Walking on a sine wave

Continuing our Wyoming National parks trip, we made it to Jackson, WY late in the evening to start our Grand Tetons National Park adventure for the next 4 days. These mighty mountains make you gasp when you first see them. They are majestic, serene, vast, powerful and as my daughter said – Bejeweled (the patches of snow looked like jewels on the mountain according to her). Teddy Roosevelt remarked that the Tetons are “what mountains are supposed to look like” and I couldn’t agree more. This small and young range with towering peaks takes your breath away and before you know it, you start questioning your life choices. Following the same format as my Yellowstone post, I will provide a summary of our daily adventures, pro tips and itinerary.

Day 1 – I already had the plan in place the night before because we had stopped at the Colter Bay visitor center in the Grand Tetons National Park on our way to Jackson. The ranger provided great recommendations on the lakes to visit and hikes to go on with kids. We started the day with Jenny Lake, the number 1 attraction (and most times the only stop) for most visitors to the park. Got there early enough to find parking in the Jenny Lake Visitor center parking lot and took the ferry to the hike for Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point and Cascade Canyon. The ferry cut down the distance by 3 miles and was fun for the kids as it crosses the lake to the other side. We hiked up to the beautiful Hidden Falls and spent half an hour listening to the sounds of water falling over rocks. Dipped our toes in the stream on our way to Inspiration point which was quite a steep hike, very narrow at some points. The view at Inspiration point was totally worth it and kids played with a chipmunk who they named Dave as we took in the panoramic views. We then heard of a moose sighting in Cascade Canyon and the kids insisted on going on a wild “moose” chase. We gave it up after about 45 minutes because the canyon was an 18 mile roundtrip and I had no plans of carrying two kids on my back when they got tired. The descent was fast and we were back at our hotel within an hour for a well earned nap by 2 pm after lunch. At 5 pm we went back to the park, this time to hike to Taggert Lake. The 3.2 mile roundtrip trail weaved through meadows, forests and a Petrified forest and then the lake appeared. It was not crowded like Jenny Lake and we enjoyed the peace while sitting on stones in the water with our legs in the water. The views of the 3 peaks were surreal and the water was refreshing. Taggert was our favorite lake during this trip. It was starting to get dark and we reluctantly made our way back to the car as we didn’t want to run into bears during our walk back. In total we hiked 8 miles and needless to say slept like babies that night.

Day 2 – Phelps lake in Rockefeller Preserve was recommended as a local favorite and we did the 2.2 mile roundtrip hike. It was an easy hike and the lake was perfect for a swim. Along the way we met a Ranger who gave us tips on how to handle a bear encounter – Make noises and back off. We also spent time at the Exhibit in the preserve which was impressive. After lunch, we headed back to the park for the Snake River Float. It was a 2.5 hour leisurely float on the snake river for 10 miles. We saw bald eagles, otters, beavers and lots of Canadian geese. No mammals were spotted and kids were bored after a while so they just laid on the floors of the raft and took a nap. Nothing like seeing you kids napping during an activity you paid big bucks for :/. We picked up Korean food (delicious) for dinner on our way back and spend the rest of the evening playing card games in the hotel lobby.

Day 3 – Checked into Snow King Mountain Resort for kids’ activities like cowboy coaster, bungee jumping amongst others. Terrible experience as they put my son on the cowboy coaster without letting him put the safety belt on. He screamed that the belt was not on and yet the guy didn’t care. I asked him to stop and his response was, someone will put it on at the top. After many frantic moments, another guy with a walkie talkie came and said he had paged someone else on the top of the mountain. It was harrowing and the entire time I would hear my 10 year old’s screams as he was pleading to stop. Finally the safety belt was put on and he ended the ride. I spoke to the supervisor and manager and they were nonchalant. I am still to receive a written apology or refund from Walter at Jackson Hole Bike Rentals & Paddle Boards | Snow King (snowkingmountain.com) Needless to say the rest of the activities were cancelled due to their lax security and safety protocols.

None of us wanted to be at the resort anymore and since it was our last day, we decided to spend it in Jackson and surrounding areas. Went to FIGS for a delicious Lebanese lunch followed by a drive to the Teton Village. Picked up food at a local grocery store for a picnic later that evening by String Lake. String lake was nice and warm but we were tired to step in. As soon as we sat down for our picnic dinner, a deer popped up and starting grazing next to us. What a fun end to a fairly stressful day.

Day 4 – Woke up at 5 am to watch the sunrise over the Tetons and it did not disappoint. Once back at the resort, we packed up and decided to check out early to make the most of our last few hours in Jackson. After an excellent Brunch at Cafe Genevieve, we headed to the farmer’s market at the town. Oh what fun it was! The vibe, the range of items and the quality of stuff being sold was excellent and I bought some gifts for the family including many jars of Hackleberry jam. This is definitely a must if you are in Jackson on a Saturday morning.

Got to the airport with enough time for our flight. Donated the unsued bottle of bear spray at the airport and said Good Bye to what was an epic week. We truly got closer to nature and each other. This was a trip with no devices and the kids did not even miss it. I can’t wait for our next National Park Adventure!

Pro Tips:

Pro-Tip 1 – Stop by a park visitor center and talk to a ranger to plan your itinerary. Use a physical map as there is no cellular coverage inside the park. The map is detailed and keeps you away from being distracted by a device.

Pro-Tip 2 – Jackson has one small town square and one main street. Figure out where your hotel is and avoid taking the main street to save time.

Pro-Tip 3 – There are multiple lakes in the park. Highly recommend adding Taggert Lake and Phelps Lake to your itinerary. String lake is the best for swimming as it’s shallow with warm waters. Jenny Lake is super crowded and I suggest going after 3 pm when the crowds thin out significantly. Jackson lake is gorgeous and needs an entire day.

Pro-Tip 4 – Do plan to spend an hour at the LSR Preserve. Even if you don’t want to hike, park and visit their exhibit which is a 5 minute walk from the parking lot. There is a stream next to the LSR center where you can sit on a bench and enjoy the sounds of gushing water.

Pro-Tip 5 – Jackson has great food options. I recommend the Snake River Brewing Company, FIGS, Cafe Genevieve, BAPP, Teton Pizza and BIN22. Cafe Persephone was highly recommended but it was always packed so we couldn’t eat there.

Pro-Tip 6 – We would drive through the park every day during dusk. We saw many animals including an entire herd of Elks one evening. A Proghorn just came and stood next to our car one evening. The park is crowded in the mornings and evenings is when you truly enjoy the essence of being one with nature.

Pro-Tip 7 – Jackson is a great place with many local events. I found out about the farmer’s market and art fair (we missed it) from the local newspaper. Keep your day open for surprises like these.

Pro-Tip 8 – Don’t miss trying out Huckleberry Ice Cream at Moo’s Creamery and jam at the farmer’s market.

Our Itinerary:

Day 1 – Colter Bay, Jackson Lake Overlook and Snake River Overlook

Day 2 – Jenny Lake, Taggert lake Hike and swim

Day 3 – LSR Preserve and Phelps lake in the morning, Snake River Float in the evening

Day 4 – Snow King Resort and activities (Not recommended), Teton Village Drive (nothing great), Picnic by String Lake ( a MUST)

Day 5 – Farmer’s Market and Brunch