Detour
Jackson Hole

Once we left the breathtaking panoramic views of Jenny Lake and Grand Teton National Park, we took a detour to see the quintessential tourist town of all tourist towns – Jackson Hole.

The stop solidified our intentions of coming back to spend a week here to explore Jenny Lake, the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole much more in-depth.

The town is difficult to put in words but let's try it in one – "inviting."

Its streets were flowing with pedestrians meandering in and out of shops. The variety of storefronts, sidewalk sales and window displays can even make a guy want to shop-til-you-drop for a day ...at least that's how this guy felt at that point in time. And I absolutely hate shopping. But there were so many impulse purchases I wanted to make as I passed by, I was thankful I was in a moving car (My wife too). But with the windows down, it was hard to resist the sense of smell, for the aroma of mouth-watering, rib-sticking food floated in the air like ..."Alright, you win – dinnertime!"

It was obvious people flocked to Jackson Hole for more reasons than you can shake a stick at. There were the young couples looking like they were experienced hikers (tell-tale sign – boots on a 90 degree day), groups of anglers (tell-tale sign – lures stuck to their ball caps), ladies stretching their lines of credit (tell-tale sign – struggling to carry six bags in each hand), rafting veterans (tell-tale sign – laughter although they were soaking wet, wedding party (obvious), local guides and ranch owners (tell-tale sign – packing supplies into pickup trucks), and local artisans and shop owners (tell-tale sign – unpacking goods from pick-up trucks).

Jackson Hole just had an energy and diversity to it that said "ya-all come back now" and you thinking, damn straight!

Holiday Road Travel Series
by Frank R. Satullo

Subscribe to www.ohiotraveler.com to keep up with each new stop in the Holiday Road Travel Series.

JENNY LAKE

Grand Teton National Park

Planning our trip, Grand Tetons National Park was just part of the line connecting point-A to point-B on a "driving day." We planned on it being a leisure drive, allowing us a full day to stop and see whatever caught our fancy. Well, something sure did catch our fancy!

Many people may be fans of the movie, National Lampoon's Vacation, and remember that about halfway through, another woman (Christie Brinkley) caught the eye of Chevy Chase's character, Clark Griswold. Fortunately, ole Clark resisted temptation after a close call, but I wasn't so fortunate when I met Jenny on our Holiday Road.

And I have to tell ya, I strayed.

Meet Jenny Lake, one of the most serene, naturally beautiful sites I'd ever seen.

From the moment we pulled over to see her to when I had to put her in my rearview mirror, Jenny tugged at my heart and I yearned for the day I'd return and spend more time getting to know her.

Okay, enough with the innuendo, I'm starting to confuse myself.

Jenny Lake is a body of water in Grand Teton National Park. Something about how the snow-capped mountains jut straight into the lake make the scene majestic. When people refer to a soulful place – Jenny Lake is mine!

We left the vehicle and hiked trails along Jenny's banks. Nobody was around. We skipped rocks, we ate a picnic lunch on a boulder and then we jumped from rock to rock out into the glass surface of the lake. With the Tetons as the backdrop, I wanted to put on the backpack and head into the mountains. Next time, I will.

On that future trip, I will do-it-all: Kayaking, fly-fishing, horseback riding, stop and smell the wildflowers, campout and/or sleep in a cabin. Then I'll go rock climbing, participate in a backwoods expedition and just sit for hours on end enjoying pure unadulterated nature. In addition, scenic river floats, swimming, boat rentals, lake cruises, biking, tours and more are available throughout the Teton area. 

Wyoming
Attractions
Worth Consideration

Yellowstone

Jackson Hole

Wyoming

Cody, WY

Devil's Tower

Pit Stop
Bird on a Wire

On a driving vacation, sometimes you see the strangest things. When you do, it's difficult to resist the temptation to go through the trouble of pulling the vehicle off to the side of the road, get out, get the camera, and take the shot.

The eagles nest above was one of those pit-stop moments. We're calling it an eagles nest, but we can't be sure of it. An eagle was soaring overhead, but who knows, maybe it was going to eat what was in that nest.

Sometimes a pretty picture is nice, but you don't bother going through all the trouble of pulling over the vehicle. Instead, you just take the picture while driving.

More times than not, the resulting photograph is no substitute for seeing such sites in person.

The above picture is an example of one of those moments. The contrast of the yellow flowers (or maybe they're weeds) on a green mountain side (looks like a hill) was one of those sights that made you take notice ...but not so compelling as to pull over for a better shot with the camera.