This is part nine of a travel series to Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks. If you'd like to start at the beginning, go HERE!
After our Yellowstone adventure ended, we headed out of the park and drove to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Jackson Hole is located in a valley between the Gros Ventre and Teton mountain ranges. It is the gateway to the Tetons so it was the perfect place for us to spend the night.
We arrived very early in the morning, around 9:00 am just as the town was waking up. After stopping at a bakery, we then went straight to the town square to get our photos taken under one of their incredible elk arches.
There are four elk antler arches positioned on each corner of the park. Tourists line up to get their photos taken under the arch. They are so cool! They are made up entirely of elk antlers found in the National Elk Refuge which is located just outside of town.
I mentioned we stopped for some bakery first. Huckleberries are all the rage in the west! You will see huckleberries everywhere! There is huckleberry jam, jellies, syrups, ice cream, and just about every restaurant serves a huckleberry dish. We ate a lot of huckleberry products out west and came home with a lot too.
I love a good bakery and Jackson Hole has an excellent one called "The Bunnery Bakery and Restaurant". Their breakfast line was so long, we decided to skip it and just got some bakery from the counter and enjoyed it in a nearby park. I got a huckleberry danish and my husband got a huckleberry cheesecake. Both were incredible!
After we ate our pastries, it was time to do some shopping. For us, it was window shopping as Jackson Hole is known for its "rich and famous" lifestyle. Celebrity sitings are common in Jackson Hole as many own homes or visit there. Unfortunately, I didn't see any when I was there.
I was very impressed with all the beautiful floral displays throughout the town; from gorgeous window baskets, gardens, and hanging baskets.
Even if the shopping is unaffordable for most, it is still fun to see all the old fashioned western buildings. I did have a chuckle at the "Five and Dime General Store"; although this was one of the least expensive stores in Jackson Hole, there was nothing in it that was a "Five and Dime". 😀
Most of the streets had boardwalks and roof awnings, which was really nice because that western sun is intense. Be sure to bring a hat, you will need it.
There were several spots tucked away from the Main Street which had more shopping and eats.
Another little garden I enjoyed.
Inside some of the tucked away corners were indoor mini malls. Everything is decorated western style like this buffalo chandelier.
A sign in town pointing the direction to the Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.
The town has the views of the foothills always in its background.
We were constantly warned about grizzly bears when we were there. I never saw any, but we never went on a long, desolate hike either.
The Cowboy Bar looked really fun. This door is amazing. There are photos of the outside of the cowboy bar two pictures above.
I thought this place was really cool! It is a dinner theatre company.
I have been told that the Wort Hotel is where all the rich and famous stay. We stayed at the 49's. It was probably the most money I ever spent in my life on a hotel room and also the worst hotel room I ever had in my life. When you opened the door to the room, it practically crashed into the bathroom vanity. I've never seen anything so ridiculous in my life. It was so hard to even get luggage in the room with such a narrow passageway. And I was paranoid I'd be standing at the mirror washing up and be exposed to the hallway view if hubby suddenly entered or exited the room. However, even if our room was terrible, the hotel facilities were excellent. We loved the pool.
One thing I love about travel is seeing all the different types of birds we don't have in my neighborhood, like this Black Billed Magpie. What a pretty bird!
This house and garden is actually a business but it is so pretty I had to show you!
I thought this inn looked like a nice place to stay.
We stopped at Moos Gourmet Ice Cream for the best Huckleberry Ice Cream I had out west, and I would know, as I think I tried them all. 😀
I couldn't believe Jackson Hole had a TJMaxx! I was so happy. Even though I planned my travel wardrobe carefully, I never thought to bring a pair of sweatpants. The mornings are so cold out west in the early fall. One morning it was only in the 30's! I had to borrow a pair of sweatpants from my hubby to stay warm until the temperatures rose in the afternoon. I ended up finding the cutest pair of off white sweatpants that went perfectly with all my outfits.
After strolling the western streets, we decided to check out the nearby neighborhood and found this adorable Catholic Church. We loved the design with the gorgeous stone and wood accents.
If you're wondering about where we ate dinner since the stores and hotels were so expensive, surprisingly there were many affordable places to eat in Jackson Hole, unfortunately I didn't take photos. We had BBQ sandwiches at Big Hole BBQ, which was conveniently located right across from our hotel. And my favorite meal was actually at an Italian diner called Miazga's. The food was AMAZING!
Next week, our adventure in the Tetons begin! Don't miss it!
Have A Great Day! Amy
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For more information on our trip out west, please check out these posts:
