What I'll Miss:

I leave Jackson this Friday to head on to Colorado before going home, and I have no clue where the time went! It feels like I just made this blog yesterday. Leaving a place as special as Jackson is very bittersweet. While I am excited to see family and friends, listen to more than 3 decent radio stations, start football season (Go Dawgs!), finally eat a Chick Fil A chicken biscuit for breakfast, and of course see my dogs, there's so much more that makes me drag my feet to leave.

1. The sunsets - I have never lived in a place where you can count on having an incredible sunset every single night.

2. Having views like this in my car mirror as opposed to the city buildings of Atlanta.

3. Spending days on a lake with an unbeatable view like this one.

4. Pearl St. Market's "prize winning chili" - I think I lived at that place for lunch this summer. Basically every other food place in Jackson - Calico, Norah's breakfast, Cafe Genevieve, and the Brewpub to name a few. 

5. Going to Chamber mixers/events and meeting new people who do such different things around the community. Everyone I have met has been so kind and fun to talk to, and I will miss the different personalities of Jackson. 

6. All of the outdoor activities: rafting, hiking, horseback riding, camping, and so much more!

             

8. Coming to work at the Chamber every day with an awesome staff. Everyone in Jackson has made me feel right at home, and I have learned so much about my area of study.

9. Wanting to pull over and take a picture literally every second when driving somewhere. 

10. Western dancing. I may not claim to be the best at it but coming from school in Athens where you listen to the latest hits and everyone has zero rhythm or stands like a bump on a log makes the West win on the dancing scene!

11. How late it stays light (in the summer that is). It's amazing to get off at 5 from a day at the Chamber and then have at least 4 more hours to do whatever you want in a town that always has something going on. This kind of weekly routine makes every day a good one. 

I could go on and on about how much I will miss, but I'll make myself stop at 11. The best part about it is Jackson isn't going anywhere. (And all of that is just for summer in Jackson. Don't get me started on the winters in this place!) I guess I will have to come back for yet another ski season or maybe a 2nd summer. Until then, stay tuned for what life is like back in the peach state!

Los Lobos

I attended a concert by Los Lobos for the first outdoor concert in Center Park last night, and it was a lot of fun! It was a great event for families, and Pica's, Firebelly Pizza, Cafe Genevieve, and Snake River Brewery provided food and beverages.

Leigh, Nancy, and Me

Unguided Trail Ride

Mollie and I went to Alpine on Sunday to do a half-day unguided horse rental with Jackson Recreation. We had a blast riding through trails and being on the horses, and rode to a view point that overlooked a lake and mountains.

Tying the horses up at a viewpoint

Hiking to Ski Lake

Last Thursday I hiked part of Phillips pass that leads to Ski Lake. The trail is right off of the pass to Idaho, and its an amazing hike with tons of wildflowers to observe. It also is not too hard, which is good if you want a small challenge with more leisure. I recommend doing it if you have the chance!

View of mountains on the way back down

Back in the Saddle

I grew up riding horses, and it has been on my summer bucket list since I arrived in Jackson. Finally, we went riding at Linn Canyon Ranch in Victor, ID and had an amazing time. It was by far one of my favorite parts of the summer. Linn Canyon Ranch is a great place to ride, and they offer a variety of rides including a ride through Teton Canyon and a sunset dinner ride. 

The view where we stopped to have lunch - the mountain overlooked Victor, ID. 

Reliving childhood with capri sun in our packed lunch (included in the ride)

We got dumped on towards the end of the ride, but it was still fun even being in the rain!

Home Sweet Home

I spent Saturday and Sunday night at my parents' place in Driggs. I had such an amazing weekend relaxing, taking in the views, walking by the creek, and eating in Grand Targhee at the Branding Iron. 

This view will never get old. Sitting outside and talking as the sun goes down can be just as good as good as any adventure in Jackson.

View of Tetons heading up the mountain. 

Dinner at the branding iron in Grand Targhee ski resort. 

 On the way down, a young grizzly bear actually ran in front of our car across the road. That makes grizzly bear sighting number 3 of the summer!

Art Fair

Some kids taking part in free drawing

I worked the art fair on Thursday and Friday, and had a great time seeing all kinds of artwork in the process. Over a hundred artists came to Jackson to display and sell their own unique work, and the weather was perfect most of the time. Many people seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Rafting The Snake Round 2

My family, Leigh, and I took a scenic float with Dave Hansen's rafting company. They offer whitewater rafting as well as scenic floats. We chose to do a scenic float and had a great time! Rafting should be on the top of everyone's list who chooses to visit Jackson in the summer. We didn't see any moose, but we saw lots of bald eagles.

Amangani Anyone?

Not too shabby of a pool

On Friday night, my family took Leigh and I to the Amangani for an amazing dinner. (How could it be anything less?) The whole evening was really relaxing and fun, and Leigh and I followed the dinner with some camping in Alpine. Overall, a really good night!

And now for the food...prepare to get hungry:

elk ribeye

bison

Jenny Lake Overlook

After some of my family arrived on Thursday, we had our traditional meal at Dornan's and continued on to the Jenny Lake overlook. Definitely a must see!

My mom and I

White Grass Ranch

When my dad first graduated from college, he and his best friend also came to Jackson to spend a summer, and he found himself working on White Grass Ranch while his friend worked in town. When my parents visited this weekend, one of the first things he had to do was go back to where White Grass Dude Ranch used to be and take a trip down memory lane. The ranch is currently under construction for historical purposes, but you can still see the way it used to be set up. The ranch dates back to 1919 and is located in White Grass Valley of Grand Teton National Park. 

The first person my dad turned to on the visitor list was a man he worked with on the ranch. Small world!

In front of an old guest cabin

The Best Way to See Yellowstone

Mollie and I went on a tour of Yellowstone with Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris last Wednesday. The whole day was amazing, and if I could ever recommend a way to see Yellowstone, this would be it. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area and especially about the animals. The tour was very personable and gave everyone a chance to just look around and enjoy the scenery and wildlife. We covered the entire first loop through Yellowstone, including Old Faithful, Hayden Valley, and the Grand Canyon. Wildlife sightings included: moose, bull elk, bison, bear tracks, a wolf from a telescope, and a beaver. Here's just some of the amazing pictures I got:

1 of 2 moose eating in the same location. (This one was much more visible)

Colter Bay

Lewis Falls

Bull Elk

Taken without zoom but from a car. 

Our amazing lunch: a sandwich platter, fruit platter, and giant cookies. 

Hayden Valley - my favorite scenery of the trip. 

 

The Grand Canyon - by far one of the most amazing views I have seen.