Update: This post was completed before the Yellowstone flooding and closure.
On Sunday of Memorial Day weekend we were both off but the weather was once again not that great. In the hopes we could drive out of the rain, we decided to go down to Jackson Hole and see our friends Julie and Casey. On the way down we drove through Yellowstone Park, out the south gate, and into the Rockefeller parkway, which is the land between Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
I wanted to drive on Grass Road but it was still closed for the winter so we continued into Teton National Park. Unfortunately it was so cloudy we couldn’t see any of those views Grand Teton is famous for so I didn’t even take any pictures. We just just kept on driving until we entered Jackson Hole. Once we got into town we were looking for a parking space, when we got stopped in an alley as a parade went by. It was clear we weren’t going anywhere until it was done, so we got out of the car and watched. It was a cute small town parade with free candy and some cool horse riders, and I was glad we accidently stumbled across it.
Parade aside I will say I was a little disappointed in Jackson Hole. It may have been the weather, or the Western Day crowds buts it’s mainly expensive shops and ski paraphernalia and I wasn’t that excited by the town or its crowds. I did love the statues throughout the town though especially the ones you could pose with. They were beautiful. And we did get our requisite picture in front of the antlers in the town square and luckily Julie and Casey were available and met us to eat at one of their favorite brunch places.
After we walked around a bit we went to the Elk Refuge visitor’s center, which was by far the best part of the visit. Julie is working for a sister nonprofit and knew all the people working there. It’s a terrific visitors center with a great gift shop and a viewing platform of the Elk Refuge. The refuge is built next to the lands where around 7,500 Elk winter. If the Elk do not have enough to eat in the winter the non profit supplements their diet with pellets. It’s a great cause and I was so glad we got to see it.
The best part was the huge deck off the second floor where you could walk out and see the valley. Very pretty.
Like I said the Elk refuge and seeing Julie and Casey was the best part of Jackson Hole and after a really looong drive back, through a scary pass with 10% grades, I don’t know if I will be in a big hurry to rush back. We definitely will be seeing Grand Teton at some point though just waiting on a nice day. It certainly wasn’t Memorial Day though because we got another 3 inches of snow. I know I keep harping on the bad weather but we really weren’t expecting this much rain/snow/hail. We only have one full day off a week together and its a bummer when those days are cloudy or rainy.
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