Grand Indeed
Written: Jul 18 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Amazing scenery and wildlife.
Cons: Not easy to get to.
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| lskrzyniarz's Full Review: Grand Teton National Park |
I'd been to this part of the country before, but nothing prepared me for the Grand Tetons. Located just north of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, this is not easy country to get to. We have a friend in the area and decided to take up his offer for a visit. I'm so glad we did.
We went in April 1999 during Easter weekend which was a blast. Stayed in Jackson Hole at the Alpine House B&B, which was very nice and located within walking distance of the town square. Even though you're in the middle of nowhere, your stay in Jackson won't be cheap. This is a resort town that has great places to eat and stay, but at "resort" prices. We actually flew into Salt Lake City - you can fly into Jackson but it's very expensive and limited - and drove the 4-5 hours through Utah, Idaho and into Wyoming. It was well worth the time, just amazing scenery.
Thank God we were prepared for the weather, because it was still winter in Wyoming. Coming from Los Angeles, we were hoping for spring-like conditions, but it snowed pretty much every day. Fortunately, it then warmed up to the high 40's and was sunny the rest of the time. It was nice to experience weather again, but we were glad we could leave it behind. In fact, they still had about 5-6 feet of snow on the ground in some places.
The Tetons are about a half hour drive north of Jackson Hole. The drive is breathtaking. We saw moose and wolves just trotting along the road. Not much of the park was open at that time due to the high snow levels. They don't begin to plow until May, so we were fairly limited as to where we could go. We did get out to Jackson Lake, which was completely frozen over and glistening in the sun. Thankfully, we went out on our first day, because it was the only day the Tetons weren't shrouded by clouds. They are massive, cutting through the sky.
On our way back to Jackson, we stopped at Dornan's in Moose, Wyoming. This is an oasis at the base of the mountains. It is THE place to stop and stock up on anything you might need. The restaurant serves up great food and the world's best view through giant picture windows. Surprisingly enough, Dornan's also has one of the best wine stores you'll ever get the chance to shop in. Don't ask me why. What's even better is they have tastings once a month for $7 per person, which we did.
Though we're not extremely sports minded people, we did rent cross-country skis one afternoon and tried our luck out by Jenny Lake in the southern region of the park. This is not an easy activity, especially for those who are not highly coordinated or have never been on skis before, like me. However, with an afternoon rental fee of $7 for skis, poles and boots, we decided to be adventurous and have some winter fun. It was definitely harder than I expected, but well worth the money. We got to see much more of the area than we could from the road and it was lovely being out there on the pristine snow.
There are plenty of things to do in this area. Whether you're a hiker, biker or skier, just pick your season. Obviously the town is packed in high ski season and in the summer, but if you go off-season - April-May or Sept-Nov - you'll pretty much have the place to yourself. You might not get the exact weather conditions you were hoping for, but the area is so amazing you won't really care.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lskrzyniarz
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Reviews written: 238
Trusted by: 31 members
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