The Four Winds

Jackson, Wyoming

Our band of intrepid travelers were scattered about today. Rich & Jane drove 50 miles north to fly fish the Salt River. Paul & Frank rented mountain bikes and trekked around Jackson’s fabled trails. Tim, Mom and I went shopping downtown.

Downtown Jackson is built around the town square, with a park in the center famous for its arches of elk antlers. Dad remembers in the early 70’s when that’s all there was to the town – antler arches and a valley full of elk. Times have changed, and now there’s stores, restaurants, and hotels aplenty.

The Alaskan Fur Company will sell you a pricey beaver coat, or next door you can buy a cheesy souvenirt-shirt for $12. The Silver Dollar Saloon has a long bar with real Morgans encased in the top, or you can sit on a saddle while you sip a sasparilla at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. A stagecoach ride will guide you around town.

We lunched at The Granary, which sits atop a high mesa. The views of the Teton mountains are excellent from the dining room. Today there was a visible line of wildfire smoke hovering above the valley floor. We’ve all been taking sneezing fits off and on.

In the afternoon, the dog and I went adventuring through an exclusive golf course community located across the street from our campground. The houses were stunning, and Shadow and I had a good long walk, occasionally trespassing.

The whole troop convened downtown in the evening for some late shopping and steak dinner. I returned to look at a turquoise necklace that had caught my attention earlier in the day, and my folks decided to purchase it for me as an early birthday present. Thank you, thank you!!!