Great American West Adventure
Jackson, Wyoming - September 2017
Jackson is a small town at the south end of Grand Teton National Park. The entire valley is named Jackson Hole.
We drove with Sue's aunt and cousin to Jackson Hole Resort in Teton Village which is just across the Snake River from Jackson. At the Jackson Hole Resort, we rode an aerial tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain. The summit is at 10,450 feet above sea level. The aerial tram rises over 4,100 vertical feet from the valley to the summit. At the top we were able to get a stunning 360-degree view of the Tetons, Jackson Hole valley, and surrounding mountain ranges. The smoky haze had cleared a lot and we had a great view of Grand Teton Mountain.
WOW!
And they have WAFFLES! There's a building at the top that serves freshly made waffles with a variety of toppings. So good!
Did I mention that Kate doesn't like heights? Her Lego minifig wasn't too thrilled about getting on the tram or being at the summit.
It was 55 degrees at the summit but not nearly as windy as I would have expect at that altitude.
After we came back down from the mountain, we also checked out the town of Jackson.
The town square has these 4 arches made from elk antlers. The first arch was built in 1953. The arches are big. They are about 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Each arch contains about 2000 antlers and weighs around 9000 pounds. The arches have to be rebuilt about every 50 years. Male elk shed their antlers every spring, so no elk were harmed to obtain the antlers. The National Elk Refuge (which is home to the world's largest elk herd ... who knew such a thing even existed?) is immediately adjacent to the town, so there is a built-in supply of antlers.
All the buildings lining the town's main street are exactly what you would imagine in an old western town. The "sidewalks" are all wooden boards. I noticed several of the buildings had plaques indicating that they are on the National Historic Register.
There is a whole lot of public art in the town. Statues of famous historical figures such as Wilbur and Orville Wright, Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, George Washington, and Albert Einstein.
Jackson: Elevation: 6,237′ Population: 10,529
Tonight, we are staying at the Moose Creek Ranch just outside Victor, Idaho for the wedding tomorrow.
Teton Village
Jackson
360° Spherical Panorama
