Jackson Hole, Wy
When I think of fun cities, my mind goes straight to places like Las Vegas and New Orleans. New York and LA if you’re a city mouse, perhaps Miami if you’re a beach bunny. But I have a new city to add to that list: Jackson Hole, Wy. This place is just So.Much.Fun! Prior to visiting, I really didn’t have much in the way of expectations, basically thinking that it was just a ski town which would be pretty quiet in the summer. In fact, we only picked it as our base camp due to its close proximity to both the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. But I’m so glad that we ended up there because we had a blast! With tons of great restaurants, bars, and shops, it was the perfect complement to our long days out in the wild.
Some of our new Jackson Hole friends 😉
Our home in Jackson Hole was a quaint little condo we booked on VRBO. Condo rentals are an economical alternative to hotels, especially during peak seasons (the summer was actually pretty hopping, with many accomodations at full capacity). It was also nice to have the extra space of a living room, and the convenience of a kitchen and washer/dryer (it was so great to do laundry after all that outdoor activity!). We really lucked out with the location; we were just a few blocks away from the center of town where all the action was, but we had total peace and quiet as the condo was located next to a large creek. Best of both worlds!
The restaurants in Jackson Hole really surprised me. There were so many options that I think any foodie would be happy here! Our first stop upon arrival was Bin22, a tapas restaurants with a huge wine selection. They have an beautiful outdoor space, which was a nice place to spend an afternoon.
The next few days were a blur, but we did have some standouts. For our one breakfast out, we hit The Bunnery Bakery and Restaurant, which was awesome. I rarely go sweet for breakfast, but I got the French Toast, and it was awesome! No pictures because apparently we were too busy eating to photograph anything!
We also had a great dinner at The Kitchen, which featured modern American cuisine, cooked with local and seasonal ingredients.
Jackson Hole has a slew of sporting goods shops and art galleries, but they also have a handful of eclectic shops with unique gift ideas. Our primary purchases were bear spray and bear bells (for reals), and SNACKS! Our favorite, hands down, was the S’mores cookie from Persephone Bakery. #IWantOneRightNow
Don’t worry. I only had one! Though I was tempted to steal Maria’s as well…
One evening we decided to make our own bar tour of Jackson Hole, choosing all the places with Happy Hour specials. Not only was it nice on the wallet, but it was a fun way to check out several different places! Two of our favorites were Cafe Genevieve and Local.
We liked Local so much we actually ended up there twice. At the recommendation of our condo neighbor, we stopped there for a light dinner. It turned out that there was live music on the patio out back, so naturally, that is where we parked ourselves!
There were plenty of non-park activities as well. We tried a Vinyasa Flow class one morning, at the studio across from our condo. Maria and I both enjoy yoga (in fact, she is yoga certified!), but doing yoga at such a high altitude was a completely new experience – read: kicked our butts!
There are also daily “shoot-outs” on the town square, which was essentially an old-timey, wild-west type of show. While this was not a Broadway caliber performance, I could see it being really fun for kids!
Another great way to find out about daily events in town is by getting a copy of the free local newspaper, which lists all happenings for the week. Our server at Bin22 gave us a copy as well as great recommendations for things to do and see. It turned out to be really helpful! At her suggestion, we checked out the Jackson Hole People’s Market. There were several vendors, food and drinks for sale, and live music. Lots of people, of all ages, out and about!
I really enjoyed my stay at Jackson Hole and would love to go back someday! I’m thinking a winter trip may be in order so we can see what the ski scene is all about!
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