Date of trip: June 2009

Jackson Hole is the valley in Wyoming encircled by the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges. Among the places contained in the valley are an airport, the National Elk Refuge, part of Grand Teton National Park, Teton Village and the town of Jackson. I explain this because it’s easy to mistake Jackson the town and Jackson Hole as the same place when, in fact, one is a section of the other. Will and I didn’t originally plan to spend much time in Jackson Hole, but after driving through the area on the way to Yellowstone and the Tetons, we realized there were quite a few things to see there and decided to come back for a look.

Highlights:

-From the Jackson Hole Airport, we headed to the National Museum of Wildlife Art located 10 minutes away. The museum has over 5,000 pieces in its permanent collection and it’s widely considered the finest of its kind in the world. Many of the paintings are so detailed they look like photographs of animals and some of the sculptures look real. It is truly a unique place because while art usually offers an escape, the art here reminds you of beauty that exists in the real world and how important it is to protect the amazing creatures we share this earth with.

-Teton Village is right outside of Grand Teton National Park and because it includes the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, it is the best place for winter sports. It’s a small village with hotels, restaurants and shops and though it has posh accommodations, including a Four Seasons, there is also a big hostel so it caters to all budgets. Obviously, you can’t ski during the summer but you can take the famous Aerial Tram up the mountain. The tram just reopened after 2 years of renovations and it doesn’t disappoint. Although it was cloudy and snowing (in JUNE!) during our ride, we still managed to spot two moose resting on the mountain. At the top there is a cafe where you can have a snack and a drink while you wait for the next tram down.

-In downtown Jackson, the Town Square has something for just about everyone. There are historic hotels, restaurants and bars as well as galleries and plenty of shopping. There are carriage rides and staged “shoot-outs” in the summer. Everything has a western flavor and you must get a photo next to one of the four elk antler archways.

Before I traveled to Jackson Hole, I had a picture in my mind of a place full of wide open spaces in the middle of nowhere. There are definitely sections like that but there are also areas that are unmistakably urban with many things to do. The contrast between the developed and undeveloped parts makes the valley a particularly fun and interesting place to visit.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Jackson Hole Links:
Jackson Hole Official Site
National Museum of Wildlife Art
Teton Village/Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Jackson Hole Aerial Tram