Jackson Hole

0

A quick 9 hour drive from Whitefish and I’m in Jackson Hole! Okay – it wasn’t exactly a hop, skip, and a jump but it’s yet another place I’m very excited to explore – once again for the very first time.

Jackson Hole is a valley between the Teton Mountain Range and the Gros Ventre Range in Wyoming. The term “hole” was used by early mountain men and trappers who descended into the valley from the north and east along steep slopes, giving the sensation of entering a hole. The only incorporated town in the valley is the town of Jackson.

Jackson

Unfortunately, my planned 2 week stay got shortened to 1 week when I had to make arrangements to fly back to Milwaukee for work unexpectedly. Knowing that, I made extra efforts to still get to Jackson a couple of times.

The town square features an arch on each corner made of shed antlers from the nearby National Elk Refuge.

With a condensed schedule, my priority is to maximize my time in Grand Teton National Park. That unfortunately means I won’t be able to spend as much time exploring Jackson.

I’ve made my priorities here known with my stops at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and Bubba’s BBQ. I was pretty happy with those choices!

Teton Village

The Teton Village is about 20 minutes from Jackson, WY and surrounds the base of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. It is also very conveniently located less than a mile from the southern entrance of Grand Teton National Park.

I’ve never stayed at a ski resort during the summer. Even though it’s shoulder season there are still a fair number of people around. And yet it feels like I have the run of the place. I must say – I didn’t hate it.

At night the Christmas lights are pretty but c’mon – it’s September!

The real reason I’m staying in Teton Village is because the only reasonable accommodations I could find were at this hostel.

Even though this hostel clearly isn’t as nice as my first hostel, I had such a good first experience I wasn’t nearly as apprehensive to take a chance on this one – not that I had a lot of other options.

I shared this 4 bed dorm room with a middle-aged firefighter from Chicago, an older gentlemen visiting his daughter and granddaughter, and the 4th bed rotated every couple nights between younger backpackers.

During the day, I worked and had the common areas pretty much to myself. At night, I was literally 50 steps away from live music every night at the Mangy Moose!

Needless to say, I was a frequent visitor at the Mangy Moose. I kept thinking of how crazy this place likely is during ski season. And yet, the convenience of walking over in shorts and sandals, receiving immediate service, being able to watch a football game, and enjoy live music in an extremely relaxed environment was a real breathe of fresh air.

Along with the saloon, there were a couple of small cafes and a grocery store nearby as well. I had everything I needed and it was all so convenient. It’s official – I’m 2 for 2 on hostel stays.

It’s obvious to me that Jackson Hole is a very special place. There’s so much beauty and history here, I only wish I could stay longer to experience more of it.

Up next – Grand Teton National Park! The majority of Jackson Hole is actually contained within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park – I am aware of that technicality. But I do have a feeling that Grand Teton National Park will more than make up for my abbreviated stay.