JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING

FRIDAY, 17th JUNE.

Many years ago (about half my lifetime ago in fact), I read an article in the National Geographic on a small town called Jackson Hole in Wyoming and was so fascinated that I determined that if someday I had the chance, I would pay a visit.  Today was that day!  We set off quite early in glorious sunshine for the hour long drive through lush farmland to Swan Valley (in Idaho, not in Western Australia) where we stopped at a diner for coffee and a sweet bun each and chatted to one of the locals before continuing on through the mountains, into Wyoming again and via the Teton Pass, to Jackson Hole where Mike deftly swooped into a vacant car space right in front of the visitor centre, no mean feat as the place was packed and traffic heavy.  The small western town I had imagined for all those years does not exist!  Nor is there much evidence that it ever did exist as the Jackson Hole of today, though with old style buildings and boardwalks, is a trendy, touristy town full of up market shops, galleries and cafes with little trace of the old town in existence.   A little disappointing as I'd hoped there'd still be a hint of the old west, but we are glad we went there and fulfilled a dream.   We walked around for a short time and then hit the road again for the drive to the Grand Teton National Park (adjacent to Yellowstone)  where we spent a happy couple of hours enjoying the mountains, lakes and forests and taking just a gazillion photos today.

The return journey was via a slightly different route, alongside the mighty Snake River for much of the way and the enormous and gorgeous Palisade Reservoir...fabulous and a fitting end to a fantastic day.