 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| We returned to Jackson Hole again in January 2002, 2004, 2006, and
2007. Six family members made our group in 2002 and ten in 2004 when
our son's family with 3 year old grandchildren joined us. (you'll read
in my other Jackson trip reviews where we had up to 15 on one of our previous
trips!). By 2006 we were up to 12 family members with the addition
of two new grandchildren.
We were flying from all parts of the country - Boston, Albany, and South
Texas. Our arrival dates varied, so Kenny and I first stayed
at the Alpine House in the town of Jackson for a few days until all could
arrive. At that point, we moved to several condos at the base of
Jackson Mountain.
We enjoyed spending part of our trip in Jackson and part in Teton Village
since the town of Jackson has lots to do and see - shop, bar-hop, galleries,
museums, and lots of restaurants. The "skiers" went to the mountain
every day, while the non-skiers browsed around town.
 Last year, Kenny and I came to Jackson for a few days and stayed at the Alpine House in town. He wanted to ski and I wanted to shop. I also visited quite a few places to stay both in town and at Teton Village and wrote reviews on all we saw. You'll find links at the bottom of this page to the articles. We returned to the Alpine House this year since it wins our award for lovely accommodations combined with great hospitality. It's starting to feel like our "second home"!
 [Side story since we are on the subject of "cowboy stuff". Both Nick and our other son-in-law Max from Boston have been dying for cowboy boots since they are both married to Texas gals. Kenny found an ad in a magazine for some very special boots called Tony Lama's Tennie Lama boots. We bought a pair for both guys and brought them on the trip. Here they are proudly (with tongue in cheeks) showing off their new footwear. Alas, they are no longer made, but I'd suggest we all call Tony Lama's factory and tell them we would like to see them back in the boot stores!]  One thing I've noticed about Jackson - some of the nicest, friendliest people in the world live there! Everyone is in good spirits (despite the sometimes minus zero temperatures!) and has a smile for you. And this is pretty much everywhere - the shops, restaurants, ski mountain, hotels. I'll share an example with you... Nick and I both wanted a leather coat. I'd bought my last one
in Jackson years ago and it was frazzled - Nick had lost a favorite one
of his and never found a replacement. We went in and
out of all the leather stores in Jackson - and there's quite a few!
One of the last stores we found was Mill Valley Sheepskin and Leather Company
about a block from the Square down Center Street. What a huge selection
they had! Every color, every style were available. I
was amazed to lift a coat or jacket off the rack, expecting the typical
heavyweight, and find many of them light as a feather! Owner Kevin
explained that fine baby shearling coats weigh hardly anything. I
found the perfect jacket and so did Nick. Here we are in front of
the store with Kevin and C.J. - be sure to stop by on your next trip to
Jackson for the hospitality as well as some of the nicest selections found
anywhere.
 We had dinner at several places in town - the Blue Lion was good as always, as was the cuisine at the Rusty Parrot Lodge (chef Jason has a small, but outstanding menu). Nick (the beef eater) and Kara (the vegetarian) enjoyed the Merry Piglets Mexican Cantina and the Teton Steakhouse before Kenny and I arrived. We particularly liked Antony's Italian Restaurant which had a huge menu of tasty dishes and fresh baked, crusty garlic bread. As always, Jedediah's Original House of Sourdough was our favorite spot
for lunch (and we had breakfast there the day we left too)!
We moved to a couple of Teton Village condos to gain a complete "mountain experience" -- a nice change from staying in town and much more convenient for the skiers. For those of you who have been to Jackson before, you'll have a big surprise on your next trip there! The mountain village is exploding with new construction and development -- giant cranes are everywhere and holiday homes and condos now dot the hillside up the mountain and at the edge of lifts. This is a view from the Cody House just above the Gondola looking back toward the village.  The Four Seasons Resort is next to the lift and Gondola. The Snake River Lodge finished adding condominiums to the hotel section and also features a huge indoor/outdoor pool, spa, and fitness room. The Mangy Moose has added a wine and cheese store section to its building.  The problem with Jackson in the past has been that it is a "divided destination" - things to do and places to shop and eat are in town; the skiing is 12 miles away on the mountain with only a few ski shops, four restaurants, and one night club! This is starting to change as new hotels are added and no doubt it will help generate more shops, restaurants, and night life at the mountain. A welcome change!  Our condo was directly above the Kids Ranch which provides children's care, ski school for ages 3 to 17, and lessons for beginners through extreme skiers. Skies alternated clear, sunny days with snow falling now and then -
overall fairly good "ski" weather for the Rockies in early January.
 We had rental cars for the entire trip - a good thing since presently
there's only a few restaurants which serve dinner in the village.
A couple nights we drove 4 miles down Teton Road to dine at the Calico
Italian Restaurant. As always on our trips, we also went to Stieglers
Restaurant, well known for some of the finest cuisine in Jackson Hole.
 And so ended another great trip to Jackson Hole! We plan to return each year, so watch for more reviews and updates as they happen. Other things to do in Jackson Hole: Take a dog sled trip, a dinner sleigh ride, bowl or play pool, ice skate,
visit Idaho's hot pools and olympic swimming complex, snowcat ski, and
go on another snowmobile tour!
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Plus,
The Alpine House is a delightful place to stay. The location is perfect
- only a couple blocks from the square - the rooms are bright and spacious,
and Eric the chef starts each day with wonderful breakfasts and treats
guests each afternoon to gourmet snacks. Kenny, Kara, and Nick loved
the big hot tub in the front yard - alas, I forgot my bathing suit, so
the closest I came to warming up was standing in the steam rolling off
the bubbling waters.