I’ve been wanting to visit Jackson Hole, Wyoming for sometime now. I didn’t think I’d be there in the summer, however, as I’d been envisioning a proper ski trip to see how the terrain compares to Big Sky. Well, I’m glad I got to see the lay of the land in the summer as it really is stunning. I could have stayed there forever as I was not wanting to leave.

Even in the summer, Jackson, Wyoming has become quite the destination for travelers so lodging is not cheap. It was between a motel 6 for $169 or the luxury accommodation of Snake River Lodge & Spa for $179 via my trusty hotels tonight app offering a big discount (and special thanks to the Murphy’s for getting one of the night’s accommodation). Snake River Lodge & Spa was a no brainer as it was beautiful and right on the mountain in Teton Village below the swanky Four Seasons.

Teton Village:

The first night we took in a local Thai restaurant and then went for an after dinner beer at the Mangy Moose. There was a wedding party staying at a Dude Ranch and the lead singer of the band that was playing at the Mangy Moose asked if there was any married couples in the audience that wanted to share their marital advice. Having already had a few drinks, I eagerly hopped up on stage and said: “For the future husband, always make sure you treat your wife like she’s the most beautiful woman wherever you are, even if she’s not. For the future wife, just make sure you keep his belly full and his balls empty.” I received a few applause and a few strange looks (I suspect the group might have been more on the religious side).

The next morning started out a bit rough as all of our websites were down including transamroadtrip.com. I won’t bore you with the details but upon figuring out the problem, I quickly wanted to get outside to soak up some of the scenery. Our adventure guide at the Snake River Lodge gave us a trusty map for some hiking trails. There were about 20 different trails ranging from easy and 1-2 miles to extremely difficult at 6+ miles. We settled somewhere in the middle and did the 3 mile hike around Spring Lake. Our National Park pass came in handy one more time as you go into the Grand Teton National Park to do the hike after parking just past North Jenny Lake Junction. The hike needs no adjectives, just take a look at the below pics:

We wanted to do the scenic drive around there but the road was blocked off. According to the Ranger, there was a “wild life issue.” Instead, we went into the town of Jackson and honestly, it’s probably the cutest western town I’ve ever been to. We had a couple of Coors Originals on the balcony of the Town Tavern before heading back to the Snake River Lodge for a swim followed by a return visit to town. My mom suggested we go to the Cowboy bar in Jackson for it’s old western antiques and western decor. It’s definitely a must visit. You sit up on bar stools which are actual saddles. They teach line dancing in the back of the bar. Order their own brew which is The Million Dollar Beer. It’s a Golden Lager. I also bought a bottle of the Million Dollar Cabernet just so I had the bottle as a souvenier.

Cowboy Bar:

Town Tavern in Jackson, Wyoming:

The next day I’m starting to get slightly sad as it’s the last traveling day of our trans am road trip before embarking on our Longest Day drive for Alzheimer’s Association through the Beartooth pass on the 21st of June. I was conflicted as the road trip was coming to an end but yet I was excited to see my parents. Atleast we had a beautiful day ahead of us driving first through Grand Teton and then through Yellowstone National Park and exiting Cody, Wyoming to complete the drive to our final destination- Billings, Montana. We saw exactly five wild moose during that day’s drive. How do you top days like that?

Dione, June 12th, 2015

Going Home- Montana Border from Cody Wyoming:

Home with the Folks in Billings, Montana: