The Journey to Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Exploring Western Wyoming
By: Meredith Miller
Published June 7, 2018
Written: June 2017
Currently I am sitting in the back of our RV/van, back doors open wide, a bonfire blazing, the Teton mountains right in front of me.
To be more precise – the Teton Valley Resort and RV Park in Victor, Idaho. They recently added luxury cabins to their park, and luxurious indeed they are. Unlike Jackson Hole camping, they don’t charge an arm and a leg/night, but still have an amazing view of the Tetons. With clean facilities and a friendly staff, I highly recommend them to anyone staying in the area.
So yesterday Randy and I drove from Douglas, WY, to Jackson, WY. The drive itself takes maybe five hours, I think the mileage is something like 330 miles. We stopped a few times on the way – sightseeing and such.
We had stayed in Douglas the night before at a Hampton Inn and had eaten dinner at Plains Trading Post Restaurant, which is a neat little restaurant, museum (kind of random assortment of knick knacks and collectibles from the 1800s until now), and ice cream parlor. Now, I’m not talking some rinky-dinky little freezer with 3 flavors to choose from – this place is legitimately an ice cream parlor with like 15 different flavors, sundaes, malts, shakes, etc.. Check them out on Trip Advisor here.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is a pretty neat, touristy little town for anyone who is planning a trip to Grand Teton National Park or Yellowstone this summer. It’s home to three ski area/resorts, the National Elk Refuge, art galleries, shopping galore, breweries, restaurants, the classic Cowboy Bar (must be 21 or older to enter), Mad River Boat Trips (among other Snake River White Water Rafting tour options), and more.
Anyways, when we got to Jackson it was maybe 7:45pm, and we hadn’t really eaten all day so we drove into downtown to search for food. Now, just for all those who don’t know me, when I get hungry, I get hangry, and being logical unfortunately is not my strong suit during these times.
Luckily Randy knows this, and marched us all around downtown with the best attitude, in search of food. Finally, we decided on Town Square Tavern* because it has an upper level patio so we got to look out over the Jackson Hole Square. We ordered a veggie burger and a bison burger so we could split them both (both delicious), and for dessert we had a homemade brownie with ice cream = again, delicious.
*(Unfortunately, Town Square Tavern closed in November of 2017. Guess we’ll have to go back and try something new! Please feel free to comment below with any food recommendations in the Jackson Hole area.)
After dinner we set out in search of a place to sleep and shower. Since Jackson area/National Park area prices are like $112 a night for tent sites at an RV park, we decided to look outside the town and found the Teton Valley RV park for like $28 a night just 18 miles away from Jackson.
The shadow from the starlight, is softer than a lullaby...
We explored Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park for about four days before heading north into Yellowstone. We spent the days hiking, white water rafting (through Mad River Boat Trips), exploring the town, and spent each night by the bonfire in Victor, ID.
Next time we stop in Jackson, I’d like to try some of the local breweries, and also find a new restaurant that hasn’t shut down since we left.
For your next trip out West, I definitely recommend making Jackson Hole a stop. Learn about the 15 Best Things to Do in Jackson Hole, and start planning. As always, I’d love to hear any stories from your own time in Jackson, or what you did. Feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Happy Travels!
