I’m loving the different topography and ecosystems we are seeing on this trip. Two days ago, we were in the middle of nowhere in Idaho, surrounded by grass and sagebrush and driving on a flat road that appeared to go on and on into infinity. Yesterday, we were in towns and rolling grasslands.
Today, we left the grasslands and headed toward the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. I could see snow-capped mountains in the distance, growing closer and closer. At one point, we drove around a bend, and in addition to mountains, we had a view of a steep canyon, with pine and fir trees climbing up the sides, and the Snake River flowing at the bottom. (You can read in Roger’s blog post about why he was in the RV with me.) I wish I could have pulled over and taken some photos. Several hours after leaving Ririe, Idaho, we were in one of our all-time favorite family vacation places: Jackson, Wyoming.
If you don’t know anything about Jackson, you might think I’m talking about a hick town with dude ranches. Its nickname, Jackson Hole (based on geographical features), bolsters that misconception. But Jackson is a bustling town with interesting shops, accommodations both plain and luxurious, and first class restaurants. It has visitors year-round, as it is a major skiing destination in the wintertime and has a lot of activities to offer during the warmer months.
When our sons were younger, we came here on four different summer vacations, sometimes with grandparents in tow. There have always been many fun things to do here. The hiking is magnificent, with beautiful views as a reward when you reach the top of a trail. Our kids enjoyed the alpine slide (a manually controlled toboggan that slides down a concrete luge chute), horseback riding, a rock-climbing wall, mountain biking (which involves going up to the top of a mountain in a chairlift and riding down on a mountain bike), trout fishing, floating in boats down the river, scenic views from the Teton Village gondola that goes pretty far up the mountain, and the nightly shootout in the town square.
This part of Roger’s ride is a planned vacation for us. We’re spending three nights at a nice hotel in nearby Teton Village, having a belated celebration of our 32nd wedding anniversary, which was a week ago. We’re going to spend some time walking, breathing in the crisp, clean air, enjoying some wonderful meals, and looking at the breathtaking mountains that are surrounding us.
