Joan and Russ (aka Grandma and Grandpa) joined us for our last few days in the Jackson/Teton area. It was a special treat on a road trip that was mostly just the four of us plus Timber. The boys were excited to see them and had a tough time sitting still at the airport waiting for their plane to land.
THE ARRIVAL:
Russ and Joan arrived and after many hugs and unloading their bags at the Wyoming Inn, we headed to a local burger joint called The Bird. It was highly recommended by the Enterprise team at the airport. The restaurant is fairly far outside of town along SH-89 in a stretch that appeared to be more of an industrial park. The entrance drew us past a gauntlet of twenty-somethings smoking cigarettes and drinking beers on the deck, we had to seat ourselves and get our own menus, and the place was so loud that we could hardly hear one another. It also had serious moxie bordering on obnoxiousness in the menu copy, which included some racy names and a full-page manifesto about refusing to serve anything other than medium rare burgers. But once seated, everything clicked – our waitress rocked it, taking good care of Joan and Russ who were exhausted from their travels. They had great beer selection and the burgers were arguably the best we’ve ever had – according to Ronan, Russ, Asher and Mark. Best ever! After dinner and drop-off at the hotel, we headed back up to Colter Bay, slowly navigating an hour-long, winding road through an unseen sea of herding animals (elk, bison, pronghorn) on a pitch black freeway. Tiring. Very.
THE MOOSE:
We awoke later than planned the next morning and hustled to break camp at Colter Bay. Although it was a wonderful place, our reservations expired and we were moving to the Snake River Park/KOA on the southwest side of Jackson. It was closer to the grandparents, too. We stopped by the hotel and left the rig/coach in the parking lot for the day, then loaded the rental SUV for a quick spin through the park. The drive was smooth and beautiful. Although it was a Saturday in July, the weather was a perfect 70 degrees and sunny and the traffic was easy. The highlight was a bull moose grazing along the eastern side of the Snake River, just past the park information center appropriately located in Moose, WY. A late lunch at Café Genevieve was excellent. That night, the boys decided to stay with Grandma and Grandpa at the hotel, where they ate lots, drank milkshakes, stayed up late and got to enjoy the comfort of a real shower and bed.
MORE MOOSE:
That afternoon we wandered around Jackson’s town square, walking under the elk arch antlers on its four corners and stopping in shops along the way. We bought t-shirts, postcards, stickers; tried on hiking boots and cowboy hats; and looked at stuffed elk, marmots, wolves and bison skulls. After trying to get into five different brunch spots, we ended up at Local Restaurant – good food but soft service. The restaurant is next door to the famous “Million Dollar Cowboy” bar, which I later learned was where a good friend unwisely rode his Harley through on a dare. Later we drove up to Teton Village and to the south entrance of Grand Teton National Park. Along the way we saw two sets of moose, both mother and calf combinations. Although the road was in dire need of repair, it was one of the most beautiful stretches in the park. We had a pizza dinner at Dornan’s in Moose and watched the sun set behind the Teton range. It was very hot and noisy inside but the pizza was excellent. Asher, Angela and I walked along a path down to the Snake River past the old ferry house and relaxed despite the swarming mosquitos. Again, the boys chose the hotel with Grandpa and Grandma over the RV park with Mom and Dad….hmm, seems like a trend.
THE PRESERVE:
It was the last day with Joan and Russ and our last full day in Wyoming. The following day we were heading west, inching ever closer to the Bay Area. Angela and I joined everyone for breakfast at the hotel then drove to the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve for a tour. The place is operated in a unique way to prevent over-crowding of the exhibits and trails – you can get in only once you secure a parking spot in the lot, which is carefully monitored by park rangers. Despite our early arrival, no spot was open. We dropped off Joan, Angela and Asher while the rest of us waited for a parking space. It took almost an hour but that went by pretty fast as we sat amidst the wildflowers, fragrant sage brush and pines. Once parked, we joined the rest of the crew and took a short walk along some of the trails closest to the LEED-certified center.
The preserve is largely reclaimed from an old dude ranch that had become a family retreat for the Rockefellers back in the mid-30s. In the years leading up to its dedication, the nearly 1,200 acre preserve saw careful bio remediation and the complete removal of buildings in an overall effort to fully restore the area to its natural setting. It is a fantastic place and we wished we’d spent even more time there. In addition to the library, photo gallery and multimedia room, Asher’s favorite was the chapel-like soundscape room at the end of the interpretive center. If you close your eyes, the aural landscape of the preserve comes alive – rain patters around you, dragonflies buzz past your shoulder, wolves stalk through the brush along your left and thunder claps to your right. Afterwards, we drove through the park for a last look at the stunning landscape.
After a late lunch at Sweetwater in downtown Jackson and a couple of hours prep for the road trip ahead, we hosted Angela’s parents at the coach with appetizers and a slideshow of our trip to date.
We were sad to say goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma but really enjoyed their visit with us on the road.
