24 Hrs in Jackson Wyoming

We took an Amazing Race-inspired 24 Hr Mandatory Rest Stop when we woke up in Jackson the next morning. I was just too tired to do any more traveling and I wanted to see what was around us. I had no expectations for Jackson and was very pleasantly surprised with the pretty mountain view I woke up to. I've never been to Aspen, but Jackson reminds me of a mix of what I imagine Aspen to be and a fancy beach town. High end retail stores, bustling coffee shops, and lots of retirees. 

We didn't do much in the town itself, but we did have burgers at MacPhails and started a Cafe Genevieve habit two mornings in a row for a fantastic bacon egg and cheese and some coffees. While I was waiting for our order one morning I was looking around the shelves and saw that they sold tea from Bellocq. I really wanted to tell someone that I used to live 2 blocks from the actual Bellocq store and that the guy that mixes the teas by hand is an awesome mellow dude with an awesome beard but I figured no one cared and I suddenly felt sadder for leaving Brooklyn for good.

But a trip to the Elk Refuge revived me.

Surprisingly, most of the trails in and around Teton and Yellowstone don't allow dogs, but at least we could take her down the main road here at the Elk Refuge. The elk only come in the winter, but we did get to see a coyote.

And Caly loved lunging at these squirrelly things that we had originally mistaken for prairie dogs. 

At least we got to enjoy some really spectacular views. 

Afterwards, we dropped the dog at the motel and headed out to the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve for a humans-only hike. The land used to be used for the Rockefellers to camp or summer or whatever, and now its this gorgeous set of trails a few miles off the road in Grand Teton National Park. We didn't see any more coyotes, but we did see some cool ducks. 

And found a way to set the camera to take a picture of us at Lake Jenny.

The water was clear as glass, and you could see little frogs scrambling around the pebbles at the bottom.

The trails were really nice, especially as the sun was setting. It incorporated a quiet stroll through fields, bridges across streams and waterfall views. 

That night we treated ourselves to dinner and a beer sampler at Snake River Brewing. Great steak tacos, refreshing beers, and a nice chat with the bartender about making big life moves like ours. After going days talking to no one else but each other, it was nice to get some perspective from our local barkeep of the day.

The next day we had to get going to Yellowstone, but we had a nice, unexpected visit in Jackson Hole. Would I recommend going? Totally. Just, you know, look out for bears.