 moments of the last two weeks, in no particular order:
1) Watching a female elk swim a small channel at Yellowstone Lake. It just seemed like an unique wildlife moment. Most elk we saw were busy eating grass or sleeping, which is kind of boring to watch. But here was this one doggie-paddling her way through the water.
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View from Driggs AirBnB, Tetons
in the background
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3) The "Owl Barn" in Driggs, the little AirBnB I rented for two nights. I felt like I won the AirBnB lottery. I couldn't stop taking pictures of the view, which overlooked the west side of the Tetons. I loved, loved, loved this place. If you're ever in Driggs, this is a must-stay! A couple had taken this old barn and converted the upstairs into an apartment, with this little gothic-shaped window, allowing a perfect overlook. I wish I had stayed longer. We also did an AirBnB in Jackson and Bozeman. It's just a great way to travel. Your budget will thank you also.
4) Teton Public Library. I know. Who goes to the public library when they're on the vacation? I do. I love libraries. And Teton PL did not let me down. I almost started crying when I walked in.
5) Taking pictures at Schwabacker's Landing. Beautiful.
6) Meeting Shari Turpin of Pearls by Shari. Delightful, Jesus-loving woman, married to the man who gave me his business card last year and said to call him if I ever wanted a job in Jackson.
7) Meeting random families while I was by myself the second week, which I may not have done otherwise if I had been with others. I took the tram up to the top of the mountain at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, where I met one whirlwind of a family. They had three young boys and one little girl. The boys were named Bear, Maverick and Gunner. The little girl, strapped in a backpack on her dad's back, was simply named Grace. Dad clearly had the naming rights on the boys. I would not be surprised if someday they have a fourth boy and name him Goose.
8) Getting caught in a hail storm driving up Signal Mountain. We made an abrupt turn around, especially given that we had zero hail coverage on our rental.
9) Hiking Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin at sunset with hardly a soul around. We had the whole place practically to ourselves. And the sunset colors were amazing.
10) Wearing my winter hat, gloves, scarf, and several layers of clothes while it was in the 90s in Ohio. Bring on colder weather, I say. Summer is by far my least favorite season.
11) Driving through the barley fields of eastern Idaho. No better sight than farm lands for this country girl.
12) Getting a free upgrade to a Toyota Tundra. The rental place was slammed when we arrived, so they offered to upgrade us for free to a pickup truck from an economy car since they didn't have economy cars left apparently. I wanted to do a happy dance. It was no Ford, but I sure as heck will take a truck over an economy car, that's for sure. You don't have to ask me twice.
13) Watching Kristen try to get off her horse, Curtis, after a 4-hour ride. Sorry, friend, I know it was a bit rough, but that was pretty darn hilarious. I personally have never been so happy to get off a horse before in my life. Great ride with great views, but my heavens, I was so desperate to climb out of that saddle.
14) Being back at Turpin Meadow Ranch. Holds a special place in my heart.
15) Driving through the Tetons, just to drive.
16) Art - lots and lots and lots of art. Jackson hosted their Fall Arts Festival, which was one of the reasons why I stuck around an extra week. Gah, so many galleries. I would spend hours just walking through the galleries, mentally tallying just how broke I could go if I bought all the pieces I wanted. And look, this is not some chintzy arts and crafts fair we're talking about here. We're talking some of the greatest modern-day western and wildlife artists and photographers around today, with pieces selling for $50,000 or more. Deb Fox. Cole Johnson. September Vhay. Amy Ringholz. Micqaela Jones. Gary Crandall. Tom Mangelsen. Troy Collins. I could go on and on. These are simply my favorites.
17) Time alone.
18) Time with Donnie and Pat Critcher, friends of Kristen. Donnie is a storyteller, and a good one. He regaled us with stories of his former days spent as a cobbler. Hilarious.
19) Aspen trees in the fall. I can't get enough of these trees.
20) After seeing ZERO moose in all of Yellowstone and the Tetons, I spotted one in someone's yard in Jackson. Just chillin', munching on grass.
21) Doing laundry. Small thing, but it was nice just to get some laundry done half-way through the trip.
22) National Museum of Wildlife Art. Chocked full of amazing works.
23) Buying a $10 fleece pullover from a shop in Jackson. I lived in that thing for pretty much the remainder of the trip.
24) Sunrise at West Thumb with an elk herd around. There were maybe 10 people there, and given that parts of Yellowstone can be a MAJOR cluster during peak hours, this is proof that it pays to get up early. Less people, more wildlife.
25) Buffalo in Hayden Valley. So serene. Very Dances with Wolves kind of moment.
26) The architecture of Old Faithful Inn. Just stunning.
27) Snow! It snowed up in the higher elevations the second week. Yellowstone got around 6-8 inches and some of the roads closed. Jackson got mostly rain, which was a relief actually because they desperately needed the precipitation to douse the wildfires ravaging the mountainside.
28) Basil chicken sandwich at Jackson Hole Roasters, one of my favorite places to eat in Jackson. So good I went two days in a row.
29) Purchasing my first can of bear spray. And thankfully not having to use it.
30) Driving through Montana and Idaho in a pickup, windows down, country music blaring. Pure bliss.
And bonus! I didn't get mistaken for a boy this time around!
PS: My selfie-taking skills have not improved.
4) Teton Public Library. I know. Who goes to the public library when they're on the vacation? I do. I love libraries. And Teton PL did not let me down. I almost started crying when I walked in.
5) Taking pictures at Schwabacker's Landing. Beautiful.
6) Meeting Shari Turpin of Pearls by Shari. Delightful, Jesus-loving woman, married to the man who gave me his business card last year and said to call him if I ever wanted a job in Jackson.
7) Meeting random families while I was by myself the second week, which I may not have done otherwise if I had been with others. I took the tram up to the top of the mountain at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, where I met one whirlwind of a family. They had three young boys and one little girl. The boys were named Bear, Maverick and Gunner. The little girl, strapped in a backpack on her dad's back, was simply named Grace. Dad clearly had the naming rights on the boys. I would not be surprised if someday they have a fourth boy and name him Goose.
8) Getting caught in a hail storm driving up Signal Mountain. We made an abrupt turn around, especially given that we had zero hail coverage on our rental.
9) Hiking Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin at sunset with hardly a soul around. We had the whole place practically to ourselves. And the sunset colors were amazing.
10) Wearing my winter hat, gloves, scarf, and several layers of clothes while it was in the 90s in Ohio. Bring on colder weather, I say. Summer is by far my least favorite season.
11) Driving through the barley fields of eastern Idaho. No better sight than farm lands for this country girl.
12) Getting a free upgrade to a Toyota Tundra. The rental place was slammed when we arrived, so they offered to upgrade us for free to a pickup truck from an economy car since they didn't have economy cars left apparently. I wanted to do a happy dance. It was no Ford, but I sure as heck will take a truck over an economy car, that's for sure. You don't have to ask me twice.
13) Watching Kristen try to get off her horse, Curtis, after a 4-hour ride. Sorry, friend, I know it was a bit rough, but that was pretty darn hilarious. I personally have never been so happy to get off a horse before in my life. Great ride with great views, but my heavens, I was so desperate to climb out of that saddle.
14) Being back at Turpin Meadow Ranch. Holds a special place in my heart.
15) Driving through the Tetons, just to drive.
16) Art - lots and lots and lots of art. Jackson hosted their Fall Arts Festival, which was one of the reasons why I stuck around an extra week. Gah, so many galleries. I would spend hours just walking through the galleries, mentally tallying just how broke I could go if I bought all the pieces I wanted. And look, this is not some chintzy arts and crafts fair we're talking about here. We're talking some of the greatest modern-day western and wildlife artists and photographers around today, with pieces selling for $50,000 or more. Deb Fox. Cole Johnson. September Vhay. Amy Ringholz. Micqaela Jones. Gary Crandall. Tom Mangelsen. Troy Collins. I could go on and on. These are simply my favorites.
17) Time alone.
18) Time with Donnie and Pat Critcher, friends of Kristen. Donnie is a storyteller, and a good one. He regaled us with stories of his former days spent as a cobbler. Hilarious.
19) Aspen trees in the fall. I can't get enough of these trees.
20) After seeing ZERO moose in all of Yellowstone and the Tetons, I spotted one in someone's yard in Jackson. Just chillin', munching on grass.
21) Doing laundry. Small thing, but it was nice just to get some laundry done half-way through the trip.
22) National Museum of Wildlife Art. Chocked full of amazing works.
23) Buying a $10 fleece pullover from a shop in Jackson. I lived in that thing for pretty much the remainder of the trip.
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| Sunrise at West Thumb, overlooking Yellowstone Lake |
25) Buffalo in Hayden Valley. So serene. Very Dances with Wolves kind of moment.
26) The architecture of Old Faithful Inn. Just stunning.
27) Snow! It snowed up in the higher elevations the second week. Yellowstone got around 6-8 inches and some of the roads closed. Jackson got mostly rain, which was a relief actually because they desperately needed the precipitation to douse the wildfires ravaging the mountainside.
28) Basil chicken sandwich at Jackson Hole Roasters, one of my favorite places to eat in Jackson. So good I went two days in a row.
29) Purchasing my first can of bear spray. And thankfully not having to use it.
30) Driving through Montana and Idaho in a pickup, windows down, country music blaring. Pure bliss.
And bonus! I didn't get mistaken for a boy this time around!
PS: My selfie-taking skills have not improved.
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My awesome selfie skills on display with the resident cat at
Turpin Meadow Ranch.
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