Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Have you ever wanted to go somewhere that is a bit off the beaten path, out of your comfort zone, and definitely not a tourist trap?!  We love trying new places, especially those that are not on everyone´s radar.  Jackson Hole is one of those tiny little towns that came with a big, bold, and beautiful personality.  The plan is to spend a few days over New Year skiing and a bit of sight seeing.  I really did not know much about the place except that it is supposed to be quiet and more peaceful than the more well known resorts such as Vale or Whistler.  The idea of an authentic place is more appealing to us.  The town´s airport is actually located in the middle of Yellowstone National Park and it is absolutely charming. Small and nestled between covered snow mountains, it welcomed holiday goers who truly came for the experience.  It is not fancy or over the top, just authentic and full of characters.  We stayed at Hotel Jackson, which is located in town rather than at the resort itself because this way, we would be able to experience the best of both worlds.  Besides the skiing, there are three activities that were highly recommended to everyone.  The most popular one is the dogs sledding but we were not able to do this because apparently, there are only 2 tour companies that offer this and they were completely sold out.  The second and third recommendations were snowmobile through Yellowstone Park via Old Faithful and a safari of elks as well as bisons sighting.  We opted for the snowmobile because as you already know, we are just a tad obsessed with anything that has wheels attached to them.  Turned out it was an unforgettable experience with so many incredible new memories.  If you ever have a chance to be in Jackson during the winter season, this is probably the one thing I am highly recommending above all.

The day started out very early when Scenic Safaris Tour picked up everyone at 6:30Am.  The drive was a little over an hour to Yellowstone National Park where everyone geared up for a full day of adventures and fun.  It was expected to be a very cold day so in addition to our ski wear, we had to put on extra snowmobile gear and anything else that you could put on your body including hand and feet warmers because let me tell you, you would want to because baby, it is super cold outside.  In the end, I think I put on an entire me on top of me but as hassle as I thought it was, I was forever thankful because we were outdoor an entire day and of course you would want to be warm and comfortable in order to enjoy some of the most beautiful views Mother Nature has to offer.

We rode through Yellowstone and onto Old Faithful with stops along the way.  The experience is once in a lifetime and everything that we came across were just so magical and white.  I would never forget that initial excitement and that amazing feeling just got better every time we came across more and more breathtaking views.  From seeing elks along the way to a stop at the Sapphire Pool with boiling hot springs surrounded by snow and bisons to sitting patiently waiting for Old Faithful to rise itself.  We met so many wonderful people on this trip and for an entire day, everyone of us were entirely cut off from the rest of the world and it felt pretty darn nice.  How often are you able to completely shut down all the while lost in one of the most beautiful places on earth.  After a 12 hour day we came back to the hotel with another few days lay out before us.

Because Jackson hasn’t had snow in about ten days, the mountains were a little icy and fresh snow had to be made.  I grew up skiing in the East Coast but out here it is a completely different ball game.  The mountains are a lot bigger and steeper with a beautiful 360 degrees view of Jackson Hole.  We skied for three days and in between enjoyed what the town has to offer.  There are cute little shops and cafes tucked quietly with every turn.  There are no shortages of good restaurants here with the best in our opinion being the Snake River Grill.  The food is modern European set in the cosiest environment with such lovely and friendly services.  We tried quite a few places but went back to this one for our last night in Jackson, because it was that amazing!!

Overall the entire trip was so wonderful.  As I mentioned before, this is a beautiful small place where people came to actually ski and enjoy the outdoors.  It is not a place to show off the latest winter fashion whether on the slopes or elsewhere.  And that is exactly why we love Jackson Hole so much.  It is completely unpretentious and everyone here minds their own business.  There are privacy and respect for everyone and everything that are around.  It is one of those places that makes you think that you can actually live there simply because of its honesty and authenticity.

SUNRISE AT GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK

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