As I mentioned in Monday’s post, we went to Jackson last week and had a great fun-filled time. There was never a dull moment and had so much to do that we could have stayed the entire summer! Everyone we met in Jackson was so incredibly nice and welcoming. My favorite run-in was with an old student’s parents from NYC that I taught way back when and they moved to Jackson 5 years ago. They sent several emails with hikes and trail runs and activities. And of course, another favorite meet up was with our bestie’s grandma who spends her summer there. So in many ways, this random small town felt familiar and welcoming.
We literally arrived at the airport and went straight on a hike in the Grand Teton National Park. Recommended to us by a friend, this hike didn’t disappoint. We wore our swimsuits and once we arrived at the top, there was a great lake and we went swimming.
Cold, refreshing.
Family photo — the first time the four of us have been together in a month.
The next day, we went to Yellowstone. It was a lot of driving (2.5 hours each way), but we knew we had to do it if we were so close by. This was a bison we saw.
We went to two main stops (and one hike) on the lower loop. We saw Old Faithful (totally anticlimatic, but a must see nonetheless)
Grand Pristmatic. My favorite part of Yellowstone.
My favorite hike was at Phelps Lake which my old student’s parents told me about. It was in a specific parking lot (Rockefeller Park) in Teton National Park. We hiked 2.5 miles to a jumping rock where many people jumped off.
Ken and Cruzzie jumped off. I did not. I almost did. But then I chickened out.
The hike back .
Immediately after our hike, we went to the Ropes Course which the kids LOVED. They loved it so much that they requested to return everyday…..(but we didn’t have enough time to do so)
We had dinner at The Bird, which is mainly a locals restaurant. It was burger and fries and so delicious and the nicest people! Everyone asked us where we were from (in a nice way) and engaged in conversations. We loved it.
…and then the Rodeo! A must do in Jackson! Especially for us, as our besties uncle was one of the main riders in the rodeo. It was so fun to see him!
Fish out of water.
Here he is! Super famous to us!
And again! And look at the beautiful sky. It was a truly special and unique night.
My favorite photo.
Ken and Cruzzie mountain biked and had so much fun.
Tusia and I hiked up the face of Jackson Hole mountain on a trail called “Wildflower Trail.” It was covered in wildflowers and extremely gorgeous (and difficult terrain!)
Look at the wildflowers!
We had the opportunity to paddle board on Jenny Lake in Teton Park one evening. It was so peaceful — no one was there (except bears) and the views were grand.
I love the juxtaposition of the water and the mountains — so much to do both on the water and in the mountains.
Sunset.
We also went rafting down the Snake River, which was mellow and tame. Tusia and I have rafted three times this summer!
This was the kids during the rafting trip, which meant not that many rapids and not much to see (other than 6 bald eagles!)
We went down the Alpine Sled which was so fun! We also did this in Vail and years ago at Deer Valley.
We ate a lot of good food, including Mexican food at a super hip place called “Hatch.”
Hammocks on the final night.
All in all a great and busy trip to Jackson. We can’t wait to explore more and go on even more hikes and adventures in this beautiful state! Thanks for letting me share these photos with you all! Happy last week of August!
