....amongst elk herds in Wyoming?
Most of our mother/daughter travel adventures start off that simply. I wish I could tell you that there was some sort of grand planning strategy but it usually just starts with a question. Mom says, "Yes" and off we go.
Here's the thing. I was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming a few weeks ago. I could have taken the sleigh ride. It's a one hour ride. But I knew (because I just KNOW) if I came home and said to my Mom, "Look at these terrific pictures I took during my cool (literally, as the temperatures are hovering around 20 degrees in Jackson Hole this time of year) sleigh ride" that perhaps that would be the last time Mom would cook a meal for me or she would disown me at my tender age of 55 (56 years of age now as I wrote this back in March and have seen a birthday come and go since).
The National Elk Refuge is yet another spectacular national treasure. It is part of the migratory path for about 9,000+ elk. They are not at all fazed by the existence of the horse-drawn sleighs. Or the tourists that oooohhhh and aaaahhhh at their collective majesty.
Now about attire for the sleigh ride - no joke - at a balmy 18 degrees with a bit of snow and a fair amount of wind - it's lovely that wool blankets are provided but out at the refuge, those blankets feel merely decorative. Note: Mom wore 2 pairs of socks, long silk underwear, 4 layers of shirts/sweaters, lined overcoat, gloves, a balaclava (not to be confused with baklava which is a honey-drenched dessert) and a hat. I wore earmuffs, a heavy jacket with hood, a scarf, two pairs of gloves, two sweaters, tights, socks and boots. We were both still feeling the chill in the air. It's cold on the wide open range amidst the Grand Tetons but worth every shiver to see the elk sparring and posing and being elk-fabulous.
Do not let Wyoming fool you as there is so much more than elk to see!
We thought it was wonderful of a moose to be our informal welcoming committee of one to Jackson. Shortly after we exited the Jackson Hole Airport (which is the only public airport, by the way, that sits in the midst of a National Park - who knew?!), our friend says, "There's a moose." Being the New Yorker that I am (skepticism runs high), I thought maybe it was a fake moose placed strategically for effect. But I am here to humbly say, this was an honest-to-goodness moose enjoying an afternoon meal of shrubbery. Yum!!!
A drive out to Granite Creek found us indulging in the very cutting edge sport that is "non-mobile, stationary snowmobiling" :) where we blaze a trail to... nowhere!! What?! You've never heard of this sport? Well, someone has to start a trend, right? Just call us trendsetters. We see quite a few deer - and they do have a specific name which eludes me right now at 6a.m. as I write this whilst working a red-eye flight home. Being a city gal, I was just proud I recognized the four-legged creatures as deer.
There's lots of other wildlife; depending on your definition of wildlife from the Silver Dollar Bar and Grill at the historic Wort Hotel or the Cowboy Bar on the Square across from the iconic antler arches. The elk naturally shed their beautiful antlers and the local Boy Scouts are the only ones allowed to collect them from the National Elk Refuge.
Bald eagle sightings? Check.
Deer sightings? Check.
Moose sightings? Check.
Elk sightings? Check.
Sheep sightings? Check.
So much more than a sleigh ride through the elk herds? Checkmate.
Most of our mother/daughter travel adventures start off that simply. I wish I could tell you that there was some sort of grand planning strategy but it usually just starts with a question. Mom says, "Yes" and off we go.
Here's the thing. I was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming a few weeks ago. I could have taken the sleigh ride. It's a one hour ride. But I knew (because I just KNOW) if I came home and said to my Mom, "Look at these terrific pictures I took during my cool (literally, as the temperatures are hovering around 20 degrees in Jackson Hole this time of year) sleigh ride" that perhaps that would be the last time Mom would cook a meal for me or she would disown me at my tender age of 55 (56 years of age now as I wrote this back in March and have seen a birthday come and go since).
The National Elk Refuge is yet another spectacular national treasure. It is part of the migratory path for about 9,000+ elk. They are not at all fazed by the existence of the horse-drawn sleighs. Or the tourists that oooohhhh and aaaahhhh at their collective majesty.
Now about attire for the sleigh ride - no joke - at a balmy 18 degrees with a bit of snow and a fair amount of wind - it's lovely that wool blankets are provided but out at the refuge, those blankets feel merely decorative. Note: Mom wore 2 pairs of socks, long silk underwear, 4 layers of shirts/sweaters, lined overcoat, gloves, a balaclava (not to be confused with baklava which is a honey-drenched dessert) and a hat. I wore earmuffs, a heavy jacket with hood, a scarf, two pairs of gloves, two sweaters, tights, socks and boots. We were both still feeling the chill in the air. It's cold on the wide open range amidst the Grand Tetons but worth every shiver to see the elk sparring and posing and being elk-fabulous.
Do not let Wyoming fool you as there is so much more than elk to see!
We thought it was wonderful of a moose to be our informal welcoming committee of one to Jackson. Shortly after we exited the Jackson Hole Airport (which is the only public airport, by the way, that sits in the midst of a National Park - who knew?!), our friend says, "There's a moose." Being the New Yorker that I am (skepticism runs high), I thought maybe it was a fake moose placed strategically for effect. But I am here to humbly say, this was an honest-to-goodness moose enjoying an afternoon meal of shrubbery. Yum!!!
A drive out to Granite Creek found us indulging in the very cutting edge sport that is "non-mobile, stationary snowmobiling" :) where we blaze a trail to... nowhere!! What?! You've never heard of this sport? Well, someone has to start a trend, right? Just call us trendsetters. We see quite a few deer - and they do have a specific name which eludes me right now at 6a.m. as I write this whilst working a red-eye flight home. Being a city gal, I was just proud I recognized the four-legged creatures as deer.
There's lots of other wildlife; depending on your definition of wildlife from the Silver Dollar Bar and Grill at the historic Wort Hotel or the Cowboy Bar on the Square across from the iconic antler arches. The elk naturally shed their beautiful antlers and the local Boy Scouts are the only ones allowed to collect them from the National Elk Refuge.
Bald eagle sightings? Check.
Deer sightings? Check.
Moose sightings? Check.
Elk sightings? Check.
Sheep sightings? Check.
So much more than a sleigh ride through the elk herds? Checkmate.
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